Reflections from Abroad
Letters from our International Correspondents
Today it often seems that the differences between countries are diminishing; familiar products can be bought in shopping centers resembling western malls, universities are divided into the same departments, and the bureaucracy encountered at the embassy to extend a student visa is similarly frustrating.
This isomorphism, or similarity of form, gives us an illusion of a world coming together through the expansion of democracy, rule of law, and bureaucratic effectiveness, but often these forms are vacant, deprived of real content, and applied without taking into account the history and culture of the individual country.
We asked Stanford students overseas: “Have you observed isomorphism in the country you're staying in? What role do international institutions such as free trade agreements and organizations, geographic unions like the European Union, or the work of the United Nations and lending institutions such as the World Bank and IMF play in fostering isomorphism in your country? How, if at all, do you think this is affecting the culture of the country?” Here are their responses.
Modern Germany
Germany today seems to be the crux of international cooperation in Europe. Berlin is a city still marked by the governance of the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany - both aesthetically with communist architecture and with the political side effects of unification with higher unemployment and lower development when compared to large western cities like Frankfurt. So here, one is not only able to witness the effects of the growth and consolidation of the European Union, but also the transformation of former Soviet Bloc countries. Germany's post World War II development would be impossible to imagine were it not for participation in the world market and international organizations and the resulting development of a social market economy and deeply ingrained democratic institutions.
After the War, the United States played a large role in German recovery, but rather than just mimicking the US, the modern political and economic development in broader Germany and Berlin in particular has fostered a society not only rich in western democratic values, but also espousing a unique culture and one of the most supportive social systems in Europe.
German democracy is new compared to some of its western counterparts, but one would not know that based on its degree of development. Rather than having a vapid, bureaucratic structure, German politics has provided some of the most interesting challenges to a democratic system, and successes thereafter, including the post-war economic recovery, division during the Cold War, and eventual reunification.
Few know that today Germany is the number one exporter in the world; it overtook the US thanks to the recent strengthening of the Euro. Though showing weak growth, domestic businesses retain strength and resilience, and while participating in the global market, they remain uniquely German.
There is no lack of national identity here, despite or even because of the EU. And I doubt there is a country that is more European than Germany - geographically, historically, or with regard to self-identity. Germany is the strongest and closest neighbor to the ten new states that entered in 2004, giving it particular interest and influence in the area. While many other western European states still retain traditional patriotic or vaguely nationalist values, German citizens have seemed to abandoned those in favor of pride in ideals and actions, for example its environmental policies. These ideas are at the core of what the future of Europe should be.
The EU has shaped modern Germany, and Germany has granted the EU the same favor. Passing one of the stray Starbucks spattered around the city, I am reminded of our increasingly global world, but walking around Kreuzberg, looking at the mixture of old and new buildings, hearing spontaneous demonstrations in the street, passing political graffiti on the walls, and frequenting the diversity of bars, Berlin is still very much Berlin.
Subways or Santería?
Convergence and Divergence in the Dominican Republic
One would expect there to be a strong American influence on the culture of the Dominican Republic, as it is a country with a long historical military and economic relationship with the United States. And indeed, walking down the street in Santo Domingo, the capital and largest city, one does notice American fast food restaurants, retail stores, and a select few Dominicans, those who either have family in the US or have been lucky enough to go to the US themselves, dripping with the accoutrements of American culture. Because of the increasingly free flow of goods between the US and the Dominican Republic (a trend that was recently codified with the signing of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), or "the treaty of free trade" as it is known to Dominicans), Americana has crept into the consumption patterns and activities of the Dominican elite. In addition, many of these Americanized elites, dubbed "Dominican Yorks" (a reference to the state to which most Dominicans emigrate), are desperate to recreate the American experience in their home country. In fact, the Dominican Republic’s president, Leonel Fernandez, one of the leading proponents of this Americanization, has proposed the construction of a subway so that Santo Domingo might become a "Little New York."
