DOCSLIB.ORG

We Lost Our Culture with Civilization

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
We Lost Our Culture with Civilization University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Master's Capstone Projects Center for International Education 2010 “We Lost our Culture with Civilization” – A Critical Analysis of the Internalization of the Development Discourse Vis-à-Vis Systems of Knowledge in Senegal Karla Giuliano Sarr University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cie_capstones Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, and the International and Comparative Education Commons Sarr, Karla Giuliano, "“We Lost our Culture with Civilization” – A Critical Analysis of the Internalization of the Development Discourse Vis-à-Vis Systems of Knowledge in Senegal" (2010). Master's Capstone Projects. 12. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cie_capstones/12 This Open Access Capstone is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Education at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Capstone Projects by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. “We lost our culture with civilization” – A critical analysis of the internalization of the development discourse vis-à-vis systems of knowledge in Senegal Karla Giuliano Sarr Masters Project Center for International Education University of Massachusetts, Amherst Spring 2010 Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3 Overview of state-run schools and indigenous education ......................................................... 7 The development of Western-modeled schools in Senegal: 18 th century to present .................. 7 Traditional forms of education and indigenous knowledge ...................................................... 11 Critique of colonial education and current schooling systems ................................................. 13 Theoretical Framework .............................................................................................................. 16 Post-colonial theory and notions central to development ......................................................... 16 Development as a discourse and internalization of said discourse ........................................... 19 Cultural hybridity as a form of resistance ................................................................................. 22 Summary of theoretical section ................................................................................................ 25 Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 27 Reflections on my position as researcher.................................................................................. 31 Ethical considerations ............................................................................................................... 33 Findings ........................................................................................................................................ 36 Conceptions of indigenous education in a rural community in southeastern Senegal .............. 37 Schools as gatekeepers of Western knowledge forms and structures ....................................... 42 Friction between indigenous and exogenous forms of knowledge ........................................... 44 Hybridity and mimicry .............................................................................................................. 48 Internalization of the development discourse ........................................................................... 50 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 54 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................ 57 2 Introduction Critical analysis of the complex interplay between development ideals and local conceptualizations of knowledge forms and education methods are essential if we are to promote holistic, responsive, and culturally appropriate development efforts. Since the end of World War II, and the independence movements that greatly changed geopolitics in the 1960s and 1970s, development prevails as the dominant paradigm in current relations between countries of the North and South (Escobar, 1995; Rahnema & Bawtree, 1997). Development, intrinsically linked with neo-liberal policies and globalization (Peet, 1999), defines not only how Northerners perceive the South, but also, how Southerners perceive themselves, their ways of knowing, and their possibilities for the future. While development has undergone significant changes since 1945 to promote grassroots participation and encourage the insights and contributions of project beneficiaries, without a full understanding of the complexities of the intersection between indigenous and exogenous knowledge, and the impact of the development discourse on their worldview, we are doomed to reproduce a hegemonic Eurocentric model inappropriate to and irreverent of local realities, ways of knowing, and social arrangements. This paper presents an exploration of these complex realities as they exist in a rural area in southeastern Senegal. In local communities, and indeed throughout the world, people simultaneously operate in multiple spheres of knowledge in both purposeful and unintentional ways. While the binary positioning of “traditional”/”indigenous”/”African” and “modern”/”exogenous”/”Western” help us to understand these concepts in a pure and intelligible form (Hall, 1997), these binaries are misleading in the concealment of the complex and ambivalent nature of people’s realities. Particularly in a developing context, the history of colonization and