I think the biggest issue when refering to nations such as China is westernization and the globalisation of culture. China has clearly adapted to western ideals over the past 50 years, slowly steering away from their traditions and embracing the consumer driven, highly sexualised, homogenous culture that is the Western way. China, along with other predominantly 'Eastern' nations used to be renowned for their slow fashion, the tradition dress which changed ever so slightly over many, many, years. Unfortunately for these nations by embracing western ideals they are losing their cultural identities and traditions. Increased media communications are transforming young people into believers of western ideals by selling them a 'perfect' world, with a 'perfect' identity, resulting in a relentless power struggle between China's true historical cultural identity, and false identity fueled by increasing personal identity insecurites and in turn increasing product demand.
China has used gloablisation in a powerful way. They embraced opportunity to utilise the large population, combined this with smaller wages and taken advantage of the modern consumer driven societies of the West. They have gone global in manufacturing, sending the mass-consumerist culture in a frenzy with cheap products in large quantities and fast. They have turned their country into a dominant superpower.
On the flip side, however, by taking part in this globalisation of trade and culture they are losing their identity and confidence as a nation in terms of innovation. They have strengthened an economy by producing the products and ideals created by other nations, not by sharing their culture and ideas with the world. They lack the confidence to come up with new ideas, constantly copying international designs, ideas and innovations.
The prospect for China in the future is reliant on the rest of the world. It could go one of two ways; Either they fully embrace western ideals, or they continue to use them against us to fuel their economic development, either creating problems for China. If they embrace western ideals (which China's youth have done and will continue to do so), you must be willing to accept it as a whole, incorporating human rights, infastructure, equality for all, increasing costs, strong laws, etc. If this happens (and it has already begun), costs/prices will rise, if international demand for cheap product remains we will go elsewhere, causing China to fall. If they chose the opposite, and continue to use western ideals to fuel their economic development, in light of the current economic standing, we may not continue down this path. This consumer culture depends on China's manufacturing industry which is the backbone of China's economical development. China isnt a nation of innovation and new ideas, so they will have nothing to fall back on.
What China needs to do in the future is regenerate their national culture and identity. They need to restore confidence in their own population for innovation and new ideas, instead of copying others, adn who's to say they will be able to get away with this for much longer? China's identity as a nation is dependent on other cultures for survival, feeding off and providing for our consumerist demands. Regenerating national identity and creating their own unique image to share with the world would be an interesting new direction for China, and most likely a sustainable one.
No comments:
Post a Comment