Related Issue 1: To what extent should globalization shape identity?
Promotion of Culture and Language- Canada's CRTC
How effective are the efforts to promote culture and language in a globalizing world?
Cultural places, traditions, values, and beliefs are key to the collective identity of a group. These aspects can be challenged by the influences of economic and political globalization. In response to the challenge of globalization, individuals and groups attempt to develop strategies that will reduce or eliminate challenges to their culture and language. These strategies are implemented locally, nationally, and globally. You will examine and assess how effective these strategies are in meeting the needs and concerns of collective identities in a globalizing world.
Globalization offers opportunities to gain international acclaim and to develop global awareness of an Indigenous cultural form and language. Examine this opportunity. Consider how the emergence of a new artist on the global music scene can be supported by media technologies such as the Internet and the production and distribution of CDs and downloads. An artist’s particular music form can now travel far beyond her or his borders.
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What are the strategies, and how effective are they in maintaining culture and language?
 Many collective identities have responded to the influences of globalization to preserve and maintain their culture and language in the face of assimilation and homogenization. There is a variety of responses and degrees to which they succeed in keeping culture and languages viable in a globalizing world.
Read
Read pages 56 to 67 in Perspectives on Globalization.
The textbook features many collective identities and strategies. Read the assigned pages.
Select ONE collective identity’s response to read about in more detail.
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Read Languages of the Land – An Overview of Aboriginal Language Strategies. What strategies are presented to revitalize languages in Michif, Inuktituk, Mi'kmaq, Maori, and Navajo?
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In 2005, the CBC website presented a story on the efforts of the former president of France, Jacques Chirac, to safeguard the French language in a globalizing world. How could an all-French-language news network, such as France 24, be a strategy to maintain the French language?
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The Catalan language is recognized along with Spanish official languages in Catalonia and Valencia, regions within the country of Spain. In Catalan perspective, the vitality of the Catalan language is criticial to the survival of the Catalan identity. Television is one such effort to maintain the language for over 12 million Catalans. How effective is a Catalan television network in maintaining the Catalan language and culture?
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Read the article "To Grandparents, English Word Trend Isn't 'Naisu'."
Reflection
What conclusions can you make about the effectiveness of cultural and language promotion in a globalizing world?
Now complete Promoting Artists in a Globalizing World (not for marks but important!)
Assignment
Economic, social, and political forces of globalization have created the need for strategies at the local, national, and global levels to respond to challenges to culture and language. Many of these strategies take advantage of the opportunities that media and communication technologies can offer. National governments and international organizations respond with political initiatives to overcome the risks of assimilation, homogenization, and marginalization to unique cultures and languages. The effectiveness of such strategies differs. For some collective identities, it is leading towards culture and language revitalization. For others, it continues to be a search for solutions.