Introduction
Culture is an integral part of human life and one of the principal characteristics of every country. Its evolution is conditional upon international processes collectively known as globalization. Cultural globalization is considered as “the geographic mobility of cultural products and influences across national borders” (Purhonen et al., 2019, p. 382). Such a process can be primarily influenced by a country with a strong national identity such as the United States, and this situation allegedly leads to its global domination. Numerous scholars consider Americanization to be a threat to preserving the culture of other countries (Stapell, 2016). Nevertheless, such a complex process is more than merely the influence of one country on the others. Hence, Americanization is not the synonym for cultural globalization but one of the aspects of the mutual impact within it.
The Popularity of American ‘Cultural Products’
One of the ways of assessing the United States’ cultural influence on other countries is through consideration of the popularity of its products, but this aspect has a more significant impact on the economy rather than culture. The association of ‘cultural products’ such as blue jeans, Marlboro cigarettes, or American movies with the country is simply a side effect of its economic policies (Stapell, 2016). The researchers proved that the growth of influence of the United States culture through the promotion of their products is relatively scarce (Purhonen et al., 2019). The situation was different at the time of the American ‘cultural revolution,’ but now its culture poses no threat to the national identities of other countries (Šimelytė et al., 2017). In the present-day world, American products are more of an economic driving force rather than cultural.
Americanization cannot be perceived as cultural globalization as a whole as it is a mutual process of all of the world’s countries despite the strength of some of them. The popularity of American culture is defined by the opposition to traditional European culture. Its inherent liberalism results in the openness to experiments and the adoption of cultural practices followed by their spread around the world (Purhonen et al., 2019). This fact explains the seemingly prevailing influence of the United States on more traditional countries. The process of cultural globalization can be described as the exchange between the cultural tradition of Europe and the popular culture production of America (McKay, 2016). Hence, it relates to the adoption of elements of various cultures rather than a single country’s culture.
At the beginning of the process of cultural globalization, European countries adopted only a limited amount of American cultural elements, and it makes the correlation between the whole movement and the influence of the United States impossible. Hence, for example, classical music, visual arts, and theater of Europe did not experience any impact from America as these elements were strong enough to endure the comparison and retain their original status (Purhonen et al., 2019). As for popular culture, it originated in the United States, and at that time, there was no analog to it (McKay, 2016). Hence, its adoption by European countries seems to be logical, and the concerns of governments were primarily connected to the non-acceptance of new elements by the traditional ideologies.
There is no doubt that the influence of the United States on the culture of all of the world’s countries was prominent. The growing significance was attached to American music, books, blockbuster movies, and other ‘cultural products of the country (Šimelytė et al., 2017). The beginning of cultural globalization was characterized by sharing the experience of American artists with Europeans who were less advanced in comparison to them. Thus, for example, the skills and the technique of Jimmy Hendrix, an African American blues-rock musician, had an impact on the realization of his superiority over European musicians (McKay, 2016). The rapid development of American culture signified the beginning of the era of Americanization.
However, its impact was limited in time, and this process is not proceeding as other countries are developed enough to create their own popular ‘cultural products.’ With the creativity, experimentation, and novelty they borrowed from the United States at the beginning of so-called Americanization as opposed to the old cultural values, they can benefit from their creation based on initially American popular values (Purhonen et al., 2019). This fact allows concluding on the new stage in ongoing cultural globalization, which is not connected to the notion of Americanization anymore.
Hybridization in National Cultural Elements
As it was mentioned above, all the processes comprising cultural globalization include the elements of various cultures of countries in the world, not only the culture of the United States. In this case, the strongest culture in terms of superiority in the development of various aspects of human life transmits the majority of cultural specificities to relatively weaker cultures (Koechler, 2018). Thereby, the so-called hybrid cultures are created around the world (Koechler, 2018). It is reasonable to assume that the United States held a privileged position in cultural globalization due to the development of popular culture. However, this circumstance does not indicate the pure Americanization of young generations because they are more inclined to be target consumers of such ‘cultural products.’
One of the primary spheres of influence of American culture is music, and it is a hybrid product of cultural exchange rather than the sole achievement of the United States. It is known that blues music was adopted by European countries in the 1960s and, on the one hand, can be considered as a typically American invention without any external influence on the development of the genre (McKay, 2016). However, it is an erroneous belief as the very fact of the invention does not prevent countries from further exchange. In the case with blues, it returned to the United States in another interpretation in the form of such bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones (Lebovic, 2017). Hence, they cannot be considered purely American due to their origin and represent a part of Americanization.
