Globalisation

The sociocultural aspect of globalisation

The socio-cultural dimension is concerned, so to speak, with a globalisation of society and culture. In Europe, the cultural diversity of society has long been seen as normal. Increasingly, people make themselves familiar with previously unknown influences, compare them or differentiate between them, occasionally forming unifying cultures. This also brings new orientation principles, values and attitudes.

The following examples from the daily routine mentioned at the beginning of the module reflect the socio-cultural dimension of globalisation: Music (No Woman No Cry), migration (work colleagues), linguistic diversity, the Internet (Facebook), TV entertainment (series) and food (kebab). In addition, fashion, art and literature have an influence on our style and opinions.

The Internet affects the cultural sector significantly. The first video that reached more than a billion clicks on the video platform YouTube, was the music video "Gangnam Style" by the South Korean rapper Psy. Currently it has more than 1.5 billion views. It is therefore not surprising that "Gangnam Style" became a worldwide phenomenon within a few months. The dance moves of the song have made a particular impact and now there are also countless parodies circulating on the Internet.

• Ask your family members, friends and associates whether they have already heard of „Gangnam Style“.
• Search the internet for famous personalities who have danced or parodied „Gangnam Style“.
• Consider the motivations of those performing the parodies.
• Do you know similar “globalized” songs or phenomena?

Sources

Fechner, Julia (2012): Internationale Politik II: Globalisierung. Schwalbach: Wochenschau
http://www.bpb.de/nachschlagen/zahlen-und-fakten/globalisierung
http://www.noz.de/deutschland-und-welt/gut-zu-wissen/computer/68587744/gangnam-style-ist-erster-youtube-milliardaer
http://derstandard.at/1350259355780/Ai-Weiwei-tanzt-den-Gangnam-Style