But while a traveler confined to the affluent areas of the capital might conclude that a Starbucks is destined to open up next to Columbus's tomb sometime soon, in reality, international agreements and institutions limit this isomorphism in the vast majority of the country. While the World Bank has helped many small villages obtain electricity and paved roads, which have improved their chances for prosperity, groups like United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), through funding and heritage preservation programs, are helping to preserve the culture of communities like Villa Mella, on the outskirts of Santo Domingo. Residents of such communities maintain traditional musical religious practices such as unorthodox saint worship that have long disappeared in the capital. In addition, varieties of international assistance from such groups as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and, yes, even the International Monetary Fund (IMF), take into account the socio-historical importance of rural traditions, helping Dominican citizens to keep their way of life by supporting locally-owned farms and traditional agricultural practices. Of course, with the help of these organizations, rural communities are modernizing to remain competitive in world markets, but at the same time they are not giving up their lifestyle, and not letting isomorphism permeate the whole of society.
Finally, poor application of the ideals of democratic governance further limits the influence of American culture on the masses. Politicians and wealthy Dominicans collaborate in corruption to amass fortunes at the expense of regular citizens while spurring the Americanization of a select few, further limiting the influence of American culture on the masses. That is not to say most do not want access, but inequality limits opportunities to the elite.
Thus, isomorphism as I have experienced it in the Dominican Republic is a force in the upper strata of society. However, even in a country with the closest economic and social ties to the United States, this cultural convergence does not affect the majority of the population. Indeed, for these Dominicans, the American dream has remained out of reach.
Western Attraction
Tug-of-War in Ukraine
Ukraine’s newfound freedom, as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, has caused this country, situated between two distinct political, economic and cultural forces - Russia to the east and the Europe to the west – to take whatever purely Ukrainian cultural heritage it could amass and turn westward. Within this little heritage bundle it so proudly defends are the Ukrainian language, cultural traditions and food – things like the Ukrainian custom of painting pysankas on Easter and a beet soup called borsht, which during long years of Soviet occupation have become synonymous with Russian culture.
Ukrainian and Russian cultures were closely aligned even before Ukraine was annexed by the Soviet Union. Indeed, the battle between the Ukrainian and Russian language over dominance in Ukraine has been going on since the 17th century. Today, Russian is often not taught in schools and children read Tolstoy translated into Ukrainian. Ironically, English is considered Ukraine’s second language while it is Russian that is spoken by 24% of the population1 . The artificial trivialization of the importance of Russian is an example of how Ukraine’s aggressive nationalist policy is disregarding its nation’s history. For better or for worse, the fusion of Russian and Ukrainian cultures cannot be ignored and Ukraine may find itself left with very little if it persists in filtering all of its history through a fine sieve in order to derive only purely Ukrainian forms.
Another consequence of Ukraine’s separation from Russia and all things Russian is that by shunning one pole it has unequivocally embraced the other. This love of the West was consummated by the presidential elections in December of last year, in which the candidates, Victor Yushenko and Victor Yanukovich, represented two futures for Ukraine: one closely allied with the West and the other with Russia, respectively. By taking to the streets in the Orange Revolution, Ukrainians chose Yushenko and with him the West and everything it stands for – non-corrupt democratic government, transparency, and the rule of law. It has been a year now since that election and it is difficult to say that the Ukrainian government has become less corrupt or more transparent, but it is hugely popular for politicians and the press to measure the actions of the president according to the democratic scale and point to his faults when he does not measure up, claiming such elevated ideals as “justice” and “equality,” all for the same benefit of personal gain. This to me seems like the perfect example of isomorphism – Ukraine seems to have acquired only the empty shell of democracy.
