The Middle Finger

We have seen the globalization of many products. What I will be discussing here is the globalization of a social act. You could also say its a global culture.

We all know what the middle finger is. We know what it means when we're exposed to it, and sometimes, we use it to express ourselves too. It is a global culture because it didn't originate from singapore, unlike for instance, singlish.

I'm not exactly sure where this act came from, but i'm sure we'll agree that it isn't a hybrid culture that emerged from the Chinese , Malay and Indian migrants. If so, how does this act, wherever it came from, become a part of our lives?

My best guess would be the contact with hollywood movies. Or it could be due to the period of british colonialism? Recall the first time you saw the middle finger, was it from a foreigner or a local? For most of us, we would have learnt it from our peers. For others (including those peers whom we learnt it from and their predecesors), it most definitely would be from hollywood films. How else besides social interaction can you learn something totally new? It has to be the mass media.

If singaporeans learnt about the middle finger from hollywood, then it would make sense to think that everywhere the hollywood reached would have learnt about it too.

So, the next time you brandish your middle finger, you know your participating in a global culture. Cheers!

Dongchou

from local to global to local

What first came to my mind when asked about a real life example of hybridization is this website that I came across earlier in the year - it says mee goreng is a dish that is culturally representative of Singapore because its preparation entails the labour and commodities from the different racial groups in the 'multiracialism' image that the city-state wants to project to the world.

I then took a trip to a nearby hawker centre to see if what is being posted in that website is true. Indeed, I realized that except for Indian mutton and Chinese cabbage, the rest of the details are true. But I'm also sure that the mutton and cabbage do not come from Singapore as well. I thought it is a good example of a cultural hybrid because of the various elements present in the final product. With globalization (after rationalization and mcdonaldization), we obtain everything from almost everywhere as the production, distribution and consumption processes of goods and services are all sophisticatedly separated for better efficiency and quantity.

But as said in the tutorial discussion, this example simply remains a product globalization/hybridization that is not so much of a sociological interest if I do not consider the social reception and consequences of this product in the market. To that, I say that we have come about to make use of the global flows of goods and services to preserve a local culture and shape it accordingly to our wants and desires, such as an Indian hawker relying on the global distribution of his ingredients to keep cooking and selling a national dish, which is consequently marketed by our tourism board to the global and the media to the local. Likewise for French, Japanese or any chef who consistently has to maintain the local culture through preparing certain kinds of dishes. In so doing, the cultural products that we claim to be local are in fact, in our analytical attention, cultural hybrids.

This suggests that what is hybrid can already be synonymously local and global as well. People here know that food production mainly comes from other parts of the world and produced by other local cultures, but paradoxically a national and/or local culture can be preserved as long as such globalized processes of distribution and consumption are present. The culture and product are only hybrid if we want to deconstruct or make sense of them in theoretical ways. To express it mathematically, Local + global = local. That's the social reception of this product (and many other supposedly national or local products and services) today and I find this relationship interesting and noteworthy to be considered one of the many social consequences of modernization and globalization.

Kean Bon.

Zhuang Yuan Fang- a Shopping Street in Guangzhou

Zhuang Yuan Fang is a popular shopping street for youths in Guangzhou, mainly for fashion goods. I do not know about its history, but when I was inside it observing its shops and crowds of Chinese young people doing there shopping, I thought that it was a good example for hybridization, as the goods and the shopping styles there are like a mixture of many cultures both Western and Asian, and of course, has some uniquely characteristics of Chinese. Chinese youths have opened themselves to accept many styles in the world, accommodated them to Chinese context or mixed them so that something new comes to existence. 'When a truly Chinese style finally emerge, it will most likely be a hybrid of various Asian and Western influences, and it could in turn influence the rest of the world' (LiAnne Yu et al, 2007, p64 in 'China's New Culture of Cool-Understanding the world's fastest growing market')

Like young people around the world, the youths of China take shopping as there number one hobby, but they do that in their own way. Their stylish fashion can be a combination of Western jeans and boots, Japanese skirts and Korean made-up styles, which were all made more colorful. The majority of middle-class youths cannot afford luxurious shopping malls, but they can still hunt for latest clothes and styles in Zhuang Yuan Fang, a small alley with old houses now accommodating modern small shops along its sides. The goods offered there are fake branded goods, copied the style from the real ones from other countries but locally made in China. Young people happily wandered around the streets, getting all sorts of fashion in the world they like under Chinese fake version. When they are tired, they can take a snack in the McDonalds’, which offer only desserts and drinks there, or buying from street vendors boiled corns or Chinese sweet soups. To me, Zhuang Yuan Fang is a hybrid shopping space, with hybrid goods and hybrid styles of Chinese and various cultures in the world.

