Americanization

In The News: Benjamin Netanyahu

2008-11-23T17:58:00.000-08:00

This article published in The New York Times in September of 2008, speaks about former Israeli prime minister and leader of the right-wing Likud party, Benjamin Netanyahu. It is explained that because of the failed actions of the current Prime Minister to recreate the government, Netanyahu is likely to win next year's election. He was born in Tel Aviv Israel, and is said to be "Israeli to the core", in that he still holds onto very traditional Zionist ideologies and does not seem open to expanding on his militant points of view. It is for this reason, that some Israeli people are skeptical about him becoming their leader for the years to come. The author states that "the Americanization of Neyanyuha" started when he attended and graduated high school in Pennsylvania and then went on to graduate from M.I.T. Although he received the majority of his education in the U.S, Neyanyuha is still associated with conservative Jews in and outside of America. After reading a lot of materials on the supposed "Americanization" of Israel's government, which is largely feared and contested, it seems that in the case of Neyanyuha being elected,he is the one to steer the Israeli government back to its original ways. It is noted that he is the "election favorite" so only time will tell just how strong the American influence really is.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/n/benjamin_netanyahu/index.html

In The News: American Jewry's Challenge

2008-11-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

“American Jewry’s Challenge” was published by the “The Jerusalem Post” on Sunday Nov 16, 2008. By line: Manfred Gerstenfeld, page 13, section Opinion. This challenge is actually based on young American Jews. Young Jews are often unprepared for the anti-Israelism, which plagues US-Universities; this is the main point of the article. M. Gerstenfeld asked the question “what are the prospects for American Jewry?” He also mentioned that The United Jewish Communities General Assembly in Jerusalem is an opportune time to address challenges facing the larger concentration of Jews in the world.

“Education is a central element to get anything.”(1) The approximate number of American Jews is between 6-6.4 million according to, Ira Sheskin head of the Jewish democracy project at the University of Miami. Of one million Jewish children, ranging from elementary to high school age, about 20% are enrolled in Jewish day school and another 20% receive some Jewish education in after school programs. Due to the financial crisis Jewish families are not sending their children to the high tuition Jewish schools. Instead they are sending them to American public schools where they are Americanized and influenced by American culture rather than traditional Israeli culture.

When we see another article surveyed, “Young US Jews distance themselves from Israel,” that was also published by “The Jerusalem Post” on Sep 6, 2007. Young Us Jews are far from Israel because of the comfortable life in America. Israel chairman Ze’ev Bielski told the Jerusalem Post a combination of a comfortable life in America and growing materialism was to blame for the detachment from Israel. He also said that it is unbelievable that after only 60 years from the Holocaust so many Israeli people are not connected to the Jewish State (2).

To solve this challenging problem Ze’ev Bielski said “the only way to combat this growing trend was to invest more in such programs as Birthright, which offers a free 10 days tour of Israel to young Jews and Masa Jafi’s flagship program for young adults”(2). He also said “it was also the responsibility of the Israel-government to improve Diaspora relations and connect Jews around the world with people in Israel.”(2)

Another point is that most of the American Jews do not understand their “identity”. Sociologist Steven Cohen observes the word “identity” used for lack of a better term for the complexity of Jewish belief, behavior and belonging. (1)

This multitude of challenges puts great stress on Jewish leadership. Former Provost of Jewish Theological Seminary, Jack Wertheimer says there are no longer any universalized leaders among American Jewry. When they have several head leaders of their organization then they will rise above their own sphere to influence the American issues affecting Jewish life. In a dynamic world, this is the largest single challenge for Israeli Jewish people.

(1) Manfred Gersterfeld, “ American Jewry’s Challenge” The Jerusalem Post Section: Opinion; pg 13 (November 16, 2008 Sunday)
http://www.lexisnexis.com.libproxy.albany.edu/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T5200324333&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T5200324336&cisb=22_T5200324335&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=10911&docNo=4

(2) Ruth Eglash “Survey: Young US Jews distance themselves from Israel” The Jerusalem Post section: News; pg 1 (September 6, 2007, Thursday )
http://www.lexisnexis.com.libproxy.albany.edu/us/lnacademic/search/homesubmitForm.do