The Orange Revolution took place in Ploshjad’ Nezalezhnosti, translated from Ukrainian into “Independence Plaza,” the space beneath which has been converted into a three story underground shopping mall resembling its American counterparts. Khreshatik, considered the main street of Kiev, runs past Ploshjad’ Nezalezhnosti. In the past few years it has turned into one giant display of Ukrainian nationalism and its successful alliance with the West. On weekends, this central street is blocked of to traffic to allow the multitude of locals and visitors to the capital to promenade up and down to the sound of Ukrainian pop music or young stars singing remakes of Ukrainian folk songs. Youth in roller skates, dressed in bright costumes advertising T-Mobile gather under building archways preparing to ride through the crowds, while passersby receive free soda given away as part of a new Sprite promotion. My Ukrainian friends are very proud of this street and of the fact that their country attracts so much Western attention. Young people flock to Kiev from the rural villages of Ukraine, eager to take part in its games of politics and nationalism, because they see it as a link to the West.
For a country ruled throughout history by Polish, Turkish, Lithuanian, German and Soviet forces, Ukraine is proud to have finally acquired its own identity. It is understandable why it looks to the successes of the West in hopes of making them its own reality, but I believe that this cannot be done unless the country has a firm understanding of, and has come to terms with, its past.
Although I am nostalgic for the peaceful, green chestnut-tree filled Kiev and a Khreshatik with grocery stores where one could buy “Kievski tort,” a Kiev specialty cake, instead of Western clothing stores and underground malls, I do not believe that people, cities, or countries should remain static. Change is a natural process but to change effectively, for the better, one must understand and accept one’s own history. Only then will Western ideals stop being merely forms and take root in Ukraine.
China in Transformation
Turn over any object you own, look on the backside, and there you will
most likely see these words printed: Made in China. A country that
sounds at once exotic and as ordinary as the school cafeteria
sporks (plastic utensils that are a combination of forks and spoons) imported
from it, China is rapidly becoming a major player on the world scene.
Since the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, and the institution
of the Reform and Opening-up by Deng Xiaoping, the
country has witnessed a tremendous amount of economic, political, and
cultural change.
Though the rest of the world has not been blind to this transformation
and many foreign companies are beginning to profit from early
investments in China's emerging market economy, the effects of change
have been most significantly felt from within the borders of the
country. Walking down a Shanghai street past countless skyscrapers
into a local Haode convenience store to choose among a dozen
different brands of toothpaste is now an ordinary occurrence, but
while thirty years ago it would have seemed unfathomable to any Chinese
proletarian.
Chinese citizens are being faced with freedom of choice like never
before, but the choices they make are increasingly influenced by the
way in which they perceive the often idealized, Western world. Every
major city in China offers a regular selection of expensive luxury
item stores such as Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, Ferrari, and
Tiffany's. In Beijing, both sides of the freeway are crowded with
gigantic billboards advertising new housing developments or as they
are more aptly called, villas. As an American, I cannot help but react
with amused surprise to the English titles given to these luxury
apartments, names like Beijing Euro Village, Thames Town, Park Avenue,
or even Yosemite.
For the few who can afford it, and even for those who cannot, luxury
has become the way to live. Stories about young women who line up to
buy the latest Louis Vuitton bag with money saved up from over a
year's worth of paychecks, only to push and shove their way back onto
the public transit bus and head back to their small, cramped apartments
are not uncommon. Bustling metropolises like Beijing and Shanghai may
boast their share of ten story shopping malls complete with modern
accommodations, and American franchises like Starbucks, KFC, or
McDonalds seem to set up business on every city block, but there is a
flipside to this picture. Beggars and cripples still wander the
streets, migrant workers from rural towns struggle to find a decent
job in the big cities, vendors trying to make a living hawk their
wares on the street, and young boys toil late into the night in
hardhats on construction sites.
At times, the stratification of classes and the visibly widening gap
between rich and poor is astounding. The reality of change is that not
everyone will reap its benefits in the short run and even a new,
booming market economy will not fix the ills of Mao Zedong's
totalitarian regime overnight. For a Democracy-loving American living in China, it is easy to despair at vestiges of the enduring reign of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Red
propaganda banners draped across gates or along sidewalk walls urge Chinese
citizens to support the CPC’s latest campaign or project, a sign that the
patriarchal, controlling presence of the CPC is still very real. As long as
the CPC maintains its grasp on power, the Party’s agenda will continue to be
conservative and self-serving. Progressive reforms that would benefit the
whole country and that might even strengthen the central government’s
authority are routinely quashed; the CPC opposes freedom and democratic
values because it fears the ultimate demise of its monopoly on power.
