Cross-Cultural Exchange

The French establishment of the Organisation of Internationale de la Francophonie was their resistance to outside cultural influence. The French believed that globalization will threaten cultural diversity and that American culture will have an adverse effect on French culture. The preservation of French language was a way to retain it cultural identity in the world and not be pushed to a homogeneous world culture. More specifically France was resisting American culture. The French had the notion that America was this “financial and intellectual imperialism that grabs consciousness, way of thinking, way of living” (136). Even though, France resistance to globalization was strong; it could not escape the influence of outside culture. However cultural interaction is now more feasible with technological advancement and expansion. The availability of the internet has greatly influence the spread of ideas across the globe. It is not surprising that French speakers have adapted the word email and start up from American culture. With many online social networking websites such as the popular Facebook that has connected millions of people across the globe.

Apart from protection of French language authenticity, it also had media and educational policy that it enforces maintains its cultural identity. It makes theaters and television channels “show a certain number of French films, to sustain domestic film production in competition with lowbrow Hollywood fare” (136). It has also established school that teaches students in the same way “designed to turn individuals into good citizens”(149). Despite French efforts to preserve its culture it still has close interaction with American culture. The book points out this as creolization, a “cont...

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...tington wrote his thesis. There has been more efficient diffusion of culture across the globe through the expansion and advancement of technology.

The formation of the world economy has shaped and encouraged cultural exchange around the world. In the past different countries explored foreign areas in search of valuable commodities and resources. Such as the Europeans interest in Eastern goods motivated them to explore the East. The interaction between the East and West promoted cross-cultural exchange. The shared interest for profit will motivate countries to cooperate and be more interdependent. Furthermore, the growth and expansion of the global economy has been helped form international organization such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. In a way world trade and international business has made countries more interconnected to one another.