contemporary pressures of post-colonialism and globalization lead to interwoven realities and cultures. Cultural 3 hybridization accurately reflects how people combine elements of both traditional and modern realities in Bhabha’s articulation of a “third space” (Kraidy, 2005; Garcia Canclini 1995; Rutherford, 1995). This notion of cultural hybridity functions as a key component of the theoretical framework for this study. This small-scale research study in a rural zone in Senegal attempts to understand people’s conceptions of knowledge within the larger system of existing realities that constitute lived experiences in a post-colonial environment. My findings demonstrate that while people continue to participate in traditional activities and espouse traditional values, they have internalized the development discourse and its Eurocentric ideals. This results in the articulation of a negative view of their own culture in preference for Western culture and values. I shall also attempt to demonstrate that people make choices in relation to the harsh economic and political realities that they confront on a daily basis. Accounts will show how the preference for formal schooling is a survival mechanism in a globalized world where neoliberal forces prevail. This study takes place under the auspices of a small American NGO in cooperation with a larger international NGO (INGO). Its mission is to recognize and promote grandparents – grandmothers in particular – as a resource and partner in development efforts. The precise project, from which emerged the small-scale study presented here, involves the identification of alternative rites of passage through a gradual process of cultural revitalization that encourages positive practices and the simultaneous abandonment of harmful practices. The most obvious harmful practice that the project hopes to weaken is female genital cutting. The project works primarily through a series of community discussions on intergenerational learning and efforts in local school systems to create a space for discussion of cultural issues. A key component of the project is to integrate possessors of indigenous knowledge into the school curriculum. 4 The topic of this small-scale research study emerged out of my work to develop a game activity that teachers in village primary schools would implement to facilitate discussion of traditional culture into the classroom. During a period of two weeks, I performed a series of tests in four primary school classrooms, one middle school classroom, and with one group of community members, two groups of teachers, and one group of personnel and collaborators at the INGO. Many of the comments I heard indicated feelings of inferiority and dismissal about Senegalese culture as well as a sense of cultural loss. The work presented here is an analysis that arose from observations of game trials within the schools and community, as well as semi- structured interviews with educators involved in the project. The location of the work was three rural villages and one district school located in the regional town. The majority of communities in the villages were Halpulaar, while the population of the town also included Wolof, Sarakhole, Bambara, Mandingue, Sereer, and Diola students. The presentation of this paper occurs in four parts. I begin with an overview of forms of education in Senegal. This includes the history of Western-based schooling initiatives during the period of French colonization as well as a discussion of indigenous
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Understanding the Value of Arts & Culture | the AHRC Cultural Value
    Understanding the value of arts & culture The AHRC Cultural Value Project Geoffrey Crossick & Patrycja Kaszynska 2 Understanding the value of arts & culture The AHRC Cultural Value Project Geoffrey Crossick & Patrycja Kaszynska THE AHRC CULTURAL VALUE PROJECT CONTENTS Foreword 3 4. The engaged citizen: civic agency 58 & civic engagement Executive summary 6 Preconditions for political engagement 59 Civic space and civic engagement: three case studies 61 Part 1 Introduction Creative challenge: cultural industries, digging 63 and climate change 1. Rethinking the terms of the cultural 12 Culture, conflict and post-conflict: 66 value debate a double-edged sword? The Cultural Value Project 12 Culture and art: a brief intellectual history 14 5. Communities, Regeneration and Space 71 Cultural policy and the many lives of cultural value 16 Place, identity and public art 71 Beyond dichotomies: the view from 19 Urban regeneration 74 Cultural Value Project awards Creative places, creative quarters 77 Prioritising experience and methodological diversity 21 Community arts 81 Coda: arts, culture and rural communities 83 2. Cross-cutting themes 25 Modes of cultural engagement 25 6. Economy: impact, innovation and ecology 86 Arts and culture in an unequal society 29 The economic benefits of what? 87 Digital transformations 34 Ways of counting 89 Wellbeing and capabilities 37 Agglomeration and attractiveness 91 The innovation economy 92 Part 2 Components of Cultural Value Ecologies of culture 95 3. The reflective individual 42 7. Health, ageing and wellbeing 100 Cultural engagement and the self 43 Therapeutic, clinical and environmental 101 Case study: arts, culture and the criminal 47 interventions justice system Community-based arts and health 104 Cultural engagement and the other 49 Longer-term health benefits and subjective 106 Case study: professional and informal carers 51 wellbeing Culture and international influence 54 Ageing and dementia 108 Two cultures? 110 8.