Pham Tran Thu Nga

Bobble Head Dolls

A little HISTORY
A bobblehead doll, also known as a bobbing head doll or wobbler, is a type of collectible doll. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to the body by a spring in such a way that a light tap will cause the head to bobble, hence the name.

Bobbleheads as we know them today began to gain ground in the 1950s. By 1960, Major League Baseball had gotten in on the action and produced a series of papier-mache bobblehead dolls, one for each team, all with the same cherubic face. Over the next decade, after a switch in materials from paper-mache to ceramic, bobbleheads would be produced for other sports, as well as cartoon characters. One of the most famous bobbleheads of all time also hails from this era: The Beatles bobblehead set, which is a valuable collectible today. By the mid-1970s, though, the bobblehead craze was in the process of winding down.

My Findings

It would take nearly two decades before bobbleheads returned to prominence. The Solar version of the bobble heads are OUT and you no longer need to tap to wobble the head, it is automatic.

I wonder if u guys remember about the first version of e solar powered bobble head toy by a japanese company, which became the craze in Singapore 2 years back.
So bringing the bobble heads dolls from America to Japan, adding on more features to it (the solar powered pannel and putting on a tag line saying that it help to destress people who looked at it) and then replacing them back onto the shelf. Isn't this globalisation and hybridisation?

Now as the trend is dying off, they up with the different version of solar bobble heads such as DISNEY characters, the PLANT or the LUCKY KITTY with good luck charm meaning attached (shown in e pictures)

The Social Implications.
Yes, bobble head toys are around in for at least 50 years with its distinct Big heads wobbling up and down. But what i am trying to point out here is the globalisation of perception towards cuteness - "Kawaii-ness". Don't you think that even the Disney characters of these Solar powered bobble head dolls are shaped into this roundness, different from the usual representation of the characters. Instead, personally, I think they have the style of Hello Kitty.

These toys are found in "ACTION CITY" whose target market is not simply limited to the kids, but teens, young adults and even working adults who are the ones that have buying power. People who buys them are usually attracted to the "kawaii-ness" rather than the practical aspect of it(irrational buying). Whether the consumers treat them as collectible items or other purposes, is really up to them.

-Waiwai

Singlish: A hybrid language?

Other than our SEP friends, I'm sure everyone knows about Singlish. It can be seen as a result of hybridization between English and a couple of languages used in Singapore's setting, such as Malay and Hokkien. I believe Singlish is still evolving so we can't be sure whether other languages will come into play in shaping Singlish. Obviously, this resultant language, if it may be accorded the status of a language, is a consequence of linguistic socialization. I must admit that I am not sure how Singlish came about, but I believe it has something to do with the rise of English as a global language and its importance in 'official' everyday activities such as school and work. I don't think it is so much a case of rejection of English but perhaps Singlish might have come about due to the need to stay economically competitive (by using English) while staying 'rooted' at the same time. Again, it is difficult to ascertain whether the speakers of Singlish speak Singlish because they are engaged in globalisation or because it has become so routine that they just speak Singlish without consciously thinking of their reasons for speaking it.

Firstly, it is important to note that Singlish is officially negatively valued. Rather than seeing it as a result of the enrichment of gene pools (Pieterse, 1995), Singlish is officially seen as a language which is not to be used in school and work. Those who speak Singlish are identified as heartlanders, as opposed to cosmopolitans who speak Standard English (Goh, 1999). Even local sitcoms were not spared as a popular sitcom character, Phua Chu Kang, was told to go for English lessons to tone down his supposedly bad English.

