Imported culture

1
Imported culture

• Definition
• Cultural imperialism where dominant cultures take
  over less dominant ones

2
Facts and observations

• Important to remember that those dominant
  cultures i.e. the Coca Cola culture does not
  reflect the true American identity but rather a
  very commercial and stereotypical aspect
• American identity is diverse and includes many
  cultures

3
Questions

• How important is it to preserve individual
  cultures?
• Important to have diversity
• There is no one right way
• Civilizations have always enriched each other
• Important to preserve both linguistic, cultural
  and religious diversity
• Can we use the Net to revive and preserve
  cultures and languages?
• Are languages and cultures equal in importance
  sometimes English can be used to disseminate
  cultures but it is vital that we do not lose
  languages (because they are repositories of
  culture)

4
Facts

• Net has the power to include everyone if it is
  used pro-actively
• Strong commercial influence could drown all
  diversity
• Various diasporas (immigrants) could be used to
  develop their own cultures in their new but also
  in their home countries with new ideas

5
Recommendations

• Important to re-define American culture so that
  it is more diverse and less commercialized get
  buy in from the larger media
• it is vital that we do not lose languages
  (because they are repositories of culture)
• Important to include minorities, females and
  special needs in the decision making in powerful
  media so as to be more inclusive
• Important to develop educational materials so
  that they include global diversity (include
  others into authorship)
• Encourage other cultures to tell their own
  stories and expand the Net so that it can include
  oral cultures
• Create search engines that are less discrimatory
  and more inclusive

6
Final recommendation

• In these early days of networked technologies, it
  is vital that we include all, and that the flow
  of information is also from the less dominant to
  more dominant peoples
• There is a real danger that the commercialism of
  the traditional media could take over this new
  media so it is important to be vigilant.