Colonialism in Contemporary Culture - Essay Example

?COLONIALISM IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE Colonialism is the practice in which one group of people is forcefully dominated by another. The practice involves both economic and political control over a dependent territory. This practice emerged centuries ago within Europe when perceived strong territories exercised control over dependent territories. The initial goal of colonialism was to acquire more wealth and increase the political dominance of a nation. Imperialism is another practice that relates to colonialism (Conrad, 2007). In world history, imperialism has been a powerful force through which dominant nations expropriate labor, land, markets, and raw materials of other nations or people for their own enrichment. In the modern world, both colonialism and imperialism are practiced indirectly in various nations across the world. Nations with political and economic superiority across the world, such as the US and other European nations, exercise direct and indirect global control. The dominant powerful nations are using grounds, such as art, film, literature, and fashion to ensure a constant global expansion of their dominance. Often, imperialism is justified as a means of bringing people the blessings of a superior and modern way of life or of liberating them from tyrannical rule. The act results from a variety of causes including economic pressures, greed, human aggressiveness, search for security, prestige, search for power, humanitarianism, national emotions and many other factors. These motivating factors make it difficult to eradicate imperialism. However, they are also very beneficial especially for nations susceptible to victimization because they make it easy for them to suspect policies that might turn out to be imperialistic (Sartre, 2001). For example, some states in the Third World have accused former colonial masters and other powerful nations of neocolonialism. The post-colonial theory clearly explains the modern spread of colonial ideas in various forms. Post-colonial theory involves the study of interactions between colonialist nations and the societies that they colonized (Gandhi, 1988). The theory examines the effects of the domination and colonization of non-European people, land, and cultures. The key concepts in this theory include history of colonialism and representation, and identity of modern cultures and other practices (Gandhi, 1988). Majority of studies have shown that Western traditions and cultural practices especially regarding thought, music, fashion, and literature dominate the global culture. Non-Western traditions, cultural practices, and other forms of expression are widely excluded and marginalized in modern practices. This field of post-colonial studies was greatly influenced by a Palestinian literary critic named Said. Through his popular piece of work known as Orientalism, Said sought to depict how Middle Eastern and African Arab people and their cultures were represented as the exact opposite of occidental and Western cultures (Said, 2003). Orientalism is a reflection of the Western style in restructuring, dominating, and acquiring total control over the East (Celik, 1996). In his literary piece, Said argued that the modern orient representations impose colonial dominations by implying that oriental cultural practices are inferior in relation to Western cultures. The Western culture is brought out as a culture with a rich history, with morally superior and virtuous practices. On the other hand, the oriental culture or third world practices have its history imposed on it by powerful facets with possessive and submissive practices. In addition, the oriental culture is brought out as strange, lazy, and weak and one that promotes immoral and unequal practices (Said, 2003). According to Said’s argument, the Western superior nations are making every effort possible to make the colonized people admit that their culture is inferior, unrealistic and imperfect in character (Said, 2003). The colonizers promote their history, language, culture, beliefs, and customs as universal, superior, and normative. Ironically, the colonized people, in attempts to eradicate the feeling of inferiority imposed on them by the colonizers, had to adapt to these Western cultures and beliefs. This occurrence is prevalent in the modern world where nations with economical and political superiority tend to exercise indirect control over other nations. Majority of former colonies have failed to adapt their own social democracies and are commonly seen to move with the trends of Western cultures. Through the concept of universalism, the cultural; political; and economic practices of other nations are being imposed in nations with less superiority. Internationalization or globalization is one of the most current deception through which colonialists are justifying cultural attacks on social values of other nations (Young, 2003). Under this phenomenon, U.S. and Europe have become leading exporters of cultural practices perceived to be the most conducive to trivialize and depoliticize the existence of other cultures. Today, colonial ideas are still being promoted in a majority of life aspects. One such area is in the film industry. The film industry plays a major role in portraying different cultures differently. In the modern world, cinematography provides people with an easily accessible and convenient avenue into different perspectives, stories, and people (Celik, 1996). Consequently, there is a wide display of global cultures through the film industry. The settings, fashion, music, and practices that the film makers depict in their films are the key elements in bringing out and differentiating these societies and cultures. However, in modern days, the facet of Orientalism is commonly displayed in the creation and representation of different cultures. This occurs when filmmakers fail to create and represent other exotic lands with its original practices and instead, incorporate the cultural practices of other societies, which they find most beneficial to their goals. Although this Oriental practice is motivated by other genuine factors, such as revenue collection, the practice still promotes the concept of Orientalism (Celik, 1996). Modern filmmakers inaccurately portray countries, societies, people, and beliefs for their own benefits, at the expense of original cultural elements. Popular western music is another object that is widely promoting the idea of Orientalism. Since the 1970s through today, Western genres of music, especially pop and hip hop, are commonly depicted in various music genres across the world. Today, exotic Western music genres appear in different countless forms. The most outstanding occurrence of Orientalism is that of Pop and Hip Hop songs. Orientalism is clearly depicted through the style and fashion of artists in the music videos to an extent that there is a well-known hip hop fashion. Many Hip Hop artists display