(3) Israel Insider staff “israelinsider” Israel’s daily news magazine “American Jews” (Nearly half of young American Jews feel uncomfortable with idea of Israel)
Section: Culture (September 6, 2007)

http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Culture/12004.htm

In the News: From Prime Minister to President

2008-11-23T04:36:00.000-08:00

Studies show that only 3 nations in the world preferred John McCain over Barack Obama as the president of the United States in our recent elections. Israel was one of them. So why are Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud, Tzipi Livni of Kadima and Ehud Barak of Labor, the candidates for Prime Minister of Israel, presenting themselves in front of American Jews? Netanyahu, whom is the front runner in this election, mentioned that he wants to "moderate parts of the Palestinian economy." He has also made reference to Barack Obama's speeches since he has met with him in hopes of promoting change. Livni's major points in his speech were about change and how it is necessary. He emphasized that in order to better their lives, repairing of the nation and the world needs to start. The third potential Prime Minister stated that the nature of Israel needs to stay but it character needs to change. The irony of this article is that three candidates running in the upcoming election in February for Prime Minister of Israel preaching change. Much of the research conducted during the process of this project indicated that most people in the Middle East, specifically in Israel, are anti-Americanization. Meanwhile, all the candidates for leading the nation of Israel are pro-change much like the majority of the United States residents. So, how far has Americanization gone? All the way to the main leader.

http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/articles/2008/11/21/news/nation_and_world/j_t_a/doc4925c694ef9a7018049247.txt

“We use to say "shalom" when we come. We don't say that anymore, we say "hi"

2008-11-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

"You say goodbye and I say hello"

In 1935, Chaim Weizmann, a prominent Zionist leader and future President of Israel provided an explanation of the cultural aspect of the Zionist revolution. He stated that “We did not come here to copy the life of Warsaw, Pinsk, London, etc. The content of Zionism is changing all values according to which Jews lived under the pressure of foreign cultures. But where are the new values created here? We live here a life of translation, translation of galut. Even Hebrew is translated. We have to change the translation and create the original. We are only the pioneers and have to pave the road for those who will follow us” (6).

During this period, “pioneering was celebrated, whereas Western popular culture was dismissed as irrelevant and even decadent and therefore corruptive” (6). This was proven to be so in 1965 when the Beatles planned to tour Israel. The show was cancelled “because the state refused to provide the necessary foreign currency” (6). Why, you may wonder. The answer is simple: “the concert was of no cultural value” (6).

On September 25, 2008, Paul McCartney entertained 40,000 fans in Tel Aviv. The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent apologetic letters to Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, “asking for forgiveness for the ‘missed opportunity’ to have the band that ‘shaped the mind of a generation, to come to Israel and perform before the young generation in Israel who admired [them] and continues to admire [them]” (7). The International Herald Tribune reported that the letter “was an invitation praying the Paul McCartney would help celebrate Israel’s 60th anniversary” (7).

Summary:

Though there are many beneficial factors brought about by Americanization, there are just as many negative factors. With the Americanization of Israel came new technological advances, Capitalism and Democracy, free trade agreements through the Israeli Trade Act. Subsequently, with these beneficial factors, we find that America is not only the land of the free, but a consumer paradise. Americans love of freedom results in “individualism and hedonism, self-fulfillment, and the pursuit of happiness as the quest for unrestrained pleasure” (6) which in turn is seen as materialistic. Due to this, we have seen that Israel is losing a sense of who they as a nation are. Younger generations are greatly influenced by the images that America portrays—in essence: freedom. The freedom of choice from what we eat to what we wear and this freedom, rightfully so is highly desired. Azaryahu states that “a feature of Americanization is the significance assigned to the image in the cultural production of social reality”, he continues, “Social reality is an interplay between images, and this has far-reaching cultural consequences: images replace ideals, celebrities supersede heroes. Rating measures value, and values supplant virtues” (6).

The implications of such freedom have certainly taken a toll on the national identity of Israel. As Chaim Weizmann stated “We live here a life of translation, translation of galut. Even Hebrew is translated. We have to change the translation and create the original” (6). The adoption of English words is increasingly smothers the native language of Hebrew. Furthermore, the Free Market economy has caused the growing gap between the rich and the poor, reducing the middle class, just as in America.

The greatest debate is whether or not Americanization is bad for the Israeli people. Some feel that it is a direct threat to Zionism, an international political movement based primarily on religious traditions. Much to the contrary, others feel that Americanization is Globalization and that it is beneficial to the nation. The ideals of Americanization provide a foundation for nations to grow into to the ever evolving world, a way to stay afloat. Israel needs to find a way to maintain national identity while securing strong economic and politic beliefs in capitalism and democracy.

