Does the term western culture ring a bell? The expression is very broad and can have many meanings to it, so there’s no set definition. It’s thought of as the U.S. lifestyle and how large of a role it plays in shaping other societies, or as BBC defines it: “We think of western culture and values as being characterised by democracy, liberalism, enlightenment, scientific progress and individualism.” Whether or not it’s beneficial for the world is under debate but it’s important to note that many cultures have had significant effects on U.S. society, and the same can be said with our impact on other countries. However, it appears to be getting too influential and overbearing. Because of this, other cultures could be wiped out and our society might be taking away from their unique customs and traditions.
In many aspects, the U.S. holds significant dominance in power, wealth, military and other cultural points which is why our way of life has rapidly spread to countless parts of the world through a process called westernization. This phenomenon happens when a culture partially or fully abandons their heritage, embracing things that are more American. It can include adopting U.S. clothing styles, accepting Christianity as their religion, or using English as a native language instead of their own, all of which contributes to the loss of traditions, practices and culture as a whole. According to a study conducted by The Pew Research Center, “There have been serious concerns about ‘Americanization.’ Among the countries surveyed, a median of 70% say it is bad that U.S. culture is spreading to their country.” Social Studies teacher Jeff Lacy also worries that, “For better or worse, western culture is spreading around the world like wildfire. Mainly because of the speed with which things spread via the internet, television, apps and everything in between.” So, why is it still so influential?
Our effect on other countries is so large to the point where many American fast food restaurants have been popping up around the globe. CNBC comments on how popular KFC is saying, “KFC China recently celebrated the opening of its 10,000th store in the city of Hangzhou, about an hour outside of Shanghai. By comparison the U.S. has a little over 4,300 KFC locations.” It’s shocking how the chain restaurant has a lot fewer establishments in its home country than China and not only is KFC rising in popularity but McDonald’s as well. CNN included examples of how different the international McDonald’s menu is with options varying from “McGyros in Greece to McBaguettes in France and McSpaghetti in the Philippines.” But it’s not just food that is being shared, it’s media as well.
It’s known that Hollywood is the biggest provider of entertainment in the film and TV show industry, in the U.S. and worldwide. However, issues surrounding the inclusion and depiction of different races in Hollywood have always been big topics of discussion. “In 2019, according to a study conducted by the Social Sciences department of UCLA, only 2 out of 10 lead actors in broadcasted scripted television were People of Color.” (Medium) Involvement of diversity has improved over the years but films can still incorporate harmful categorization of different races. These can range from the low income Latino immigrant, the sketchy drug-dealing Black kid, the smart and nerdy Asian that always knows martial arts, and more. These standards are often overused and sometimes those characters can be played by white people, further misguiding society on how people from different backgrounds look and sound. While the sharing of culture provides insight to different ways of living, clothing styles, and unique food, it can also be a huge factor in spreading misinformation about other societies, unrealistic standards and harsh stereotypes.
Although it may be absurd to think about, it seems like the U.S. doesn’t exactly have a culture itself but is pretty much entirely made up of others and yet we still force it upon other countries. Sophomore, Nadia Debick reflects on western ways of living saying “The problem is that it dictates how every other country does anything. It’s not fair to other countries to have our culture overrun it.” Similar in opinion, Nia Lofton, a Junior at East comments on the whole ordeal saying that “It’s disturbing, we’re trying to make people like us. It’s a culture attack and almost like cultural colonization.” Taking away and influencing things that define other cultures removes any sense of diversity in the world and reasons to appreciate elements of them. Hopefully in the future, more people can understand that cultures are distinct and unique in their own way and that the U.S. wouldn’t be the same without the many different contributions other countries have made for us.
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