What is cultural hybridization? How globalization and ICT have transformed the culture of Bangladesh?
Cultural
Hybridization
The process by which a cultural element blends into another
culture by modifying the element to fit cultural norms.
For example, Global restaurant chains (e.g. KFC, McDonald’s)
usually modify their original menus to fit the tastes and modes of different
cultures. For example: Maharaja Mac is the modified version of Big Mac of
McDonald’s in India. There are religious restrictions on eating beef in the
country. Therefore, the item is made is made with a chicken or veggie patty.
Globalization
and Cultural Transformation in Bangladesh
Domination of Western Culture and Erosion of Cultural Heritage and Moral
Values
Growing influence of global media
(e.g. television, internet etc.) along with industrialization and urbanization has
shaped the values, attitude and behavioral pattern of the young generation. The
role of the state and families in mental development is declining because of broken
and nuclear families and of parents finding little time to spend with their
children due to their excessive focus on careers.
Diffusion of Western Lifestyle and Spread of Consumerism
Investopedia defines consumerism as:
…. the tendency of people living
in a capitalist economy to engage in a lifestyle of excessive materialism that
revolves around reflexive, wasteful, or conspicuous overconsumption.
So, consumerism,
in other words, refers to people’s tendency towards leading an excessively
materialistic life i.e. engaging in reflexive, wasteful, or conspicuous
overconsumption.
Consumerism
is, therefore, claimed to contribute to the destruction of traditional values
and ways of life, consumer exploitation by business, environmental degradation,
and negative psychological effects.
The
disposable income of the people of Bangladesh has increased to a large extent
over the last fifty years after its independence. Higher disposable income
enables people to consume more goods and services. However, globalization has
had a great impact on the extent of consumerism among people.
By
promoting the production and consumption of globally traded goods and brands
which may sometimes be incompatible with local cultures and patterns of
economic activity, globalization has often played a major role in spreading consumerism.
Acceleration of Modernization Process
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