Cultural Imperialism

Cultural Imperialism is the idea that the ownership, structure, distribution, and content of media in a country is subject to external pressure from media interests of other countries, without the reciprocal act.  The idea is that the West (specifically America) exports its media to other countries and consequently its culture and values as well.  Cultural imperialism can limit a country’s self-development.  For instance, many countries just import American movies and tv shows, rather than creating their own.  It can also significantly change a culture’s values and identity.  Many feel that Israel’s ideals of collectivity, minimal material importance, and Zionism have been or are being replaced by American individualist, capitalist ideas.  We have seen how Israel slowly allowed the import of American goods, starting with Coca cola, the mall, and rock and roll.  Now there isn’t much in America that you can’t find in Israel.  Is cultural imperialism causing a process of an integration of Western culture into all cultures, resulting in one capitalistic, individualist society? Is this a bad thing?

     I believe it is a bad thing, and the most frightening aspect of it  is that there is no way to limit it.  It is not as if Americans sit behind closed doors plotting to open McDonald’s all over the world so everyone will be like them.  It is because if they open McDonald’s all over the world they will make money; this is the nature of capitalism.  Western companies make more money if they export their products.  The absorption of the cultural characteristics of these imports is just a side effect.  There are, however, countries like France and Canada who practice cultural protectionism, limiting the amount of non-local media that can be in the country. I wish Israel would begin to take similar steps.

Some argue the invention of the internet  ( by American scientists) is just another tool to spread their culture and products around the world.  There is no question that America dominates the web.  It holds ten times more web space than the second largest web-space owner : Japan.  Most websites and internet softwares are in English. Contrastingly some argue the commercial aspect of the web actually diminishes cultural imperialism because it allows for local advertising. 

         I think the Internet will affect culture in several different ways.  For one, it will certainly continue to influence lesser developed countries by showing them the “benefits” of Western and American life and thus injecting its values around the world.  It can also contrastingly allow for other cultural and non-cultural identities to network, grow, and strengthen.  The internet has also allowed for anti-American groups, like Islamic terrorists, to spread their views, network, and influence others with their ideals.  As the years go on I think we will see increased cultural imperialism, its effects only reversed if countries make strict policy decisions to prevent it.