| Although
different authors have different opinions about global culture
we think it is important to begin by giving a good description
of the term. According to the author Smith a global culture
is not a real culture. Real cultures are based on components
like continuity, memories, symbols and a common destination
(Smith, 1992: 11). These components cannot be found in a global
culture. It is obvious that a global culture, unlike any other
national or local culture, does not have a connection with a
collective past. A global culture can be described as an artificial
construction founded on technological innovations and the internationalisation
of the telecommunication sector. On the basis of these arguments
we can conclude that a global culture is completely dependent
on the mass media.
There is no doubt
about the fact that since the Second World War an increasing
international traffic of cultural elements has taken place.
This is the result of the increasing prosperity, dominating
the second half of the twentieth century. Not only do people
have more money, they also have more time to spend it. Apart
from food and clothing, a growing part of the family budget
goes to entertainment and self-realisation. Apart from this
evolution, technological inventions have caused an explosion
of the output of film, radiobroadcast and television with
an improved quality. This created an enormous international
market of mediaproducts, through which cultural elements were
spread all over the world.
In the process of cultural globalization, Hannerz recognises
two possible scripts: the saturation script
and the maturation script (Hannerz,
1991).
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Hannerz, U. (1991) 'Cosmopolitans and Locals in World Culture',
in Featherstone, M (red.), Global Culture. London:
Sage Publications.
Smith, A.D. (1992) 'Is There a Global Culture?', Intermedia,
20 (4-5): 11-12.
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