Cultural Imperialism

1
Cultural Imperialism
1898 "Ten Thousand Miles From Tip to Tip." This
political cartoon shows the extent of U.S.
domination (symbolized by a bald eagle stretching
from Puerto Rico to the Philippines).
2
Definitions

• Imperialism is the policy of extending the
  control or authority over foreign entities as a
  means of acquisition and/or maintenance of
  empires.

• Cultural imperialism is the practice of promoting
  the culture or language of one nation in another.

3
Early Imperialism and the United States

• 1846-1848 The Mexican-American War is often
  viewed as imperialistic

• 1898 Spanish American War, 1899-1913
  Philippine-American War.
• In the Philippines, the U.S. killed more than 1
  million people. Army General Shefter said "It
  may be necessary to kill half of the Filipinos in
  order that the remaining half of the population
  may be advanced to a higher plane of life than
  their present semi-barbarous state affords."

Latin America 1898-1998 The U.S. has invaded
Cuba five times, Honduras four times, Panama four
times, the Dominican Republic twice, Haiti twice,
Nicaragua twice and Grenada once
4
Arguments Pro and Con for Imperialism

• The Anti-Imperialist League was formed in the
  United States against the annexation of the
  Philippines. Among the writers of that time was
  Mark Twain, vice president of the League from
  1901 until his death in 1910. Mark Twain wrote an
  essay entitled To the Person Sitting in Darkness.
  This essay sparked a nationwide controversy.

• Teddy Roosevelt and the Panama Canal. Now that
  America's empire stretched from the Caribbean
  across the Pacific, the idea of a canal between
  the two oceans took on new urgency. President
  Teddy Roosevelt embodies imperialism with his
  actions in digging the canal.

5
Cultural Imperialism Today

• An American baby food jar with a smiling baby on
  the label caused African villagers to be
  horrified. They thought that "the jar must
  contain food not made for babies, but made of
  babies".

• This anecdote illustrates how imperialistic
  discourses fail to take account how other
  cultures will adapt and understand messages that
  are outside their own cultural framework. They
  often adapt to their own purposes the values
  found in other cultures

6
The Gods Must Be Crazy
7
The affects of cultural imperialism cultural
misunderstandings

• When Coca Cola was first marketed in China in the
  1920's, the name was translated phonetically
  ("ke-kou-ke-la) to mean "female horse stuffed
  with wax" or "bite the wax tadpole" depending on
  the dialect. It was quickly revised to sound more
  like "happiness in the mouth."

8
Cultural misunderstandings

• Fords low cost truck the Fiera meant "ugly old
  woman" in Spanish. It's Caliente in Mexico was
  found to be slang for "streetwalker." The Pinto
  was introduced in Brazil under the name of Corcel
  which was discovered to be Portuguese slang for
  "a small male appendage."

• Nike made a television ad promoting it's shoes,
  with people from different countries saying "Just
  do it" in their native language. Too late they
  found out that a Samburu African tribesman was
  really saying, "I don't want these

9
Cultural Misunderstandings

• Chicken-man Frank Perdue's slogan, "It takes a
  tough man to make a tender chicken," was
  remarkably mistranslated into Spanish. A picture
  of Perdue with a chicken appeared on billboards
  all over Mexico with the caption, "It takes a man
  to make a chicken aroused.

• One beer company put its slogan, "Turn It Loose,"
  into Spanish, where it was read as "Suffer From
  Diarrhea."

10
Larger Repercussions

• When President George Bush went to Japan, he made
  explicit and direct demands on Japanese leaders.
  To the Japanese it is a sign of ignorance or
  desperation to lower oneself to make direct
  demands.
• Some analysts believe it severely damaged the
  negotiations and confirmed to the Japanese that
  Americans are barbarians

11
The Dark Side of Imperialism

• The dominant culture often imposes its beliefs,
  using force to back them up. One race,
  ethnicity, or group is often margainilzed based
  on its identity.

• Imperial Side AffectsViolence, Enslavement,
  War, Genocide

12
Destroying Culture

• Cultural influence can be seen by the "receiving"
  culture as either a threat to or an enrichment.

• However, the dominant cultures attitude is often
  that as a conquered nation, those peoples are
  inferior.

Edward Said has argued that in accumulating
territories and peoples, empires classify them,
verify them but above all, they subordinate them.
13
Todaywill the Internet be another source of
cultural imperialism?

• 90 of traffic worldwide on the Internet is in
  English
• Most information and entertainment products are
  produced by a few, increasingly powerful American
  companies

• American movies, television, and music are
  popular throughout the world. Many argue that
  these serve to inculcate populations with
  American values while at the same time destroying
  indigenous cultures

14
BUTit can also be argued that...

• The Internet allows people to continue to
  participate in their "local" culture no matter
  where in the world they are.

• The Internet can be a tool for the preservation
  and celebration of culture

15
Sources

• http//www.css.edu/users/dswenson/web/335ARTIC/CUL
  TCOMM.HTM
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_imperialism
  
• http//64.233.187.104/search?qcacheQA5vnazH5UYJ
  www.waikato.ac.nz/film/student/2002/shackelessay.h
  tmculturalimperialismanecdotehlen