Nevertheless, change has already been set into motion, and China has
started on an irreversible path towards industrial development,
economic growth, and modernization. No longer closed off and isolated
from the influence of the rest of the world, China joined the
international community and became a member of the World Trade
Organization (WTO) since 2001, and as such it cannot ignore modern
standards of justice and order. If businesses and corporations are to
continue to invest and set up operations in China, they must be able
to rely on an efficient and fair legal system to ensure the protection
of their financial assets. International Human Rights activists will
also continue to pressure China to adopt universal standards for the
protection of human rights.
On a humid summer morning walking through Fuxing Park in the old
French Concession area of Shanghai, I find the park full of life. Old
men, camouflaged by park foliage, practice Tai Chi, a group of men and
women dance everything from salsa to the waltz, an activity forbidden
during the Cultural Revolution, and in the corner, a group of
patriotic citizens sing impassioned renditions of old Communist tunes.
Life goes on as it always has, enduring through times good and bad,
and despite moments of frustration and feelings of doubt about the
future, China is still a place where a sense of optimism and potential
can be felt in the air.
The Best of All Possible Worlds
Cultural Diffusion in France
In the diffusion of foreign cultures through globalization, French culture
represents the best of all worlds… but of course! It’s France! Why would
one need to look any further? Actually, it is really Paris that is the
center of the entire universe, but France as a whole is still miles ahead
of the rest of the world. This is a Frenchman’s view of culture, French or
otherwise. It has existed for centuries and is still strong today. Luckily
for the Frenchman, France is wonderful and her culture is a thing worth
savoring.
Along with her natural bias towards French products, food, clothes, styles,
literature, art, philosophy, wine, and language, France has a rather
understandable opinion: foreign versions of all of the above are
inferior. As a nation, France does not accept foreign influence
with open arms. Although foreign influences do exist in France,
they are not generally welcomed.
In France, as in many countries today, there are many
debates about the waves of influence that freely cross borders affecting the country and its inhabitants. When discussing the
flow of influence throughout the world, the economic impact is usually considered first and the cultural impact second. Moreover, it must be said
that the far-reaching, controversial cultural diffusion would not happen without economic change first.
H&M: A case study of an international chain that does appeal to the French
It seems that for every foreign product and attitude that finds its way onto
French soil, there are at least as many examples of immovable French
traditionalism. Nevertheless, successful non-French phenomena do exist; one such example is H&M, a clothing chain that originated in
Sweden. Not only is shopping at H&M considered a sign of cultural sophistication, it
also serves as a form of entertainment and an activity that counts as a social interaction. However, while H&M and
other foreign chains have had success in France, this is not the case for most foreign companies. H&M’s popular reception may be due to its managers’ entrepreneurial genius, to the French passion for fashion, or to the fact that it is not
an American company. In any case, it seems that
some exceptions to an entirely self-sufficient France do exist.
Diffusion is the blessing of our time and also its curse. The blessings lie
in our ability to be prosperous and to know other cultures well. The
curse is to lose our own unique identity. The phenomenon of diffusion
found in France can be divided into three categories: Americanization,
Europeanization, and globalization. Globalization is self explanatory.
Europeanization is particular to the countries included in the
European Union: as Europe becomes increasingly a more integrated economic,
political, and cultural entity, her people, goods, and ideas move ever more freely
between her now (supposedly) non-official borders. The most contentious of
the three types of is the third—Americanization—the wave of American
culture to be found rapidly spreading across the globe. France’s acceptance,
rejection, and general reaction to these influences say a great
deal about French culture.
Endnotes
1 CIA World Factbook, accessed November 23, 2005, http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/up.html#People