Globalisation is affecting culture, as cultural differences become useful points of separation in an increasingly consumer-driven world where culture itself is becoming commercialised.

Culture is inextricably linked to the way societies function; it includes everything from codes of dress to religion. UNESCO extends the definition of culture beyond the common use of the word which refers to a society’s creative outputs: “[Culture is] the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of a society or a social group, and it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs”. The way we communicate with each other, through creative expressions such as plays, novels and television programmes, reflects broader cultural and social concerns such as religion, national identity and language. Culture as a concept is moving in two directions: it is widening as the world becomes ever more global, and narrowing as culture is employed by people to differentiate themselves. Meanwhile, in the current age of hyper-consumerism everything is becoming more commercialised, which has lead to people reviewing and consuming culture like a purchase, in terms of how it will benefit their lifestyles. Therefore cultural expression has had to become competitive as it is ever more linked to consumerism.

Cultural differentiation

As globalisation affects cultural distinctiveness, there is a renewed interest in indigenous cultures as means of differentiation.

The worldwide reach of the internet enables previously remote corners of the globe to connect with other societies and cultures; it allows everyone (almost) equal access to information, which has meant that local cultures and trends are rapidly travelling around the world. While in some respects this global ‘openness’ is a wonderful thing, there is the danger of homogenisation. People want to differentiate themselves from the overarching ‘culture’ of globalisation; they want to convey a unique cultural identity. To do this they are celebrating their local and national cultures.

Global multiculturalism

As diverse parts of the world are increasingly connected, global awareness and the appreciation of different cultures is on the rise.

The globalisation of cultures has increased the appreciation of indigenous cultures, but it has also meant that multiculturalism has become accepted as the norm in many developed societies. Heightened awareness of other world cultures has created the conditions for multicultural co-existence. More and more diasporic cultures are becoming accepted and adopted by host nations rather than denied and diluted.Global forums that celebrate multi-culturalism, in terms of creative outputs from different societies/nations, are becoming increasingly trendy. In addition to contemporary art events such as the Venice Bienniale and Susak Expo, festivals that celebrate international music outside the major music industry nations, such as Exit festival and Benicàssim International Festival, are also in vogue.

Online living

The interconnected nature of the modern world has opened new avenues of cultural consumption and expression.

Web 2.0, as many are describing the internet’s interconnected structure, has exposed new ways to interact with popular culture. Broadband penetration is rising, which is enabling people to conduct everyday practices that they’ve always done offline, online. Instead of reading a newspaper, or watching a film on a VCR, people are able to consume cultural artefacts via their computer screens. This streaming of everything from TV programmes to music files has made local popular culture more convenient to consume and in some cases resulted in global celebrity.The internet has provided producers, consumers and prosumers with the platform to view and post content more easily than ever, but these opportunities have also created a culture of instant gratification. There is an expectation that cultural communications such as music, news, videos and books should be available at the click of a mouse and often for free.

The increased use of the internet has also has an effect on the global consumption of different languages. Despite only 30% of internet users being native English speakers, over half of the internet’s content is uploaded in English. This just goes to strengthen the English language’s position as the second most widely spoken language in the world. It also means that the global exposure to English is extensive. In this sense, the internet is both linguistically homogenising the world and acting as an educational tool, by exposing many non-English speaking internet users to the language.

Convenience culture

Instant gratification is changing people’s expectations of the nature of culture and the consumption of culture.

While the internet has streamed a vast array of creative outputs, it has also increased levels of exposure for those producing the content. This is true of both prosumers (seen unmistakably on YouTube where you can view culture of the people, made by the people, for the people) and professional producers (television channels such as Channel Four). However not every type of cultural output can, or would, be uploaded. This is good because it means that new modes of producing and consuming will never supercede conventional cultural objects, such as sculptures and books, but it also means that traditional cultural artefacts are in danger of suffering from lack of exposure.The convenience of instant gratification has trained people, particularly the younger generations, to believe that everything they need is on the internet, in the media or on TV. The digital age is therefore adversely affecting more traditional means of cultural expression and the industries that produce them.

This movement towards consuming culture online and on demand has created a disparity in consumer expectations, both in terms of what constitutes culture and what involves consuming it. It has also affected the nature of cultural expression itself. The increasing use of the internet as a channel for consumption has meant that everything has become more commercialised, due to the extent of the advertising opportunities on the net compared with those of a gallery exhibition (largely limited to sponsorship). It is not surprising therefore that traditional cultural outlets are finding it difficult to compete with the mass-exposure capabilities of the internet.

The culture of experience

In the current economy of experience people expect consuming culture to be part of a rich experience that benefits them in a number of ways.

Art created for art’s sake is in danger of gradually dying out as people’s inclination to consume it wanes. In order to offer a compelling proposition in the global culture of commercialism, traditional cultural institutions will need to continue to present art as part of an innovative and exciting experience. Viewers/consumers want beneficial experiences that allow them to achieve more than one thing simultaneously. Retail environments have had to incorporate additional consumer offerings into their spaces, such as educational and café experiences. Similarly cultural environments now have to offer their visitors an enriching experience that goes beyond viewing paintings on a wall. Good examples of cultural institutions that achieve this well are Tate Modern and the National Theatre in the UK.