Ethnic Culture Against The Background Of Globalization

These thesis deals with the problem of national cultural development in ihe background of globalization, intending to have a macro-thinking on Chinese cultural construction in the future through investigating the ttend of national culture and (he inner contradictions in the development of globalization.The whole thesis includes four parts. The first part discusses the status and function of national culture in the era of globalization. In the second part., the general trend of national cultural development is elaborated through discussion of the inner contradictions between nationality and globalization of culture. The third part deals with the cultural clashes and assimilation on the base of examination into relations of national cultures under globalization. With understanding of the above, a macro- thinking is given on Chinese cultural construction in the futureChapter one comprises origin of globalization concept, the main genres and the characteristics of modern globalization. Based on the past researches and frames of Marxist theories, the author thinks that the essence of globalization is the integration of world market economy, which is the result of internationalization of production and that of the infinite expansion of capital in seek of profit. Globalization is a process of modernization, and a process to the negation of capitalism as well, in (his process, culture plays a more and more important role.The second chapter focuses on the development trend of national culture. In the author's view, globalization of culture is practical. From the objective point of view, culture is the reflection of reality. Subjectively, culture is a way (o solve existing problems. The making of the common profits of human being is the fundamental cause of the common recognition to solve (he common problems. To solve the common problems, the human being must form a common understanding of culture. As a result of cultural globalization, the global cultures tend to share more views in ideology, contents and way of thinking. Globalization of culture means the emergence of common views about culture on base of existing national cultures rather than a new culture independent of the former. The concept of cultural globalization is strictly defined, and its research area confined. I(?) refers to problems in providing concrete entcrions. It will never happen that a single new culture comes into being. Most probably, the culture providing the most common recognition will represent culture of the world.In the era of globalization, the nationality of culture is challenged. Theparochialism and independence of national culture lias changed. National cultures interact with, each other globally. However, national cultures still have adequate reasons and warranties to exist, for (he subject of national culture—nation and nation-state, and the power to motivate the development of national culture—national interests still exist. What's more, the world has developed unevenly. On one hand, globalization tends to exterminate the nationality of culture. On the other hand, it enhances the need lor national culture. The national communication and market competition gives prominence to the cohesion of national culture and intensifies the self-identity function of national culture. The intcgrativc economy, politic and cullurc connected the development of national culture and the competition among different nations. Globalization induces the collapse of the old regional and historic nationality and impels the construction of new nationality. It never exists invariable nationality. In the globalization era, the development of national culture takes on new tendencies: the sameness of content and the discrepancy of form, the sameness of elements and the discrepancy of functions and the sameness of mundane cullurc and the discrepancy of elitist culture.The third chapter discusses Ihe relations among national cultures under globalization. In the process of cultural exchange, clashes and permeation will inevitably happen. Those clashes arise from differences in social life, national interests and value yardsticks of different nations. Cultural clashes are intensified by globalization. This embodies at several aspects;1 global competition impelled by market economy deepens the interest clashes among different nations, so the clashes among national cultures sharpen. 2 Globalization results m the global open competition and elimination of national cultures.3 In order to counterwork the inequality in cultural communication and the culture hegemony, the developing country can t help but develop nationalism. 4 the interaction between the traditional cultural difference and (lie actual interest discrepancy forms a new kind clash. The cultural clashes m the globalization era take place in both the truth view concerned the science and the superstition and the worth view about the advancement and lag.However, cultural clashes are not unusual. They will bring positive effect unless the clashes do not ascend to political or military clashes, Once cultural disputes are involves in social clashes as political, economic or military ones, the latter will e greatly intensified. Behind cultural clashes lie interests clashes. To avoid cultural clashes, a system helping to promote cooperation is critical.Cultural permeation is the genera! trend for national cultural exchange, which results from the inherent oneness and common ground. Human societies have similar law of development and value orientation, laemg the same problems in a given stage ofdevelopment people from different backgrounds can share '.he same truth in sonic culture. The mechanism-of globalization in promoting cultuial permeation is as follows: l.Globalizaton enhances cultural exchanges and makes it convenient for different nations to learn from other cultures. 2. Globalization provides a way of thinking in solving problems troimh comparing with and learning from each other, offering a platform for cultural exchange. 