GS221 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Critical Race Theory, Cultural Relativism, Westernization
Document Summary
Cultural homogenization or convergence prompts us to consider how the processes of globalization impact the concept of culture and on culture themselves. Cultural relativism and universalism are concepts that are under scrutiny. Americanization post wwii us popular culture. Globalization neoliberal/capitalist politics and economics: all used interchangeably, but connote different meanings. Normative and learned behaviours may or may not be related to culture. Is there a danger of overgeneralizing in assuming that certain cultural groups have tendencies to behave or think in certain ways. The need to talk about cultural differences arises from problems of understanding but more importantly of how structure in societies might ignore and use cultural practices to disadvantage groups. We essentialize people put people into a box, simplify things, this is your culture , homogenize: overgeneralizes culture, overlooks massive power relationships. Similar to the process of racialization that tends to decontextualize, simplify, distort, and homogenize conceptions of culture and race.