The process of Americanization is also referred to as McDonaldization or Coca-Colonization, which indicates its connection to the food, but this aspect is also a cultural hybrid rather than the promotion of the American culture. Thus, for example, the products offered in fast food restaurants represent the mix of world cuisines, including Italian (pizza), German (hamburgers, frankfurters), and French (fries) food (Pieterse, 2019). The American contributions are only the invention of ketchup and the proper management of such restaurants (Pieterse, 2019). Moreover, they even borrowed not elements but the whole traditions of food by opening socially neutral Chinglish restaurants all over the country (McKay, 2016). Hence, this aspect does not provide for the promotion of American culture around the world.
The United States, however, did not possess all the cultural elements they have these days, and most of them were adopted from other countries with the change in the form. One of the prominent examples of such adoptions is the creation of American yoga as a hybrid cultural practice (Coskuner-Balli & Ertimur, 2017). The United States lacked any spiritual development as it was primarily concentrated on the commercial promotion of popular culture, which did not diminish the need for it. This process is also frequently referred to as reterritorialization and provides for the inclusion of cultural elements not typical for the original practice such as modern music, combination with fitness, and others (Coskuner-Balli & Ertimur, 2017). Hence, the reversed process of Americanization is as important as the spread of American culture.
It is clear that the cultural elements of the United States prevailed in the process of hybridization and defined its course throughout history. In the minds of people, popular music, fast food restaurants, even some spiritual practices are originated in the country and used for strengthening the dominant position of Americans in all of the world’s countries (Šimelytė et al., 2017). However, the elements mentioned above are examples of hybrid culture in the process of globalization rather than Americanization as such (Koechler, 2018). Such ‘cultural products’ are available to all of the world’s countries, and the only difference is their varying perception and interpretation. It allows concluding that the United States only contributed to the promotion of the existing cultural elements through proper management but did not create anything new for the world.
Government Policies Protecting National Identity
The positive attitude to Americanization was conditional upon the need to present an opposing mechanism to other systems and further recognized and a threat to national identity. Thus, it was welcomed as an instrument of a general modernization of society aimed at minimization of the influence of the Soviet Union or the mood of West Germany (Purhonen et al., 2019). The situation rapidly changed when it came to influencing such European countries as France, Sweden, the UK, Finland, or Spain (Purhonen et al., 2019). However, despite the perception of Americanization as a threat, it has a more significant impact on economic growth than cultural globalization (Šimelytė et al., 2017). Nevertheless, the fear of intervention made European countries take several measures.
To combat the cultural invasion of the United States in Europe, some countries took an active approach regarding the Americanization of society. Most American ‘cultural products’ at that time related to famous Hollywood movies and TV shows (Purhonen et al., 2019). They reflected the commercial orientation of society in the United States, which was inappropriate from the perception of European people. Moreover, the government-supported this view by implementing new policies against the spread of American culture.
One of the countries, which participated actively in the prevention of their spread, was France. Considering it to be an example of cultural imperialism, the French government openly tried to limit the penetration of American ‘cultural products’ (Šimelytė et al., 2017). They decided to create a system of taxes that would reduce the influence of the United States on the lives of French citizens (Šimelytė et al., 2017). However, the problem was not in Americanization, but the countries trying to prevent it.
Such European countries as France and Germany were the most active participants in the fight against American ‘cultural products’, and this situation was conditional upon their internal circumstances. Both countries lacked a strong national identity at the beginning of cultural globalization, which seemed to originate solely in the United States (Šimelytė et al., 2017). A stronger national position of the United States and its successful promotion of American culture only complicated this already difficult situation and led to the emergence of fear of losing national identity (Stapell, 2016). It allows concluding that the problem was not in so-called Americanization but in the lack of government policies intended to strengthen national identity.
The measures aimed at preserving the cultural elements of various nations are typical these days, but they indicate the slower pace of the development of countries in comparison with the United States rather than their desire to dominate the world. The surveys demonstrate the negative attitude of young people to everything that originated in America regarding the lifestyle and language borrowed from this country (Šimelytė et al., 2017). The discontent of people is also conditional upon the prevalence of American TV shows over national programs (Stapell, 2016). The ‘cultural products’ of the United States are associated with entertainment and pleasure rather than art (Šimelytė et al., 2017). Hence, it is an economic problem deriving from the insufficient development of popular culture in the countries essential for the present-day world.
Conclusion
Americanization is erroneously associated with cultural development, which does not correspond to the realities of today. Even in the past, this process was more of a hybridization of cultures with the prevalence of American cultural elements rather than pure Americanization. The popularity of the ‘cultural products’ of the United States is defined by their more rapid development but not the intention of dominance. Thus, the process of Americanization is only one side of the coin and cannot correlate with cultural globalization as a whole.
References
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