Cultural Imperialism: A Critical Introduction

From back cover: "In recent years cultural commodities like Dallas and Disneyland, Coca Cola and McDonald's have become emblematic of a supposed Western -- and particularly American -- cultural domination. The concept of 'cultural imperialism' has become part of the critical vocabulary not only of academics and cultural theorists, but of national representatives in international bodies such as UNESCO. Here John Tomlinson provides a critical introduction to current debates on this issue by focusing on the theoretical, ideological and political assumptions that underpin them. ... The book deals with issues ranging from the ideological effects of imported cultural products, to the process of cultural homogenisation and the nature of cultural autonomy. The author suggests that the critical discourses of cultural imperialism are best understood, not in terms of national cultures, but as protests against the rise of global cultural modernity." ******* Contents Include: 1 - The Discourse of Cultural Imperialism * The concept of cultural imperialism * The cultural imperialism thesis: the blind men without the elephant * Who speaks? * Four ways to talk about cultural imperialism * Some advice on reading from Blaise Pascal 2 - Media Imperialism * Media imperialism theory and the retreat of culture * Reading Donald Duck: the ideology-critique of the 'imperialist text' * 'Watching Dallas': the imperialist text and audience research * Laughing at Chaplin: problems with audience research * Media and culture 3 - Cultural Imperialism and the Discourse of Nationality * Cultural identity: the UNESCO discourse * 'Yanquies afuera' * Nation and culture as 'imagined community' * National identity as a consequence of modernity * Culture and time * Domination and cultural autonomy 4 - The Culture of Capitalism - Cultural imperialism: pioneer of capitalism? - Multinational capitalism and cultural homogenisation - Rum and Coke; capitalism, consumerism and the Third World - Consumer culture in the West: 'euphoria in unhappiness' - The culture of capitalism 5 - Modernity, Development and Cultural Fate - The ambiguities of modernity - Modernity as cultural fate - The discontents of modernity: development as 'social imaginary' - What is to blame for modernity? Conclusion: From Imperialism to Globalisation

I read this book as part of an undergraduate course in 'Cultural Geography'. Considering the subject matter, the book is rare in its accessible style, and the arguments are relatively easy to follow. Tomlinson adeptly manages to draw on complex theories without complicating his argument. Effectively, this book seeks to 'problematise' the idea of 'cultural imperialism'. The author systematically articulates his criticism of this idea, the idea that certain cultures (e.g. 'American' culture) dominate others, drawing on many useful examples. This book is critical of many of the preconceptions that liberal, left-wing Westerners hold abuot how globalisation - in the cultural realm - is affecting our world. For Tomlinson, cultures are always changing, and identities exist at many scales and in many forms. In his conclusion, he argues that a better model of understanding cultures would be that all cultures are evolving over time, with reciprocal influence from other cultures, rather than one 'nation' or 'people' changing another one. He warns against assuming that changes are unwelcome. The book will interest anyone curious about cultural change in the contemporary, global era. Indeed, the book inspires the reader to challenge any 'grand' theories of how the world works, whether liberal or conservative.