    [Show full text]
  • Enculturation Trajectories and Individual Attainment: an Interactional Language Use Model of Cultural Dynamics in Organizations
    IRLE IRLE WORKING PAPER #107-16 March 2016 Enculturation Trajectories and Individual Attainment: An Interactional Language Use Model of Cultural Dynamics in Organizations Sameer B. Srivastava, Amir Goldberg, V. Govind Manian, and Christopher Potts Cite as: Sameer B. Srivastava, Amir Goldberg, V. Govind Manian, and Christopher Potts. (2016). “Enculturation Trajectories and Individual Attainment: An Interactional Language Use Model of Cultural Dynamics in Organizations”. IRLE Working Paper No. 107-16. http://irle.berkeley.edu/workingpapers/107-16.pdf irle.berkeley.edu/workingpapers Enculturation Trajectories and Individual Attainment: An Interactional Language Use Model of Cultural Dynamics in Organizations Sameer B. Srivastava Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley Amir Goldberg* Stanford Graduate School of Business V. Govind Manian Stanford Graduate School of Business Christopher Potts Department of Linguistics, Stanford University How do people adapt to organizational culture and what are the consequences for their outcomes in the organization? These fundamental questions about culture have previously been examined using self-report measures, which are subject to reporting bias, rely on coarse cultural categories defined by researchers, and provide only static snapshots of cultural fit. In contrast, we develop an interactional language use model that overcomes these limitations and opens new avenues for theoretical development about the dynamics of organizational culture. To illustrate the power of this approach, we trace the enculturation trajectories of employees in a mid-sized technology firm based on analyses of 10.24 million internal emails. Our language- based measure of changing cultural fit: (1) predicts individual attainment; (2) reveals distinct patterns of adaptation for employees who exit voluntarily, exit involuntarily, and remain employed; and (3) demonstrates that rapid early cultural adaptation reduces the risk of involuntary, but not voluntary, exit.
    [Show full text]
  • Cultural Materialism and Behavior Analysis: an Introduction to Harris Brian D
    The Behavior Analyst 2007, 30, 37–47 No. 1 (Spring) Cultural Materialism and Behavior Analysis: An Introduction to Harris Brian D. Kangas University of Florida The year 2007 marks the 80th anniversary of the birth of Marvin Harris (1927–2001). Although relations between Harris’ cultural materialism and Skinner’s radical behaviorism have been promulgated by several in the behavior-analytic community (e.g., Glenn, 1988; Malagodi & Jackson, 1989; Vargas, 1985), Harris himself never published an exclusive and comprehensive work on the relations between the two epistemologies. However, on May 23rd, 1986, he gave an invited address on this topic at the 12th annual conference of the Association for Behavior Analysis in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, entitled Cultural Materialism and Behavior Analysis: Common Problems and Radical Solutions. What follows is the publication of a transcribed audio recording of the invited address that Harris gave to Sigrid Glenn shortly after the conference. The identity of the scribe is unknown, but it has been printed as it was written, with the addendum of embedded references where appropriate. It is offered both as what should prove to be a useful asset for the students of behavior who are interested in the studyofcultural contingencies, practices, and epistemologies, and in commemoration of this 80th anniversary. Key words: cultural materialism, radical behaviorism, behavior analysis Cultural Materialism and Behavior Analysis: Common Problems and Radical Solutions Marvin Harris University of Florida Cultural materialism is a research in rejection of mind as a cause of paradigm which shares many episte- individual human behavior, radical mological and theoretical principles behaviorism is not radically behav- with radical behaviorism.