With regards to the social response to this phenomenon, I think I can speak for most Singaporeans when I say Singlish has become part and parcel of our lives. Like what is discussed in tutorial, it is very easy for a Singaporean to identify where a person is from when he/she hears Singlish being spoken. Like what Dr. Pereira said, the person can only come from two places, Singapore or Malaysia. Thus, one can ascribe to a Singlish speaker the identity of a 'true' Singaporean, supposing there is a Singaporean identity.

Lastly, I would like to say that Singlish is not the only hybrid language we can talk of. Many other languages, including English, are indeed hybrids which are consequences of language contact. Yesterday, I came across an article in The Straits Times which was about Hinglish, a hybrid between English, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. It is stated Hinglish is a language that underlines the globalisation of India. The article did not state the official state response to this phenomenon but like Singlish, it is part of everyday life.

And if Singlish has come to be part of our everyday lives, I think Singlish, rather than being wiped out through language planning, is here to stay.

-Rozana

Disneyfication

In this modern society that we are living in, there seemed to be an endless examples of highly globalized products and activities. Entertainment would be one of them and one of the most famous would be the magical kingdom of Disneyland.

"I think what I want Disneyland to be most of all is a happy place,
a place where adults and children can experience together some of the wonders of life, of adventure,
and feel better because of it." - Walt Disney

Disneyland and Disney World is set up by Walt Disney in 17th July, 1955. From comics and cartoons to movies and theme parks, there are some fundamental elements that can be found consistently throughout all his many projects; namely, his desire to foster a love of learning in young people and give them the ability to boldly and openly engage the exotic and unknown. Disney has reached out to millions across the globe through its cartoon and most famously, Mickey Mouse. Besides the comics, cartoons, movies and themeparks as mentioned above, it has also expanded into merchandises like toys, clothes, stationary, soft toys, computer games and even the "Disney World on Ice" World Tour which attracted tens of thousands to pay to watch the performance. Today, in an attempt to draw more crowds and give a more comprehensive Magical Kingdom experience, hotels and residences were introduced to the theme parks in the 1990s to integrate it into a resort.

There is a system and standard way of function within Disneyland itself and this system is adopted by all 4 Disneylands throughout despite their different locations. Although the four Disneylands are located in different places, the rides and themes are hugely similar, e.g. Dumbo the flying elephant, King Arthur/Cinderella carousel, Peter Pan's flight... just to name a few.

Concurrently, there might be a glimpse of hybridization attempts as each Disneyland has got its own speciality. Tokyo: Disney Seapark, Hong Kong: introduction of characters like Mulan. USA: Hollywood themes. Paris: naming of places and streets in french, Victorian streets and miniature Statue of Liberty.

Sociologically, I feel that what it is giving people is the feeling of entering surrealism, wanting them to feel pampered, "magical" in a fantasy realm that they would not want to leave, be it for the adults or for the children. Even for the adults, Disney is appealing to their feeling of nostalgia and their childhood dream or fantasy to engage them in this make-believe world so that they will stay and spend. Then, they would have achieved their objective.

Lin Jingpei

Globalization: Piano lessons

My example of globalization will be piano lessons. Piano lessons are very common now. Although piano lessons has always existed in the past, the piano lessons of the past are very different from what it is now.

In the past, piano lessons are conducted individually. Nowadays, there are piano lessons in classes. It is a very mechanical and efficient process. The lesson plan is fixed. And people just attend the lessons, pay the fees once a month, and take exams. There is a focus on efficiency. 'Musical ability' is a product that is being sold.

People all around the world is graded by a same standard. Exams are conducted by ABRSM (The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) using the same syllabus.
From their website, "Welcome to The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, the world's leading music examining board. Over 620,000 candidates take our music exams each year in more than 90 countries around the world."

Many children are taking piano lessons. They do not have a choice as it is their parents who insisted on them taking it. More often than not, their parents have no prior muscial background. They want their children to take piano lessons because having musical abilities are seen as 'high class'. They get this notion from the media and society. It is globalization of values.

Leonard Huang

The Food Court as an example of Hybridization

The concept of the foodcourt has often been assumed as something local. However, the food court was first concptualized in the States as an indoor plaza contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and providing a common area for self-serve dining. In the States, food courts became popular in the 1980s in shopping malls and airports. Food courts usually (but not always) consist of several small counters of fast food outlets.