Currently the players that hold the most power are large American corporations, like McDonalds, Calvin Klein and Coca-Cola, who take business away from smaller “mom and pop” stores in cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa(2). In response to these major players, the Israeli government could perhaps restrict the amount of American imported products.

Analysis and Action:

Critical issues that will need to be addressed in the future are how to reap the benefits of Americanization and American Aid while maintaining a national and cultural identity. Another problem that needs to be addressed is the growing gap between the rich and the poor due to the free market economy (3). One way the Israeli government is responding to the Americanization of Israeli radio stations is by requiring radio stations to devote half of their airtime to Hebrew Songs (4). However, to what degree does this change the process of Americanization? Perhaps it doesn't though it offers renewal of cultural identity which is an area that Israelis feel they are losing.

There are several ways the Israeli people can take action against the Americanization of their culture. Some of these actions include boycotting any American made products, but not without a tangible implications. Intangibly speaking, Israelis can continue to instill strong Jewish/Israeli beliefs and traditions in their children. Americanization is a double-ended sword. For the benefits it brings, the negatives follow. It is up to the nation itself to determine if the costs outweigh the benefits.

Tom Segav says "One can appreciate all the positives brought about by the Americanization without ignoring the negative". Although Israel has adopted many aspects of the American way of life, fluent English on a daily basis over the national Hebrew language is not at the fault of America. America did not force language upon them. And yes, it is a critical language to know, but must it mask the true language of their land? Certain things such as "economic capitalism, basic constitutional laws of democracy, and more" are necessary to keep up with the globalizing world; however, there is no English speaking enforcers that run around Israel implementing fluency. The ultimate problem is that English is so fluently spoken around the world it is hard to escape the contagion. We found it shameful to read that Israelis use to say "shalom" when they come and now they say "hi" (5).

A harsh yet realistic perspective on globalization is offered by Thomas Friedman: "either win or be road kill". If Israelis were to boycott all Americanized entities, would they fall out of the race of the globalizing world? Who wants to lose.. even if it is at the risk of losing some of the core values that the nation possesses. Developing nations look to America as a set-standard of life, but why? If they fail to wear the "golden straight jacket" they will freeze. With the world moving at such as fast pace, it is essentially Israels choice to not allow this process effect them but it will. This process of globalization does not wait for nations to jump on the bandwagon-- the wagon keeps moving and it will continue to do so. When it is night time in America, it is day time in China. Regardless of the solutions presented, these wheels are rotating and they aren't stopping.

1 Segev, Tom. “Israel and the United States.”
http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people4/Segev/segev-con6.html

2 Puder, Joseph. “Israel at 60.” www.FrontPageMagazine.com

3 Segev, Tom, www.haaretz.com

4 Zachary, G. Pascal. "The World Gets in Touch With Its Inner American."
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/1999/01/americanization.html

5 Segev, Tom. “What’s Happening To You America?”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=624549

6 Maoz Azaryahu. McIsrael on the Americanization of Israel

7 Ethan Bronner International Herald Tribune. Published: August 28, 2008. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/28/mideast/israel.php

In The News: Israeli NRA and American Gun Culture

2008-11-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

In the article "Founder of Israeli NRA seeks to import American Gun Culture" by Raphael Ahren (Haaretz.com corespondant) we learn that the Israeli NRA, based off the US Virgina based National Rifle Association, endorses "the right to carry a firearm for all law abiding, military-serving Israeli citizens," and the expansion the Shai Dromi law. The Shai Dromi law, named after a Negev farmer, gives property owners more freedom to use fatal force against people who break into their homes, businesses or farms. (1) Joshua Moesch, originally from Vermont then moved to Israel six years ago, founded the group last week, who's other goals include gun safety, self-defense courses, promoting shooting as a sport and creating police athletic leagues. He first created a Facebook group and a website to see how much support he could generate before regestering as a non-profit organization. There is much controversy over pro-gun advocacy in Israel. Moesch believes that the compulsory army service makes Israeli society well acquainted with firearms, giving most people "a certain respect for guns." While others think that it will increase violence. Gerald Steinberg, chairman of political studies at Bar Ilan University says the arguments put forward by the Israeli NRA are not convincing. He feels that if more people carried guns the chances of more people getting hurt would be greater than the chance of neutralizing an attacker more quickly. "The last thing we want in Israel is an American gun culture," he added. "Israel has enough dangers, and making it easier for people on the street to carry guns is not what we need."