    [Show full text]
  • From the Chicago School to Post-Sub Cultural Carriage: a Review and Analysis of Contemporary Trends in Youth Culture Research
    Journal of Social Sciences Original Research Paper From the Chicago School to Post-sub Cultural Carriage: A Review and Analysis of Contemporary Trends in Youth Culture Research Mohd. Aslam Bhat Centre of Central Asian Studies, University of Kashmir, J&K, India Article history Abstract: The historicity of youth culture studies is much challenging to Received: 10-01-2015 date exactly. Sociologists however, trace its genesis from Chicago School Revised: 30-09-2015 and then leap to Birmingham’s Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies. Accepted: 17-02-2016 Theoretically it was, with the works of post subculturists that youth culture research gained ascendency. Global youth culture posture further revamped the field. This paper constructs a critical dialogue between the wide-ranging theories and research on youth culture and global/local relations in this sphere. It is revealed that the current ascendancy of post- subcultural studies margins the significance of sociological research to broader youth queries and does little to extend the case that youth studies should be more sociologically relevant and important. Youth lives in no island of its own and it is not all young people- who have the possibility of engaging in the consumerism, central to some post-sub-cultures. Conversely, youth and their cultures are framed within and to large extent shaped up by social divisions and inequalities. Against this backdrop, it is suggested that youth culture research would prove fruitful only when clubbed with ‘transition approach.’ Possibly this refit would not only facilitate to widen and thrive the significance of contemporary youth culture studies, rather may help in theoretical sophistication, empirical renovation and a more holistic sociology of youth.
    [Show full text]
  • Culture and Materialism : Raymond Williams and the Marxist Debate
    CULTURE AND MATERIALISM: RAYMOND WILLIAMS AND THE MARXIST DEBATE by David C. Robinson B.A. (Honours1, Queen's University, 1988 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS (COMMUNICATIONS) in the ,Department of Communication @ David C. Robinson 1991 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY July, 1991 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL NAME: David Robinson DEGREE: Master of Arts (Communication) TITLE OF THESIS: Culture and Materialism: Raymond Williams and the Marxist Debate EXAMINING COMMITTEE: CHAIR: Dr. Linda Harasim Dr. Richard S. Gruneau Professor Senior Supervisor Dr. Alison C. M. Beale Assistant Professor Supervisor " - Dr. Jerald Zaslove Associate Professor Department of English Examiner DATE APPROVED: PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENCE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis or dissertation (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of Thesis/Dissertation: Culture and Materialism: Raymond Williams and the Marxist Debate Author : signature David C.
    [Show full text]
  • A Qualitative Study of the Role of Culture Emerging from Undergraduate Italian Language Programs in the Midwest of the United States
    Exploring Cultural Competence: A Qualitative Study of the Role of Culture Emerging from Undergraduate Italian Language Programs in the Midwest of the United States Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Alessia Colarossi, M.A. College of Education and Human Ecology The Ohio State University 2009 Dissertation Committee: Alan Hirvela, Advisor Frances James-Brown Janice M. Aski Karen Newman Copyright by Alessia Colarossi 2009 Abstract Despite the recognized importance of foreign language teaching and learning in current times, research is still lacking with respect to the understanding and transmission of foreign culture in undergraduate language programs at the college level. Furthermore, most of the research which has been conducted has been of a quantitative nature, and it has focused on linguistic aspects of learners of second or foreign languages in order to measure and better understand the mechanics of their learning and acquisition. This qualitative study was thus undertaken to draw attention to how foreign language programs, in this case Italian language programs, at the college level in the United States contribute to the understanding and diffusion of foreign cultures and how they comply with the national Foreign Language Standards (1999) with respect to the culturally oriented standards. Specifically, this study explored how three large Italian undergraduate programs at the elementary level defined and operationalized the notion of cultural competence; what aspects of cultural competence the Italian undergraduate programs at the elementary level emphasized; in what ways these programs attempted to teach culture and/or cultural competence, and to what extent, if any, the curricula of Italian programs were aligned with the Standards (1999) regarding culture and cultural competence.
