Globalisation and the Self.

The set readings given for week 3 were about Globalisation and Identity

Globalisation and identity are two particular topics I gravitate towards. Globalisation, because there are a couple of ways to seeing/understanding this phenomenon.

1) The world is slowly becoming connected and understanding of one another (Takacs,S. 2015) Acceptance and empathy is slowly evolving to a better state, people are speaking out all around the world about worldly issues and solutions. With whats been happening in the media lately about Ferguson, Charlie Hebdo, IS and all that. Without the power of the Camera and the internet, these would have been easily disregarded. its the fact masses KNOW of these horrendous acts/tragedies that we as people can speak up and change the world.

2) People are getting influenced by the west and we value ideals and morals based on what we are given trough our mediums. ‘Americanisation’ is the next phase of the British empire’s legacy.

Trends and popular cultures crash and move like waves, they leave and come back. An example would be K-pop, a decade ago only Korean TV drama series were hitting the market. But now there are Musicians, dancers and Artists that boomed out of nowhere and have millions of followers and die-hard fans not only around the east but also growing in the west. Back in the 90’s there was Weslife, spicegirls and all the rest who ‘started up’ the trend.

Identity

Pop culture has sort of highlighted through song and storytelling that everyone is different, somehow. no one is the same. in movies for instance, the main character in a cartoon/hollywood movie is usually the one ostracised or left out because he or she was brought up different and they overcome the obstacle that life throws at them and they make it through. Then in the end of the movie its the usual ‘its okay to be different’. so it speaks to the majority of people who consume the stuff. everyone has felt lonely, powerless and tired before. movies and songs emulate that and project these feelings and thoughts in relation to their lives. so identity, to me, is constructed on not only the factor of what people face, but in how they face things and what they did in the process (Hall,S. 2000) Globalisation sort of plays into this too, identity seen from a macro view is very intense and big. but looking outside of the frame of life we relate to other things, but also other people. Globalisation is slowly linking to people and say ‘hey, were all different but our core is the same’.

Speaking geographically, an identity can also be seen as citizenship. What role they play in their surroundings, the country. cultural identity is a complicated subject. If one is born in country A but raised in country B and now lives in country C. Where does the baby come from?, what are its roots? is it based off the parents? or what they feel closest to?

I believe globalisation and the media help aid this confusion and lack of stability through different mediums.

References:

Takacs, S. (2015). Interrogating
Popular Culture: Key Questions, “What is Popular Culture?”
(Chapter One), Routledge: New York: 1-17.

Hall,S.,(2000) “Who needs ‘identity’?”. from du Gay,P.,Evans,J. and Redman, (eds.), Identity:a reader pp.15-30,1555 2 IDE:Sage Publications Inc