That is the US version of the food court — which is not that similar to the ones we have here in Singapore. In Singapore, instead of fast food outlets, the counters sell local fare similar to the type normally obtainable in hawker centres.

Hawker centres, which were built partly to address the problem of unlicensed street hawkers, are increasingly being replaced by food courts. This is due to the increasing affluence of the population, as well as the association of hawker centres with unhygeinic food and a less comfortable environment.

The local variation of the food court is extremely common, particularly in shopping malls. At a typical food court, patrons queue to order their meals at one of the many counters, then carry the meal to the common dining area on a standardized tray. This hybid combines local fare with the comfort of the fast food resturant’s clean environment.

The Social Implications
When the food court was first introduced in the early 90s, the price difference between the food court and the hawker center was not well-received. However overtime, the response towards the food court improved.This acceptance can be interpreted from two perspectives. Firstly, the ubiquity of the food court and dwinding of hawker centres has left consumers with little choice but to dine at food courts. In this case, the ‘choice’ to eat at a food court is made out of necessity or default.

However, the second perspective seems more realistic. Overtime, the price of food at hawker centres has gradually caught up with the prices of food at the food court. Therefore, the difference has become less distinct. This is the case whereby people actively choose to dine at the food courts instead of hawker centres because of growing affluence and accustomization to the comfort and system of the food court. Thus normalizing the food court so much so that it has become taken-for-granted.

As a side note, it is interesting how the local food court has been exported overseas in the form of Kopitiam food chains (in countries like China) and marketed as the “true Singapore taste”.

(Information from Wikipedia)

-Daniel Lee

Globalization of Oktoberfest

There is no doubt that the festival Oktoberfest has experienced Globalization, being celebrated all around the world. The original purpose of Oktoberfest was to celebrate the wedding of a Bavarian princess about 2 centuries ago. More information about the festival may be found at the official website or at wikipedia.

From 12th to 15th October 2006, Erdinger held an Oktoberfest celebration at China Square Central. Many things about it had nothing to do with Oktoberfest at all, such as the date of the festival, the size of the mugs and the type of music played.

The differences are many, but the point I'm trying to make here is that the product (ie. the festival) as well as the meaning behind ithas been globalized . However, the purpose of the festival is just another one among many to have fun and get drunk. Thus, what we see here is the globalization of the purpose to be merry as manifested in Oktoberfest. The social response to this? I guess the people embrace it.

- Wilson Liong

hybridisation - the peranakan culture

The Peranakan culture is generally a hybrid of Chinese and Malay cultures. There are three kinds in Malaysia and Singapore – Chinese/Malay (Babas and Nonyas), Indian/Malay (Chettys) and Eurasian/Malay (Kristang).

The origins of Peranakan culture apparently stems from when the Chinese came down to Malaya in the 15th century. Some sources claim that the Chinese and Malays intermarried – but this can be refuted, as they don’t look like they’ve been mixed racially, and also the Malays were at the time Muslim, which means that the Chinese would have had to convert to Islam, which wasn’t the case. So it’s suggested that the Peranakan culture is more a result of the Chinese having to adapt to the Malay culture in Malaysia and Singapore.

Hybridisation can be seen through some aspects of Peranakan culture.

Religion – the Peranakans didn’t take up Islam, and stuck to their mixture of Taoism and Buddhism. However, lots of Peranakans are now Christian, thanks to the British influence during the colonial times.

Language – Baba Malay is a cross between Malay, Hokkien (or any other dialects) and a bit of English. Generally it’s the Hokkien syntax with Malay vocabulary. The Hokkien used, though, doesn’t actually have the proper Chinese intonation.

Dressing – the women dress in sarong kebayas, with a very delicate ornate blouse, held together with the kerosang. The men (at least in the past few decades) generally wore Western clothes, as they were proud of being English-educated, and working.

Customs – some customs are still Chinese, like the red eggs after the first month of a birth, Chinese New Year and tea ceremonies in weddings. However, it’s quite diluted, so it’s not as strong as the way the Chinese do it.

