| looking at the distribution of foreign popular cultures to nations across the world, it’s important to remember first and foremost that a film is not just a film. A Hollywood film, to use a specific example, is not just an entertainment product made by Americans. Because its makers come from a specific cultural context, almost invariably their work reflects those values. In an American film for example, rarely will anything but democracy be presented as a “just” ruling ideology, and values shared by Westerners are often treated with the utmost respect, if not a sense of righteousness. For western cultures, who tend to share these values, the broadcast of an American film is rather passé. For a culture where gender roles are viewed far differently, or religion and government are treated as one, the same film challenges centuries-old values. Herein lies the root of anti-globalization movements, as people fear that the presentation of alternative value systems might change their own cultures. We see a striking back against outside values in this week’s film, Persepolis, the “Infidel Brands” reading by Izberk-Bilgin, and Hunt’s broader survey of the consequences of globalization in the recent past. Anti-globalization arguments question the view that globalization is an inescapable force in the modern world sure to mix together values through the exchange of goods, travel, and so forth. As our readings move towards the present, we see more examples (which some of you will surely include with your final projects) of successful resistance to the global village. In the film Persepolis, what can Satrapi’s experiences in Iran illuminate about the effects of globalization on Iranian culture? How does branding shape perceptions of globalization within Third World cultures, especially for cultures and companies that have the greatest global reach? |
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