DOES GLOBALIZATION KILL ETHOS AND DIVERSITY? teenth century, when the Hopi tribe came into con- East Indian culture exhibits a recurring historical tact with Spanish and Mexican folk art and sought pattern of being swamped by some outside culture to meet touristic demands for dolls. Indian totem digesting that culture after a period of adjustment poles became common in the middle of the nine- and returning with synthetic innovations of a very ceenth century, only when the northwestern fur trade high quality. The arya brought new wealth to Indian communities. The set and the gods of the Vedas. The Hellenic influence tlers also brought the metal knife a prerequisite for came to India at the time of alexander, heavily effective large-scale carving influencing Gandharan sculpture. Later India had To some extent trade“ cashes in” the potential extensive seaborne trade with the Roman Empire. creativity embedded in a culture. By accepting the The Islamic influence transformed Indian arts and eventual decline of the culture, we also are mobilia architecture from the thirteenth century onwards ing its creative forces to unprecedented levels, at The Persian influence was especially important in the least for a while earlier years of the Mughal empire, stretching from the sixteenth century to the rule of Queen Victoria The modern world may be cashing in cultures (1526-1857). The first two hundred years of this too quickly, or too many at once, but we should period often are considered the peak of Indian cul not measur re failure by the number of declining ture. The Taj Mahal at Agra comes from Persian cultures. The absence of observed cultural decline sources and influence. The persian influence was might reflect a world that attained dominant in the decorative less diversity in the first place and The absence of observed arts as well, but again India reached lower and fewer peaks. In imilar fashion, a large number of cultural decline might reflect responded by absorbing and declining artistic genres might b a world that attained less The British and Western a symptom of cultural wealth and influence in India has been vitality, rather than a harbinger diversity in the first place 1o exception to this pattern of complete and absolute decay. Cultures are always changing. The and reached lower and fewer India is now a world leader in cinema, the novel, and popu- question is not what declines, but peaks. In similar fashion, a lar music, all genres that owe rather what arises to take its place. considerable debts to Western Almost all of today's disappear large number of declining contact ing cultures evolved out of earlier artistic genres might be a Mexico offers a remark- processes of remixing and cashing symptom of cultural wealth variety of cuisines. arts in of cultures. The spread of the and crafts. and musics. This Chinese across southeast Asia. the and vitality, rather than a diversity has proven resilient extension of the Roman empire,or to foreign influences and the European folk migrations in the harbinger of complete and deed has been culturally Dark ages, whatever their benefits all wrought great havoc on the cul- absolute decay. Cultures are Mexican regional diversip da synthetic from the beginni tures of their time. In reality today's so- called“ indigenous” cultures are always changing. The ques- owes much of its existence regroupings, yesterday's remixed tion is not what declines, but economic growth of Mexico, versions of pr envious cultural expan- which funded an explosion of sions. Cross-cultural contact cashes rather what arises to take its culture, starting in the early some cultures while others ger minate, waiting for subsequent place part of the twentieth century ven in the folk arts. the cultural exchanges to bring out number of artisans in mexico their virtues, while simultaneously heralding later is now at an all-time high. many of the best of these artists take special care to cultivate sales to tourists Trade will bring very small communities into the and wealthy North Americans global economy, but it will not wipe out diversity. India, Mexico, and Brazil provide models of how NICHE ETHOS large societies can maintain distinct and diverse identities in light of extensive foreign contact. Globalization tends to encourage large, internally than destroying it. We have fewer distinct lan. inally, the Minerva scenario changes ethos rathe diverse polities, rather than small unique ones. guages and religions than in times past, but we have a greater number of diverse niche ethoses PHIKAPPA PHI FORUMNoL 83. No, 418 Fall 2003 PHI KAPPA PHI FORUM/Vol. 83, No. 4 19 teenth century, when the Hopi tribe came into con￾tact with Spanish and Mexican folk art and sought to meet touristic demands for dolls. Indian totem poles became common in the middle of the nine￾teenth century, only when the northwestern fur trade brought new wealth to Indian communities. The set￾tlers also brought the metal knife, a prerequisite for effective large-scale carving. To some extent trade “cashes in” the potential creativity embedded in a culture. By accepting the eventual decline of the culture, we also are mobiliz￾ing its creative forces to unprecedented levels, at least for a while. The modern world may be cashing in cultures too quickly, or too many at once, but we should not measure failure by the number of declining cultures. The absence of observed cultural decline might reflect a world that attained less diversity in the first place and reached lower and fewer peaks. In similar fashion, a large number of declining artistic genres might be a symptom of cultural wealth and vitality, rather than a harbinger of complete and absolute decay. Cultures are always changing. The question is not what declines, but rather what arises to take its place. Almost all of today’s disappear￾ing cultures evolved out of earlier processes of remixing and cashing in of cultures. The spread of the Chinese across southeast Asia, the extension of the Roman empire, or the European folk migrations in the Dark Ages, whatever their benefits, all wrought great havoc on the cul￾tures of their time. In reality today’s so-called “indigenous” cultures are regroupings, yesterday’s remixed versions of previous cultural expan￾sions. Cross-cultural contact cashes in some cultures while others ger￾minate, waiting for subsequent cultural exchanges to bring out their virtues, while simultaneously heralding later declines. Trade will bring very small communities into the global economy, but it will not wipe out diversity. India, Mexico, and Brazil provide models of how large societies can maintain distinct and diverse identities in light of extensive foreign contact. Globalization tends to encourage large, internally diverse polities, rather than small unique ones. East Indian culture exhibits a recurring historical pattern of being swamped by some outside culture, digesting that culture after a period of adjustment, and returning with synthetic innovations of a very high quality. The Aryan invaders brought Sanskrit and the gods of the Vedas. The Hellenic influence came to India at the time of Alexander, heavily influencing Gandharan sculpture. Later India had extensive seaborne trade with the Roman Empire. The Islamic influence transformed Indian arts and architecture from the thirteenth century onwards. The Persian influence was especially important in the earlier years of the Mughal empire, stretching from the sixteenth century to the rule of Queen Victoria (1526–1857). The first two hundred years of this period often are considered the peak of Indian cul￾ture. The Taj Mahal at Agra comes from Persian sources and influence. The Persian influence was dominant in the decorative arts as well, but again India responded by absorbing and transforming foreign ideas. The British and Western influence in India has been no exception to this pattern. India is now a world leader in cinema, the novel, and popu￾lar music, all genres that owe considerable debts to Western contact. Mexico offers a remark￾able variety of cuisines, arts and crafts, and musics. This diversity has proven resilient to foreign influences and indeed has been culturally synthetic from the beginning. Mexican regional diversity owes much of its existence to the railroad and to the economic growth of Mexico, which funded an explosion of culture, starting in the early part of the twentieth century. Even in the folk arts, the number of artisans in Mexico is now at an all-time high. Many of the best of these artists take special care to cultivate sales to tourists and wealthy North Americans. NICHE ETHOS Finally, the Minerva scenario changes ethos rather than destroying it. We have fewer distinct lan￾guages and religions than in times past, but we have a greater number of diverse niche ethoses. DOES GLOBALIZATION KILL ETHOS AND DIVERSITY? The absence of observed cultural decline might reflect a world that attained less diversity in the first place and reached lower and fewer peaks. In similar fashion, a large number of declining artistic genres might be a symptom of cultural wealth and vitality, rather than a harbinger of complete and absolute decay. Cultures are always changing. The ques￾tion is not what declines, but rather what arises to take its place