    [Show full text]
  • The Wisdom of and Science Behind Indigenous Cultural Practices
    Article The Wisdom of and Science behind Indigenous Cultural Practices Rose Borunda * and Amy Murray College of Education, California State University, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 24 September 2018; Accepted: 22 January 2019; Published: 23 January 2019 Abstract: Conquest and colonization have systematically disrupted the processes by which Indigenous communities of the Americas transmit cultural knowledge and practices from one generation to the next. Even today, the extended arm of conquest and colonization that sustain oppression and culturicide continue to inflict trauma upon Indigenous people. Yet, current scientific research now attests to how Indigenous cultural practices promote healing and well-being within physical as well as mental health domains. This examination addresses Indigenous cultural practices related to storytelling, music, and dance. In drawing from evidence-based research, the case is made for not only restoring these practices where they have been disrupted for Indigenous people but that they have value for all people. The authors recommend reintroducing their use as a means to promote physical, spiritual, and mental well-being while recognizing that these practices originated from and exist for Indigenous people. Keywords: indigenous wisdom; disrupted attachment; cultural restoration; well-being In our tribal traditions when a woman carried a child, she was protected from anything disruptive such as violence. Everyone in the community ensured that the expectant woman experienced tranquility and calm so that when the child was born, the child would be even tempered and peaceful. Statement by Connie Reitman-Solas, Pomo Executive Director, Inter-tribal Council of California CSUS Multicultural Conference, 27 February 2017 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Philosophy Emerging from Culture
    Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change Series I. Culture and Values, Volume 42 General Editor: George F. McLean Associate General Editor: William Sweet Philosophy Emerging from Culture Edited by William Sweet George F. McLean Oliva Blanchette Wonbin Park The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy Copyright © 2013 by The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy Box 261 Cardinal Station Washington, D.C. 20064 All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Philosophy emerging from culture / edited by William Sweet, George F. McLean, Oliva Blanchette. -- 1st [edition]. pages cm. -- (Cultural heritage and contemporary change. Series I, Culture and values ; Volume 42) 1. Philosophy and civilization. 2. Philosophy. 3. Culture. I. Sweet, William, editor of compilation. B59.P57 2013 2013015164 100--dc23 CIP ISBN 978-1-56518-285-1 (pbk.) TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction: Philosophy Emerging From Culture 1 William Sweet and George F. McLean Part I: The Dynamics of Change Chapter I. What Remains of Modernity? Philosophy and 25 Culture in the Transition to a Global Era William Sweet Chapter II. Principles of Western Bioethics and 43 the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Africa Workineh Kelbessa Chapter III. Rationality in Islamic Peripatetic and 71 Enlightenment Philosophies Sayyed Hassan Houssaini Chapter IV. Theanthropy and Culture According to Karol Wojtyla 87 Andrew N. Woznicki Chapter V. Al-Fārābī’s Approach to Aristotle’s Eudaimonia 99 Mostafa Younesie Part II: The Nature of Culture and its Potential as a Philosophical Source Chapter VI. A Realistic Interpretation of Culture 121 Jeu-Jenq Yuann Chapter VII. Rehabilitating Value: Questions of 145 Meaning and Adequacy Karim Crow Chapter VIII.
    [Show full text]
  • Filipino Americans and Polyculturalism in Seattle, Wa
    FILIPINO AMERICANS AND POLYCULTURALISM IN SEATTLE, WA THROUGH HIP HOP AND SPOKEN WORD By STEPHEN ALAN BISCHOFF A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN AMERICAN STUDIES WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY Department of American Studies DECEMBER 2008 To the Faculty of Washington State University: The members of the Committee appointed to examine the thesis of STEPHEN ALAN BISCHOFF find it satisfactory and recommend that it be accepted. _____________________________________ Chair, Dr. John Streamas _____________________________________ Dr. Rory Ong _____________________________________ Dr. T.V. Reed ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Since I joined the American Studies Graduate Program, there has been a host of faculty that has really helped me to learn what it takes to be in this field. The one professor that has really guided my development has been Dr. John Streamas. By connecting me to different resources and his challenging the confines of higher education so that it can improve, he has been an inspiration to finish this work. It is also important that I mention the help that other faculty members have given me. I appreciate the assistance I received anytime that I needed it from Dr. T.V. Reed and Dr. Rory Ong. A person that has kept me on point with deadlines and requirements has been Jean Wiegand with the American Studies Department. She gave many reminders and explained answers to my questions often more than once. Debbie Brudie and Rose Smetana assisted me as well in times of need in the Comparative Ethnic Studies office. My cohort over the years in the American Studies program have developed my thinking and inspired me with their own insight and work.