____________________________________________________________
1. Rebecca Anna Stoil. "New Law Allows Shooting At Burglars." http://www.jpost.com

Blue Suede Jews

2008-11-22T12:56:00.000-08:00

Memphis has Graceland. Vegas has impersonators. And Israel -- yes, Israel -- has the Elvis Inn, a bizarre desert Mecca for Middle East Elvis enthusiasts. It's the Holy Land, people, and the King has risen.

Story and Photographs by Dave Bender at http://www.ajlmagazine.com/content/012006/bluesuedejews.html

Israeli Flag

2008-11-20T17:27:00.001-08:00

www.merriam-webster.com/ maps/israel.html

Map of Israel

2008-11-20T17:21:00.000-08:00

www.merriam-webster.com/ maps/israel.html

In the News: What does red mean to you?

2008-11-13T23:41:00.001-08:00

In a recent study conducted at the University of Rochester of New York, Andrew Elliot, Ph.D., found that "men find women sexier if they're sporting a crimson hue rather than ... blue or green".1 Men demonstrated greater levels of attraction toward women wearing red. So what does this mean and why does this happen? What are the effects of it? Is it localized in Rochester, New York or has it globalized to countries abroad? This post will provide a two dimensional paradox between culture and nature.

Elliot stated that "In the real world, we have a welter of information coming at us about smell, sight, words -- who knows what accounts for the most variance in liking and behavior?". He continued, "My strong guess is that if you bring this to the real world and have females who are interested in their date and wear red, they are sending a message that 'I'm available'"1

I found the previous study quite intriguing as only minutes later I clicked on an article called "Modesty Patrols' Attacking Women in Israel". This article reports that in Israel's Orthodox Jewish community, there are groups of individuals determined to "stamp out behavior they consider unchaste".2 This behavior, ironically there in of itself, is one: women wearing red and, two: consorting with me. They hurl stones at women for such "sins". They attack businesses where Internet access is available or purchasable through electronics. These self-proclaimed "modesty patrols" have beat women for the appearance of availability.

I believe that Elliot's explanation far surpasses any I could provide. He states, "From red roses to Valentine's Day, the red is the universally recognized sing of romance; it makes sense that men may subconsciously associate the color red with sex". 1 Again, there are two reasons why Israeli women are being shunned, stoned and beat; one, they are wearing red, and two; they are "consorting" with men. So, is wearing red, a "crimson hue", culturally influential or contagious through Americanization or is it deep seeded in our minds that red equals sex?

Contrary to the cultural perspective, Elliot offers a biological point of view as well. In his research he found that "the rumps of some primates turn red during ovulation, so it's possible that men have some tiny portion deep in their brain that recognizes red as a mating symbol -- even though it's an association that hasn't come in handy for a few million years"/ He concluded , "It's all speculation at this point. The study can't determine if red is sexy because we're all just a bunch of animals running around in business suits, or if red is a culturally determined sex symbol."

1 http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/10/28/red.sex.appeal/index.html

2 http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1847347,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topics

What is Americanization

2008-11-13T15:03:00.000-08:00

In the globalizing world of today, the term “Americanization” has many connotations, both positive and negative for people of all cultures and races. Ironically, the term “Americanization” was once used to describe the process by which immigrants became American citizens, however in recent times, some perceive it to be a type of Globalization that is nothing more than the imposition of American culture on the entire world. As a result, a highly debated question amongst the “victims” of “Americanization” is “How greatly has America’s culture affected ours and are its effects reversible or have they gone too far?” Americanization can be described as the process of conforming to American culture, ideologies and consumption of material goods and is therefore largely seen as a means of economic development for the United States. America has become a role model for other cultures as it represents an abundance of social, economic and political freedoms. America can also serve as a reference point to other countries in these areas of society, as well as in attitudes toward minorities, including those who differ in ethnicity, religion, race, or sexual orientation. At this point in time, it is crucial to understand the way in which American culture is diffused throughout the world, as well as how it affects the people it reaches. Perhaps the most essential element to observe is how the attitudes towards our country’s culture from non U.S. citizens have been shaped as a result of its diffusion. Following this judgment, our focus will be primarily on the cultural effects that “Americanization” has had on different countries and cultures around the world, most importantly Israel. We will be acknowledging both the American and non-American points of view on the Americanization of Israeli culture. We will examine more specifically the striking spread of transnational corporations such as McDonald’s, Coca Cola and Kellogg’s into Israel.

