My apologies for posting late: this is supposed to be the 2/20/12 post; however, I was quite ill last weekend with the flu and asked Dr. Wexler for a few day extension, which I am most grateful for.
In this reflection I will concentrate on Chapter 5—“A New World Disorder”—of our main text, Cultural Studies Theory and Practice, by Chris Barker through addressing the questions Dr. Wexler asked the class on 2/20/12.
1. What is meant by the “new world disorder?” We have been experiencing a radical change in our social, economic, cultural, and political orders which is creating a new global disorder. Globalization is the catalyst and may be the latest stage of world capitalism, albeit primarily Western. Japan is included; however, Barker does not include the emergence of China as a country extending its economic hegemony across the world, understandably, as the last edition is 2000, and China’s economic influence has proliferated immensely since then. These changes are referred to post-Fordism, post-industrial society, post-modernism. Harvey posits that the post-Ford era may have started during the 1970s when “western economies were facing increased price competition from Japan and newly industrialized countries.” To meet the production power of other countries for instance, the USA modified its method for higher profits and our manufacturing sector transitioned to a more technological and service oriented economy. As a result a large segment of our middle class work force diverged in opposite direction—one becoming technology and service oriented, and one becoming less skilled and making less wages. Thus there has been a “terminal” decline in the manual working class, a rise in service and white-collar work, expressed as the two-thirds: one-third society.” (148). Unfortunately, a large segment of the one-third society is engaged in de-skilled, part-time work or forms a new ‘underclass’ of the unemployed. It is probably wishful thinking or deceit when politicians running for office promise to “bring back manufacturing” jobs to the USA. We live in a world now where manufacturing profits are made by cheaper labor overseas, including outsourcing technological services in developing countries like India and the Philippines.
A result of globalization, half the world’s wealth is concentrated in two-hundred transnational companies. Part of our disorder is also is a consumer market where products signify upper mobility, a sense community and family are corrupted, and our spiritual well being manifested in self-actualization is harder to attain.
2. What was the “old world dis / order?” This refers to Fordism in the industrialization methods of” large-scale production of standardized goods in the context of mass consumption. This required a system of relatively high wages, at least for core workers, which was attained at the peak of labor union effectiveness. Unfortunately there was a low-wage sector in which women and people of color were over-represented.” (142). This necessitated the USA dominate the world currencies, the state played a role as creator of social welfare, and as a resolver of corporate conflicts of interest Coinciding with his economic prosperity was of course the hegemony of western imperialism to sure up protected foreign raw materials and protective markets. Some by-products of this were hybridization with hegemony flowing to and back, including hegemonic population becoming multicultural through immigration.
3. In his chapter [14], Cultural Politics and Cultural Policy,” Chris Barker suggests that multiculturalism and neo-pragmatism could be a strategy for supporting or resisting the “new world disorder.” Explain why/how. This is an invigorating and challenging question and I can answer it more knowledgeably after I read the chapter. However, in my limited scope, globalization and multiculturalism has made the world more interdependent on each other and possibly has circumscribed nation-states from military aggression to the fullest extent at least, and made us a multicultural world. Those countries that are introverted and myopic towards the world have suffered the most, e.g. North Korea, and fundamentalist Islamic country such as Afghanistan. However, within countries where the new world dis / order has transpired, many individual groups, such as New Social Movements: anti-Vietnam protests, civil rights struggles, women’s movement, and most recently gay and lesbian rights movement, have emerged as a cultural phenomena separated from the traditional class politics of labor movements” (171). In addition, there are individual self-reliance movements striving for self-actualization.
4. Give an example from popular culture (e.g., film or TV) where one finds evidence of a new world disorder. Explain why. American Psycho reflects the outer kilter values of a consumer society where the artificial value people place on commodities has supplanted genuine gratification and spirituality. This particular movie portrays a psychotic killer who is the product of this disordered world. In addition, but on the brighter side, Jerry Maguire is a story of an initially self-serving sports agent overcoming this world devoid of meaningful spirituality; however the main character becomes selfless and creates a self-actualizing result for him and his loved one, where a lot of people benefit spiritually..
I want to end this refection with a couple of points: First, I misunderstood when someone brought up the concept of “global narcissism” last week. I believe it relates to politicians and citizens not willing to sacrifice the present for the future, which was indeed in the context of our discussion of global disorder. Secondly, a couple of weeks ago a colleague asked the question which I had posed into our presentation of Cat on a Hot tin Roof , but inadvertently omitted my answer, which I would like to inject now:
• Question # 4 True or False:
• During the 1950’s, the “Culture from Above,” in this case the move industry, would have made it too difficult to produce a movie adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof verbatim.
• Answer to Question # 4: True
• The conservative and sexually repressive environment during that period would have made William’s written play too radical and controversial for mainstream America to accept its themes including homosexuality, homophobia, and latent homosexuality. The film version modified the conflict to be about loyalty in friendship, marriage, and the ability to love.
No comments:
Post a Comment