A Comparative Study On The Cultural Structure Between Shanghai And New York Since Twenty-first Century

In modern studies on culture, the city is a cultural accumulation, while themetropolis is a focal point. The study on cultures between the cities in the backgroundof globalization is a good way to enhance the depth and status of urban cultural research,to promote cultural exchanges and the influence of different studies, to strengthen thecultural history as well as the national culture and the development of world culture.Moreover, it is necessary for us to introduce new cultural comparison of cities to a newlevel by expanding the research vision and innovation based the inheritance of culturaltheories and methods. Shanghai and New York are both the major cities in China andAmerica. In spite of the different social and natural environment, the two cities have thecommon developing path. At the beginning of the new century, Shanghai successfullybid for World Expo and then strived to build the image of urban culture. MeanwhileNew York, having suffered terrorist attacks in2001, has also experienced its harshcultural development. Therefore, it is worth studying the similarities and differences ofthe cultural structure between the two metropolises.The thesis of this paper，based on Leslie Write`s theory，the concept andconstitution and development of cultural structure, and then shows three elements ofcultural structure consisting of residents, facilities and activities which are also put intofocus in this paper. Moreover, there are comparative researches on five basic forms ofcultural structure that are literature, music, art, dancing and film. At the same time, itattempts to research two metropolises`developments of creative culture which is valued by21stcentury. All of then will be analyzed on the research and comparison through themethod of analogy and contrast of Shanghai and New York.This paper helps to clarify the concepts of cultural structure and is aimed todemonstrate its subsystems. Meanwhile, it is valuable to explore the advantages anddisadvantages, and the gains and losses in cultural structures between Shanghai andNew York. Last but not least, it tries to find why New York could become the culturalcenter of the world and how Shanghai should seize the opportunity and complement itsshortages.