Fig: Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and Fitness (Special K),
Local corner makolet (grocery store) in Israel

While also focusing on the use of American language, media (the press, television and movies) fashion and the gradual replacement of American ideals the traditional Israeli culture.

Local Impact

2008-11-13T11:18:00.000-08:00

In the hills above Tiberias there was once a perfect view of the Golani Memorial and now obstructing the view is a beautiful pair of golden arches representing none other than McDonalds. I'm lovin' it.. maybe not! 

"Last year they came. This year they conquered. There is American junk food as far as the eye can see. Checked out the Dizengoff Center mall lately? The Hard Rock Cafe, McDonald's, Burger King, Sbarro's, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken. At this rate, another American chain is certain to flourish. Its name? Weight Watchers"(1).

In the eyes of Americans, "Americanization represents the export of patterns of American mass culture, especially in the spheres of consumptions, entertainment, and leisure, into foreign cultural contexts"(5). Contrary to American eyes, "from a local perspective, it entails appropriation and imitation of the American way of life and the subsequent transformation of local cultural conditions"(5). Metaphorically speaking, this dynamic of Americanization and its externalities can be seen as a coin, Azaryahu states. The two sides are "the global hegemony of the United States and the triumph of American capitalist culture, the spread of which seems to create a global superculture that undermines and even supersedes local cultures and traditions"(5).

Israel is one of many nations that is influenced by the American way of life. The impacts of this can be seen on a spectrum, like many other things. With the good comes the bad and what goes up must come down. Does the cost outweigh the value? The Israeli people young and old, especially the working and middle classes(2), are worried that Americanization is causeing them to loose their religion, cultural identity, and possibly patriotism (3). Another negative impact is the growing economic differences between the lower and upper classes because of the slow disappearance of the middle class, one of the same problems America is having now as well, due to the free market economy (4).

 America and the process of Americanization is far often seen as materialistic and shallow; however, since the 1990's, residents of Jerusalem have been able to rent movies from Blockbuster Video and buy Brittany Spears' latest album at Tower Records. Azaryahu states that "in the mid-1990s, when the "Invasion of all things American" seemed to assume extreme proportions, there also appeared critical references to the Americanization of Israel.  Allusions to Americanization as a threat to the distinctive character of traditional settings reflected the notion of their cultural incongruence with local contexts"(5). The presence of TNC's is destroying the land physically as well as visually by creating pollution and building in religious areas for instance, McDonalds being 100 meters from the Dead Sea (see previous post "Americanized Much?"). Not only is the cultural identity being robbed of Israelis, but the beauty of their land as well. The land that they fought for for centuries. The land that they never thought they'd have, was given to them in 1948, following the extermination of millions of Jews under Adolf Hilter's regime and quest for a complete arian race. This land is not only a place where they reside, it is a place where they value much more than words can define. Is the value they place on their land pegged to monetary value just as much as sentimental value? In order to maintain the land for which they call home, must they conform to the American standards?

We pose the question: Why is Israel influenced so heavily by the United States, essentially by the process of Americanization? Perhaps because Israel is supported financially, militarily, and politically by the United States. Israel cannot, with the previous dependencies, separate themselves culturally. If American is influencing Israel in so many critical aspects, one should not assume that further influences are nonexistent. "The more the economic, military and political dependency on America deepened, the more the Israeli dream became similar to the American dream" (4).

Dr. Omri Padan, Chairman and CEO of McDonald's Israel is the "only franchisee in Israel, and all resturants are managed under this franchise" (7). McDonald's may be representative in part of what the American way life is; however, is it necessarily a negative externality? In October of 1993, Ramat-Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv, opened the first McDonald's Israel. Fifteen years later, McDonald's Israel operates over eighty restaurants employing three-thousand Israelis and "proudly sources over 80% of its ingredients locally" (5).

