Resistance against Cultural Imperialism

The world is moving in a certain direction mostly controlled by the western cultural winds. These western winds can penetrate into any country: interrupt, overshadow and change the society.  This idea of dominating other cultures is not anything new; rather it has evolved over time resulting in colonization and has changed its form after decolonization. During colonization, cultural imperialism was imposed on the colonies while after decolonization this act was carried out through psychological ascendancy by the west using media, education, philanthropy, etc. There are very few places in the world that are trying to resist such foreign influences which are named as globalization and modernization. The articles that I chose try to highlight such measures which provide resistance against the pressure of modernization and culture imperialism, and endorse the ways through which a society can be self made and sustained. The first article “Educate in resistance: the autonomous Zapatista schools by Angélica Rico” throws light on how education can be reshaped to create social transformation and preserve the local culture. The second article “Some Countries Remain Resistant to American Cultural Exports By Tyler Cowen” explains how being local and cultural can provide with the friction for resistance against dominating cultural exports like that of United States of America. The articles address the theme very well and give the antagonistic stories and solutions to what we discussed in week 9 “Making of the Self”.

            Although most of the nations in the world are decolonized, the using of the new born nations by the west hasn’t stopped. Nanda Shrestha quotes Edward on Page 267 of “Becoming A Development Category”: “Westerners may have physically left their old colonies in Africa and Asia, but they retained them not only as markets but also as locales on the ideological map over which they continued to rule morally and intellectually” (Edward,1993:25).

Tyler talks about how the western cultural products are usually dependant on other non-western countries around the world and they advertise their products in the name of globalization. He gives the example of McDonald’s and Hollywood movies which trend around the world because they are globally recognized and shared. This is how westernization keeps entering into other places. The attention-grabbing part is that he suggests that places which carry their culture along are not very exposed to the overtaking of the society by Western intrude. He makes a very interesting point that people in the country sides usually consider their identity associated with using local goods and products. This act of being local doesn’t give any space for cultural imperialism to overcome. This very same point is made by Nanda Shreshtha and Helena in the readings that as the people in Ladakh or Pokhara started losing their identity, they were over powered by external cultures of modernization. This is a valid argument, but the writer gives example of India as one of such countries which follow this idea of localization. This leaves me confused because practically India and Pakistan are on the same page of the story and their minds are not decolonized yet, and all they can think of is big investment and McDonalds. Nanda Shresha demands: “let us unlearn the western values and developmental thinking which have infested our minds.” (Becoming a Developmental Category, Page No 277). Thus the arguments that Tyler makes can be used for the decolonizing of minds in the future: be who they were and be local. One thing I like about his article is that he gives references of other writers quite often.

            The idea of “buy local, feel local and be local” is the resistance power for diffusion of modernization in the indigenous cultures. A report “Ignoring traditions: Modernisation threatening unique Kalash culture by Fazal Khaliq” on The Express Tribune states:

  “The rich cultural heritage of Kalash tribes, who have been living in Chitral for hundreds of years, is losing its unique customs and traditions due to increasing modernism in the region.” Similar things are happening in many other places. These cultures once diluted can hardly be reformed to their original forms. “In the modern sector today, most young Ladakhis –the teenage boys in particular –are ashamed of their cultural roots and desperate to feel modern.”  (The Pressure to Modernize and Globalize, Helena Norberg-Hodge, 1992). The young people are more exposed and accepting towards the change, so they should be taken care of. How to do this is well explained by Rico in her article in which she gives the example of Zapatista Schools. She makes some explicit points about how education is reshaped by the local people according to their needs and responsibilities. The writer gives some facts and figures that it started in 2001 because the Mexican official system didn’t respect their indigenous culture, language and tradition. Thus it made those people of 117 communities to make their own schools which will work as social transformation. An autonomous education will be used as shield against changing their culture. These arguments are convincing because they are based on real story and that even in our society the modern education has been a threat to many indigenous culture. I totally agree with what the writer says because I have seen Kalash valley where education has forced local people to let go their unique culture and be modern. Even the Muslim population in Chitral has caused many Kalash people to change their religion thus leading to changing of culture as well. Chitral is known for Kalash valley, and if they are educated in the modern way rather than what they need; not only Chitral but Pakistan will lose an interesting tourist site with Kalash losing their beautiful Greek culture.

            “In Ladakh and elsewhere, modern education not only ignores local resources but, worse still, robs children of their self-esteem. Everything in school promotes the Western model and, as a direct consequence, makes children think of themselves and their traditions as inferior” (The Pressure of Modernization and Globalization, Helena Norberg-Hodge,1992). This really is happening in many places nowadays, but Rico’s article accounts of a successful story in Zapatista, where autonomous education is in order. He says that these schools are university of life where autonomy, gender education and gender roles, moral values, culture and the needs of everyday life are incorporated in the curriculum with stories of international heroes. I like how the writer includes interviews from the local people as what they think of this unique system. Since it is more of like a story than an argument, the writer is successful in convincing her readers, but I think comparing this place with other areas like Ladakh might have made the writing more powerful as it would then be suggesting a trend which such places can also adopt.

            Both the articles spot light on very important challenge of our time: resistance against culture imperialism. Most of the things they say are very explicit, but overall the implicit point is that they are inviting the readers to think and realize the politics of the world. These are some good reflections of critical consciousness. I would accede with most of what they say considering our own society. My own village needs these kinds of resistance, but modernization is almost to take over. It is never possible to totally avoid modernization and It is good to have diverse culture, but ones identity should never be compromised.  I don’t know how much the conclusion of Tyler’s article is true for now that there will be no cultural leader in 21^st century, but re-considering our education systems can make it true and that is the main idea of Rico’s article. I was sorry to not go to Yale, but now I am grateful that I got to Habib University because it is local and gives me the coverage to be proud of my identity. Things I learn here about the real history, the politics of other nations in our country, different aspects to development and thoughtful self cultivation could not be achieved anywhere in a foreign country. I am sure this university is no less than the schools in Zepatista and I am glad to make the decision to join the idea of being local and cultural and a resistance to cultural imperialism.

 

Bibliography

1.      Nanda Shrestha, “Becoming a Developmental Category” in The Power of Development, 1995.

2.      Helena Norberg-Hodge, “The Pressure to Modernize” in The Future of Progress, 1992.

3.      http://tribune.com.pk/story/211969/ignoring-traditions-modernisation-threatening-unique-kalasha-culture/