3.Globalization expands (he space and conlenls of national social life and brings about a dncrsihed cultural world, h is understandable thai there are also some obstacles in cultural permeation, which will be discussed in detail.The cultural permeation develops in two lays- truth and value. On the truth lay, the permeation is thorough. Science and technology has become the main project of the global nations. On the value lay. the cultural permeation is tied up with the social life. It exists many factors stunting the value exchange of culture: the class interest of the ruler class, the unequal status of the two sides m the cultural exchange, (he mass psychological receptivity and the degree of the intercommunity of social life. The field of permeation of culture is both definite and mclellnite. With the development of society, the degree of social cultural exchange would be varied also.In the process of cultural permeation, cultural nationalization is inevitable. This nationalization originates from the imbalance of cultural development and (he reality of cultural differences. However, absolute cultural nationalization u;not possible because cultural unification is usually accompanied by cultural diversification. In the future, it is certain that there will be a unitary cultural pallern with a leading culture. As to which culture will be the leading one, it will be determined by the social realities. The diversification of national culture determines (he plurality of leading cultures. Although it is unavoidable that the western culture becomes the leading culture in a certain period, it will never dominate.Chapter four focuses on the construction of Chinese culture under globalization. It is held in this thesis that Chinese culture is faced with a series of challenges both in form and content, Formally, there exists the challenge of identity, while in the content is the challenge of capitalist hegemony to Chinese socialist cultural ideology. To cany forward Chinese culture, a thorough understanding and grasp of Chinese situation is ncccssaiy. To do so, three questions must be made clear. They arc value orientation, history orientation and subject orientation of Chinese culture, for value orientation, we should fully acknowledge that the time value of Chinese culture is no belter or worse compared with the western culture. For hislorv orientation. Chinese culture in nature is ofnon-market economy. To some degree, it has fallen behind the requirement of our time. From the subject orientation, the object of Chinese cultural construction should be socialist. Taking Chinese national situation into account, the practical orientations of Chinese cultural development can be summarized as national in characteristics, modern in content and socialist in nature The construction of national culture is a systemic project. It requires careful consideration of all aspects concerned. In this part, nine questions are put forward and discussed: the construction of belief, mainly on the construction of persona! belief;construction of moral restricting mechanism;relation between the public ideology area and private personal life area;the conflict of the unification of holistic tendency and individualistic reality;the relations between the identity of traditional culture and modern culture;relations of national identity and ethnical identity;the unification of the consumptive function and educational function of national culture;the ethical political culture and systematic political culture;the ecological balance of culture and so on. The answers to these questions lie in the co-effort of exploration in the process of modern socialist practice rather than a perfect design.These thesis deals with the problem of national cultural development in the background of globalization, intending to have a macro-thinking on Chinese cultural construction in the future through investiuating the trend of national culture and the inner contradictions in the development ofglobahzation.The whole thesis includes four parts. The first part discusses the status and function of national culture in the era of globalization. In the second part, the general trend of national cultural development is elaborated through discussion of the inner contradictions between nationality and globalization of culture. The third part deals with the cultural clashes and assimilation on the base of examination into relations of national cultures under globalization. With understanding of the above, a macro- thinking is given on Chinese cultural construction in the future.Chapter one comprises origin of globalization concept, the main genres and the characteristics of modern globalization. Based on the past researches and frames of Marxist theories, the author thinks lhat the essence of globalization is the integration of world market economy, which is the result of internationalization of production and that of the infinite expansion of capital in seek of profit. Globalization is a process of modernization, and a process to the negation of capitalism as well. In this process, culture plays a more and more important role.The second chapter focuses on the development trend of national culture. In theauthor's view, globalization of culture is practical l;rom (he ohiecuve point of view, culture is the reflection of reality. Subjectively, culture is a way to solve existing problems. The making of (he common profits oflniman being is the fundamental cause of the common recognition lo solve the common problems. To solve the common problems, the human being must form a common understanding of culture As a rcsull of cultural globalization, the global cultures tend to share more views in ideology, contents and way of thinking. Globalization of culture means the emergence of common views about culture on base of existing national cultures rather than a new culture independent of the former. The concept of cultural globalization is strictly denned, and its research area confined. It refers to problems in providing concrete critcrions. It will never happen that a single new culture comes into being. Most probably, the culture providing the most common recognition will represent culture of (ho world.In the era of globalization, the nationality' of culture is challenged. The parochialism and independence of national culture has changed. National cultures interact with each other globally. However, national cultures still have adequate reasons and warranties to exist, for the subject of national culture—nation and nation-stale, and the power to motivate the development of national c-ulturc---national interests still exist. What's more, the world has developed unevenly. On one hand, globalization tends to exterminate the nationality of culture. On the oilier hand, it enhances the need for national culture. The national communication and market competition gives prominence to the cohesion of national culture