What’s most exciting, of course, is food – it can be generally seen as Chinese ingredients with Malay herbs and spices. Though it looks quite Malay, thanks to the curry-looking dishes, pork is just about the main meat of Peranakan cuisine, which isn’t very Malay. Peranakan food has lots of coconut milk, and spices like blue ginger (lengkuas), lime leaves (limau purut) and black sauce. And of course, there’s the staple achar and sambal belacan at every single meal. The sambal belacan recipe varies from household to household. And Singapore’s most famous cook, Mrs Lee aka SM’s mother, was Peranakan. (Though now she’s not allowed to be.)

Social impact – now the Peranakan culture is dying out a bit, thanks to Singapore’s CMIO policy, the Speak Mandarin Campaign and so on. Lots of Chinese don’t even realize they’re Peranakan. This very special culture has been sucked in into the “Chinese” racial category, so ethnicity is completely ignored. In the 1970s, Peranakan children were allowed to learn Malay in school, but now they’re forced to learn Chinese as it’s their true (designated) mother tongue.

There are lots of famous Peranakans in Singapore – including perhaps our most famous theatrical export, Emily of Emerald Hill.

However, Peranakan culture still does exist in this country, and there are lots of Peranakans who are aware and proud of their heritage. There are Peranakan restaurants, organisations, and even a Peranakan museum, which perhaps suggests that while the government wants them to be lumped in with the rest of the Chinese, they shouldn't forget their true roots. Which is rather confusing, but this IS Singapore.

OH BALLE!

Bhangra's original form dates back to 300BC in the Punjab region. The bhangra of comtemporary era however saw a revival in the late 1960s when North Indian immigrants in the United Kingdom town of Birmingham wanted an alternative to the disco scene that was dominated by the white caucasians.

The new Bhangra combined traditional instruments with the drum & bass beats associated with disco in the 70s. Singapore has its very own Bhangra night, that is usually organized on the eve of public holidays like Deepavali, Hari Raya and Christmas. On a typical Bhangra night out, you will be able to hear a mixture of traditional Bhangra, and the commercialized R&B, reggaeton beats that dominate the clubbing scene on the dance floor. This is an example of hybridization.

Here are some examples

1. B21 - Darshan

http://youtube.com/watch?v=v-SmHxgxW9w

This is traditional Bhangra music. You can check out the funky dance moves and traditional dresses in the video. This is a recent song and was also in the soundtrack of the movie "Bend it like Beckham".


2. Sukhshinder Shinda ft. Takeova ENT - Punjabi Clap

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0NPI4wQ3bk0

Shinda is one of the pioneers of the modern Bhangra, along with Bally Sagoo, both from Birmingham. This song has the classic combination of rap, R&B and Bhangra mediums. The dancing also incoporates western and traditional Punjabi Bhangra dance moves. You could say this is hybridization.


3. Kray Twins ft. Twista & Lethal Bizzle - What We Do

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IpqXQstedFE

Here comes the interesting part. The Kray Twins are really big in the US and UK. They are the two Pai-s (brothers in Hindi) in the music video. They are music producers. So much so that even accomplished artists like Twista has approached them to do some productions together. You could call this a form of glocalization




There are many examples of glocalization in the UK-Hindi Bhangra scene, with artists like Jay Sean, Juggy D & Rishi Rich making it big both in the UK and across the Atlantic and of course, here in Asia. The 1st song in the clip below is a UK number one club hit.


Rishi Rich, Don D & Juggy D - Nahin Jeena

http://youtube.com/watch?v=moFd-6sim0U



Thats about it with the Bhangra music scene, globalization, hybridization and glocalization. Keep it real, safe.




Melvin

“SERGE DE NIMES” JEANS IN OUR GENES!

In 1850, the Gold rush was in full swing in California, people were rushing there from all over the world to join in the dream of becoming wealthy. But little did they know that they will be experiencing the world's most phenomenal pair of garment. Additionally, they will not only bring gold back home but also this particular culture.

In 1853, Levi Strauss arrives in San Francisco together with some rough canvas to use for tents and wagon covers for the miners. however, the miners soon realized that it is not these that they need, they needed something else to cover themselves... pants! This is due to the fact that they couldn’t find a pair of pants strong enough to last their hard labour. Strauss had the canvas made into pants. and soon he substituted a cotton cloth from France called "Serge de Nimes," which became known as denim.