"From a different perspective, Americanization represented the old Zionist quest to normalize Jewish existence. Herzl, the Zionist visionary, perceived the future state of Jews in the mold of the central European civilization he had known and cherished. In this respect, Americanization amounted to adjusting the original vision to the conditions prevailing a century later, when the cultural norm was the West in general and American capitalist culture in particular. When in 1995, Amnon Rubinstein, then Minister of Education, declared that he did not fear Madonna and Michael Jackson, he did not articulate his admiration for their music, but rather the view that their popularity in Israel represented the normalization of Israeli culture in that it was compatible with normative western culture. Normalization meant that Israel was "a nation like any other" (6). 

"Critical comments about the Americanization of Israel reflected different concerns. For some, therefore, Americanization posed a threat to Israel's cultural distinctiveness and national character, local cultural traditions. In this view, the popular culture of the United States, its entertainment media, its fast-food chains seemed to be overwhelming Israel's unique national character. Others associated Americanization with commercialization as a condition of ethical degradation" (6).

___________________________________________________________
1 "Invasion of the Golden Arches," The Jerusalem Post, Weekly Supplement, 22 September 1995, 21.
2 (LeVine, Boston Globe)
3 (Puder, FrontPageMagazine.com).
4 Tom Segev haaretz.com "What's happening to you, America?"
5 Mcdonalds http://www.mcdonalds.com/countries/israel.html
6 (Azaryahu) "McIsrael? On the Americanization of Israel". http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/israel_studies/v005/5.1azaryahu.htm
7 http://www.mcdonalds.co.il/full.asp?pageName=english&worldName=none 

Israeli McDonalds Commercial

2008-11-12T15:56:00.000-08:00

Lion of Zion: The Americanization of Israel and Hebrew

2008-11-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

Lion of Zion: The Americanization of Israel and Hebrew

This is an interesting blog about one person's view of American culture in Israel.

Global Relevance

2008-10-30T20:58:00.001-07:00

Manfred Steger analyses a set of 5 major ideological claims in his book, Globalization, a Very Short Introduction, all of which are crucial in understanding how and why the processes of globalization are perceived differently throughout the world. He lists, “Claim 1: globalization is about the liberalization and global integration of markets. Claim 2: globalization is inevitable and irreversible. Claim 3: nobody is in charge of globalization. Claim 4: globalization benefits everyone. Claim 5: globalization furthers the spread of democracy in the world.” A definition of globalization which encompasses the majority of Steger’s “claims” explains that this phenomenon can be identified "through a globally interdependent set of social, economic, political and cultural processes through which events, decisions, and activities in different parts of the world combine to have significant consequences for individuals, communities, enterprises and political structures in distant parts of the globe."(Economic Commission for Africa)
Since a number of countries already consider globalization to be strongly connected to, if not one in the same with Americanization, these “significant consequences” whether positive or negative, are largely debated throughout the world. For example, one way in which globalization has contributed to the issue of Americanization is through its influence in Israel. As First Anat and Eli Avraham state in their essay, National Identity, Globalization/ Americanization, and Representation of the Land in Israeli Advertising, “the globalization process can be defined as “cultural imperialism,” a cause of cultural homogenization that inevitably leads to the Americanization of other cultures. This can be defined as a “one-way” approach that moves from the global to the local.” Their statement refutes many of those listed by Steger except in their apparent acceptance that globalization does in fact take place and is somewhat “inevitable and irreversible” (claim 2). They seem to differ from Steger in that for some countries, globalization is comprehended as a form of imperialism coming mainly from the United States, and is not beneficial to everyone nor does it help to promote an equal chance of multicultural existence without the domination of one over the other. The Americanization of Israel is a widely contested case study which is of rising concern to many people in and outside of the country. In Israel’s case, a main component of their customary belief system is the “Zionist dream”, to return to the mother land of Palestine, which greatly represents their identity as a religion and a culture. However, recently there has been a split between the socio-cultural and political identity of many Jewish people over their choice of “loyalty” towards ethnic nationalism versus the contemporary need to be globalized and expand. It is these two potential options that create a large amount of the conflict experienced by many when deciding whether or not to allow the influence of American culture into their country. In taking the path to becoming more globalized (or americanized), in the 1990’s Israel underwent an enormous and shocking media revolution. It changed from a state run single channel network, to a never ending list of satellite cable channels. This media explosion created a never before experienced type of access to technology and new ways of thinking yet to be heard by many Israeli people. This thought links directly to Steger’s fourth claim that globalization is beneficial for everyone in the sense that without it, much of the world, in this case Israel, would be missing out on many of the contemporary opinions and portrayals of life through the eyes of other cultures. As a result, many people argue that a globalization phenomenon of this type is a direct result of Americanization over the traditional Israeli culture, as opposed to a “normal” or “natural” series of events leading to an enrichment of their already existing culture. Apart from the controversial cultural aspects stemming from Americanization, the current American-Israeli political relation influences this issue as well. A seminar given by Myron J. Aronoff in 1999-2001 at Rutgers University lists many specific ways in which the Israeli government has recently changed to fit a more “Americanized system”. This is seen by many as a direct result of the influence America has through the processes of globalization. Aronoff states, “[within Israeli political parties there is] growing tension between the government and legislature, dramatic decline in the parliamentary representation of the two major parties and increase in the representation of parties based on group identities and interests.” He explains that these parties go against the “traditional Zionist political culture” and are often labeled as a form of Americanization. Israel has since incorporated some of the fundamentals of the American government system such as the separation of powers between legislators, a more active judiciary branch, and the power for citizen’s individual rights to challenge the governing system. Relating back to the media expansion experienced over the past decade, it is noted that election campaigns in Israel are now run by American consultants who rely heavily on the media as their means of self representation to the public. Although Israel has not made anywhere near to a complete transformation to an American democratic system, many traditionalists blame this recent governmental conversion on globalization in that it allows the spread of cultures (namely, that of America) to go too far. Thus far, in the debate over the influences of globalization leading to Americanization, certain counties like Israel have taken stands to help negate these processes. In relation to some Israelite’s opinions on the sudden change in the media, Israel now requires their radio stations to devote half their airtime to Hebrew songs instead of American pop and rock music which is more frequently heard. Also, Jewish people living in America have made efforts to incorporate traditional Zionism into Judaism, forming a recognizable ethnic group allowing a balanced identity between practicing religion in Israel and America, so as not leave behind their religious roots just because they live in America. These actions taken can be seen as a sort of cultural resurgence for some countries, in that they hope to bring their citizens back to their traditional grounds and ideologies. If these efforts are to succeed and become more wide spread, it is possible that the processes of globalization which are believed to result in unwanted Americanization can be phased out and will no longer pose political, economic or cultural identification issues between nations. Therefore, if Americanization and globalization continue to be frequently linked, some countries may close off all possible entries to globalization for their country for fear of becoming too Americanized, thus leaving them behind and out of the loop with new technologies, trading of foreign goods, energy resources, ideologies etc.