and intensifies the self-identity function of national culture. The intcgrativc economy, politic and culture connected the development of national culture and the competition among different nations. Globalization induces the collapse of the old regional and historic nationality and impels (he construction of new nationality. It never exists invariable nationality' In the globalization era, the development of national culture takes on new tendencies: the sameness of content and the discrepancy of form, the sameness of elements and the discrepancy of functions and the sameness of mundane culture and the discrepancy of elitist culture.The third chapter discusses the rclalions among national cultures under globalization. In the process of cultural exchange, clashes and permeation will inevitably happen. Those clashes arise from differences in social life, national interests and value yardsticks of different nations. Cultural clashes arc intensified by globalization. This embodies at several aspects: 1 global competition impelled bv market economy deepens the interest clashes among different nations, so the clashes among national cultures sharpen. 2 Globalization results in the global open competition and elimination of national cultures.3 In order to counterwork (he inequality in cultural communication andthe culture hegemony, the deveJopiii" country can't help but develop nationalism. 4 the interaction between (he Uadilional cuilural difference and (he actual interest discrepancy forms a new kind clash. The cullural clashes in the globalization era fake place in both the truth view concerned the science and (he superstition and the word) view about the advancement and lag.However, cullural clashes arc not unusual. The)- will bring positive effect unless the clashes do not ascend to political or military clashes. Once cultural disputes are involves in social clashes as political, economic or military ones, the latter will e greatly intensified. Behind cultural clashes lie interests clashes. To avoid cultural clashes, a system helping to promote cooperation is critical.Cultural permeation is the genera! trend for national cultural exchange, which results Irom the inherent oneness and common ground. Human societies have similar law of development and value orientation, lacing the same problems in a given stage of development people from different backgrounds can share the same truth in some culture. The mechanism of globalization in promoting cultural permeation is as follows: 1 .Globalizaton enhances cultural exchanges and makes it convenient for different nations to learn from other cultures. 2. Globalization provides a wiw of thinking m solving problems trough comparing with and learning Irom each other, offering a platform for cultural exchange. 3.Globalization expands the space and contents of national social life and brings about a diversified cultural world. It is understandable that there are also some obstacles in cultural permeation, which will be discussed in detail.The cultural permeation develops in two lays-- truth and value. On the truth lay, the permeation is thorough. Science and technology has become the main project of the global nations. On the value lay. (he cultural permeation is tied up with the social life. It exists many factors stunting the value, exchange of culture;the class interest of the ruler class, the unequal status of the (wo sides in the cultural exchange, the mass psychological receptivity and the degree of the intercommunity of social life. The field of permeation of culture is both definite and indefinite. With the development of society, the degree of social cultural exchange would be varied also.In the process of cultural permeation, cultural nationalization is inevitable. This nationalization originates from the imbalance of cultural development and the reality of cultural differences. However, absolute cultural nationalization is not possible because cultural unification is usually accompanied by cultural diversification. In the future, it is certain (hat there will be a unitary cultural pattern with a leading culture. As to whichculture will be the leading one. il will be determined by the social realities. The diversification of national culture determines the plurality of leading cultures. Although it is unavoidable that the western culture becomes (he leading culture in a certain period, it will never dominate.Chapter four focuses on the construction of Chinese culture under globalization. It is held in this thesis that Chinese culture is faced with a series of challenges both in form and content. Formally, (here exists the challenge o[ identity, while in the content is the challenge of capitalist hegemony to Chinese socialist cultural ideology. To cany fonvard Chinese culture, a thorough understanding and grasp of Chinese situation is necessary. To do so, three questions must be made clear. They arc value orientation, history orientation and subject orientation of Chinese culture, for value orientation, we should fiilly acknowledge that the time value of Chinese culture is no better or worse compared with the western culture. For history orientation, Chinese culture in nature is of non-market economy. To some degree, it has fallen behind the requirement of our time. From the subject orientation, the object of Chinese cultural construction should be socialist. Taking Chinese national situation into account, the practical orientations of Chinese cultural development can be summarized as national in characteristics, modern in content and socialist in nature. The construction of national culture is a systemic project. It requires careful consideration of all aspects concerned. In this part, nine questions are put forward and discussed: the construction of belief, mainly on the construction of personal belief;construction of moral restricting mechanism;relation between the public ideology area and private personal life area;the conflict of the unification of holistic tendency and individualistic reality;the relations between the identity of traditional culture and modern culture;relations of national identity and ethnical" identity;the unification of the consumptive function and educational function of national culture;the ethical political culture and systematic political culture;the ecological balance of culture and so on. The answers to these questions lie in the co-effort of exploration in the process of modem socialist practice rather than a perfect design.