a similar trend of fashion with baggy clothing complemented by sneakers. The spread of western fashion trends is also common in the Rock genre of music. In addition, Orientalism also arises within the lyrics and sounds of the music itself. The Orientalist perspective persists strongly in fashion with the Orient growing to become a sufficient source for new fashion. Today, the Western dress with an Oriental source is known as the Oriental look. Fashion is a dynamic social process driven by recurring changes consisting of new style pursuits. For a new style to be adopted, it must be socially accepted by a majority of its followers. As a result of a movement along the Silk Road, the Western dress has greatly been influenced by Eastern cultures. Modern societies perceive the Oriental look as a taste reflecting visualizations of the East in Western dress. The Orient is actively being used by global designers and consumers as an attractive source of fashion. The West controls the creation and consumption of the Oriental look as a way of dominating the subject of authenticity (Said, 2003). Such authenticity provides the West with an opportunity to integrate the Oriental look into their culture. In the 19th century, Westerners were allowed to buy and wear the Eastern dress. However, this freedom was not a sign of cultural flexibility but rather, an indication of imperialistic behavior and signs of sophisticated knowledge. However, in the contemporary society, the Western dress depicts the superior identity of the West by incorporating foreign materials and decoration. This way, the West uses a psychological process to maintain the exotic charm and imagination of the Western culture and fashion (Nochlin, 1991). By securing the authenticity of the Oriental dress, the West has orientalised the Oriental costume in agreement with their imagination regarding the Orient. Cultural domination remains to be an integral component of the global exploitation system. In the third world, cultural imperialism is taking roots through widespread penetration and domination of Western cultural lifestyles that is meant to reorder the institutions, values, identity, and behavior of the locals. Local populations in the third world are being forced to conform to the interests and practices of the imperial Western classes (Ahmad, 1994). In the past, educational systems, the church, and public authorities were the major channels that colonialists used to instill natives with ideas of loyalty and submissions in the name of absolutist and divine principles. Although these traditional mechanisms are still prevalent in the modern world, some forms of new modern instrumentalists are becoming increasingly vital to imperial domination (Young, 2003). These modern instrumentalists include publicity, mass media, secular entertainers, and advertisements. In the contemporary society, CNN, Disneyland, and Hollywood are among the most influential channels of cultural imperialism. Developed nations are invading third world nations using the mass media as a means of capturing mass audiences. They propagate propaganda that seeks to demolish national identifies and paralyze collective responses from the locals. Cultural imperialism also promotes the phenomenon of globalization and modernity as conformity with external symbols to rupture the solidarity of communities. Another common phenomenon that is used today by imperial colonialists is the cult of “individuality” (Young, 2003). Through mass media, music, and film industry, imperialists carry out global campaigns to promote individuality. People are changing their identities to conform to international descriptions of independent and civilized individuals. Consequently, personalities are reshaped while social bonds are attacked in a move to provide people with escapist identities. Colonialism ideas continue to strive in modern societies in the name of solving problems being faced in third world nations. However, this is not the case because neo-colonialism is a practice that serves the interests of the powerful and wealthy imperialists. The principal target of this form of imperialism or neo-colonialism is the youth. Imperial advertisements and entertainment target the young generation that is most vulnerable to European and U.S. propaganda. Through films and numerous other economic exploitations, the youth are made to believe that “modernity” is only associated with the consumption of Western media, film, and fashion products (Young, 2003). In Third World countries, the youth are a major market for western products and are also susceptible to propaganda regarding individualism (Tomlinson, 1991). Films and other forms of art are used to create linkages through which the imperialists propagate the discourse of individual solutions for daily personal problems. Through this discourse of individualism, the young generation is made to believe that success highly depends on individual efforts. Films, music, and fashion have been seen as a strategy that will end up promoting Western cultures in various areas in the globe through the concept of globalization. However, governments and locals are setting up practices that will ensure protection of their practices from Western assimilation and degradation. For example, modern societies consider media and film as a tool to assist in developing and maintaining racial stability and harmony. This is particularly prevalent in a country with different mix of religious, language, and cultural groups. Today, governments are ensuring economic success by considering the press and media as effective instruments in facilitating nation-building (Tomlinson, 1991). Consequently, the public has accepted that the media and film industries should cooperate with the government to strengthen country governance. In moves meant to curb westernization of cultures, governments especially those in Third World nations are creating policies to ensure that the media minimizes propagation of Western-based channels and programs. Broadcasters and producers are making effort to localize their program content to promote propagation and preservation of local cultures, languages, and tastes. Bibliography Ahmad, A. (1994). In Theory: Classes, Nations, And Literatures, London, Verso. Celik, Z. (1996). Colonialism, Orientalism, and the canon. Art Bulletin, 78, 2, 202 -205. Conrad, J. (2007) Heart of Darkness. Middlesex: Penguin, pp. 8-9, 75-76. Gandhi, L. (1988). Postcolonial Theory: A Critical Introduction, New York, Columbia University Press. Nochlin, L. (1991) 'The Imaginary Orient', in the Politics of Vision: Essays on Nineteenth-Century Art and Society. London, Thames & Hudson, pp. 33-59. Said, E. (2003) Orientalism. Middlesex, Penguin, pp 1-28. Sartre, J.-P. (2001). Colonialism and neocolonialism. London, Routledge. Tomlinson, J. (1991). Cultural Imperialism: A Critical Introduction. London, Pinter Publisher. Young, R. (2003) Post-colonialism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, OUP. Read More