Just like any other form of popular culture, it got popular in America in 1906s. Back then, young adults and teenagers wore jeans as a form of protest against conformity. This quickly evolved into a general fashion trend in 1970s. Today, the blue jeans are everywhere – in the classroom, on the streets, in boutiques, both big and small, and of course around humans’ waists.

The question : how did this culture spread to the rest of the world when it was actually just an American way of clothing? The answer : Cross border cultural contact!


The question : What happened when there is cross border cultural contact?


Cross cultural contact brings about a homogeneity in culture in the world and in this case, clothing culture around the world. Today, people are wearing jeans, regardless of race, religion and gender. It is indeed a form of culture, an American culture, but now a global culture. Is this globalization? YES it is. Not only has it revolutionized lifestyle, altered the norms of gendered dress code, it has also seeped into the minds of the consumer to create consumerism. Jeans are not just jeans, jeans has become a way of living, jeans has become a way of life. When there is insufficient time, when pace of living gets faster, the jeans is the piece of clothing that provides the fastest way of making a decision for clothing. It is not just a pair of pants; it’s one that provides fast and efficient results.

If this is a new way of life and it has spread to almost every corner of the world, with everyone having at least a pair of jeans in their closet, how else can we classify this phenomenon other than globalization? Thus, I hereby present the jeans as a form of globalization, a globalization of clothing culture.

- David Lim

Line dancing

This example takes place in Singapore, just in front of the Esplanade where music from all around the globe is played.

I went to the “durian” to attend a classical music concert when I saw people dancing. It wouldn’t have caught my attention if it would have been traditional Chinese music or Tai Chi Chuan for example. But here it was line dancing, with traditional American music, Country music. Those Singaporeans really knew the line dancing and even if they had no cow boy costume they danced as well as the typical Texan farmer does. I was quite surprised to see Chinese, Indians and Malays being so used to come on Sunday evening in front of the Durian for line dancing.

Country music in the Esplanade

Here, there is no clear hybridization or glocalization, because it is the original dance from the USA and people didn’t change the dance (even if they dance maybe a little bit different, I don’t know) and the music was exactly the same as the one in the USA. They were relatively old and consequently not so much involved in the “young global culture” conveyed by MTV or Pop Idol.

Therefore, it could be an example of Americanization, but the fact is country music is not comparable to R&B, Indie or Pop, because here there is no huge marketing campaign to promote this kind of music in Singapore.

Line dancing in the esplanade on Sunday evening is a kind of social practice, which could probably mean that you are open-minded. I think it is more related to cosmopolitanism with the dimension of “openness” (Hannerz).

Adrien

Canadian Identity and Quebec Distinct Society

During the end of one lecture the question was posed: Can Canada have a separate identity from the United States when the differences are so few and similarities so vast?

I propose that Canadians and Americans are culturally initimate; yes, I would call them "the same" - although minor differences do exist. Robert Kennedy once said, "Geography has made us neigbours. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies. Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder"

The relation here to our subject matter can be found in the reaction of Canadians to the above claim; that is to say: adverse indeed. Check out these two Molson Canadian Beer commericals:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRI-A3vakVg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODKyx8u-prs

Can Anti-american sediment in Canada be understood as a reaction to our inferiority compared to American cultural domination, or maybe a reaction to a globalism that Canada also helps shape as a cultural "middle-power"? Are we distinguishing ourselves from Americans simply because in actual fact the similarities are powerful and penetrating? Can we relate Anti-Americanism in Canada to Roland Robertson's conception of "Global Gemeinshaft I": "the world as a mosaic of closed, bounded communities, either equal and unique in their institutional and cultural arrangments, or hierarchical with some leading communities at the top. This image is a kind of negative reaction to globalization, and may result in the ideology of "anti-globalization".

Although maybe Robertson is talking of something entirely different. In any case, the Canadian reaction can be understood as a reflexive action against globalization as cultural imperialism.

For those interested in a hybrid culture within Canada please follow this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2mSJj3sMW0

Also: if any of you Singaporians can understand these commericals, is that a form globalization?

Testing

Test

Sc3202 Globalization

Sc3202 Globalization