    [Show full text]
  • Mental Health Clinicians Perspectives on the Role Of
    MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS PERSPECTIVES ON THE ROLE OF ACCULTURATION IN THE PROVISION OF SERVICES TO LATINOS: A GROUNDED THEORY EXPLORATION by GABRIELA SEHINKMAN Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Social Welfare Program Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY May, 2020 i CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES We hereby approve the dissertation of Gabriela Sehinkman candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy*. Committee Co-Chair Dr. David Hussey Committee Co-Chair Dr. Anna Maria Santiago Committee Member Dr. Elizabeth Tracy Committee Member Dr. Susan Painter Date of Defense December 9, 2019 *We also certify that written approval has been obtained for any proprietary material contained therein. ii Table of Contents List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures .................................................................................................................. viii Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. ix Abstract .............................................................................................................................. xi Chapter 1 : Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 The Role of Acculturation in
    [Show full text]
  • Cultural Self-Identity* and the Cultural Continua Action Example
    Cultural Self-Identity* and the Cultural Continua Action Example Assimilation Rejecting of native culture Speaks English only and adopts dominant aspects of U.S. culture. Acculturation or Choosing aspects of both Speaks English and L1. Accommodation dominant and native Incorporates values, beliefs, cultures traditions, etc. of both cultures. May speak English in public, but the L1 at home or when with members of own cultural group. Transculturation Blending of cultures Integrates both cultures in a seamless manner. Alienation Rejecting of dominant Only speaks L1, maintains culture culture separation and holds on to native cultural framework. May not speak any English even after having lived in the U.S. for many years. Marginalization Rejecting of native culture Neither acknowledges nor with no connection to other engages in native culture or cultures language. Does not identify with any other cultural groups. *Adapted from Gutierez-Clellen (2004) and Lynch & Hanson (2004). The cultural continua identified by Lynch and Hanson (2004, pp. 49-5), while not new to the behavioral and social sciences, provide a way of considering the range (continuum) for each of the systems of values and beliefs that characterize various cultural groups (i.e., how they define family, time, etc.): 1. Family constellation: A “family” may consist of a small unit (single parent and child) to an extended kinship network of siblings, multiple generations, and/or friends and neighbors. The decision-making process and caretaking arrangements may vary (Lynch & Hanson, 2004, p. 50). 2. Interdependence/Individuality: While U.S. culture applauds individualism, many other cultures emphasize interdependence and cooperation. Individuality may be viewed as selfish (Lynch & Hanson, 2004, p.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Cultural Identity in a Globalised World?
    Cultural Identity in a Globalised World? A theoretical approach towards the concept of cultural identity. Robert Hauser 1. Introduction The title of this essay was borrowed from the book by Joana Breidenbach and Ina Zukrigl, “Tanz der Kulturen. Kulturelle Identität in einer globalisierten Welt” ("Dance of Cultures. Cultural Identity in a Globalised World"), published 1998. It draws attention to two important concepts, namely cultural identity and globalisation, while simultaneously referring to a key problem: Despite their frequent use the two concepts, especially when related to each other, are often diffuse, thus leaving the point uncertain. To establish a more specific framework for this relationship and simultaneously open up a cultural perspective, the following questions will be examined in this article in order to shed some light on the concepts as such as well as their mutual relationship:. What is meant by “globalised world?” What are “cultural identities?” What role does the “new media”, specifically the Internet, play in these processes? In the first part, the connection between globalisation and culture will be illuminated, and conflicting positions will be described. In the second part, this will be followed by a draft concept of cultural identities which allows studying the connection between globalisation and culture from a nuanced perspective. For more precise definitions of the two terms, identity and culture, the approach by Carl F. Graumann (1999) and the "differenzlogisches Kulturkonzept” (maybe best translated by "differential concept of culture") by Karl P. Hansen (1995) will be used in particular. The article finally presents a few examples which show the consequences of using the two concepts, identity and culture, to analyse the connection between culture and globalisation and the role of ICT.
    [Show full text]