Steger, Manfred B. Globalization, A Very Short Introduction. (USA: Oxford University Press 2003) pp.97-110

http://www.upne.com/1-58465-346-9.html

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~culdemsm/Aronoff%20Paper.htm

Framing America

2008-10-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

Americanization has many meanings and many points of view. Thomas L. Friedman stated "globalization is in so many ways Americanization: globalization wears Mickey Mouse ears, it drinks Pepsi and Coke, eats Big Macs, does its computing on an IBM laptop with Windows 98. Many societies around the world can't get enough of it, but others see it as a fundamental threat." This statement may seem harsh and not defining the real fundamental idea of what being and living in America is all about. To America’s dismay, it does contain truth in a sense that this is how America is view by the rest of the world. It becomes easy to form and stick to this judgment of the most powerful nation in the world especially if one has never been here. According to Uzi Rebhun and Chaim I. Waxman, “Americanization is the act, or the process, of conforming to America's culture, ideologies, and material goods. It can largely be seen as an aspect of economic-technological development involving changes in lifestyle and consumer behaviors.” From this point of view, the definition of Americanization is to be like an American and in all of its aspects.

The interesting part about the two definitions is their authors and where they come from. Friedman is an American journalist and author while Uzi Rebhun and Chaim I. Waxman are Israeli writers and journalists. Their definitions may not match but they are similar in a sense that they compliment each other. Friedman’s definition states the harsh reality of being an American through an outsider’s point of view while Uzi Rebhun and Chaim I. Waxman define Americanization by becoming conscious of its power. The reality of the situation is that the majority of the world recognizes America for McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and the advancement of technology. They don’t appreciate real meaning of America, which is being an individual, have freedom, and opportunities to have a better life. At the same time, many countries want to be just like America, whether they are positive or negative features.

This brings us to an important question: why does the rest of the world want to be just like America in all regions such as political, economic, and in other forms of perception if they view us in a negative manner? The major reason for the rest of the world to want to be just like America is money and credit money. The distinguishing factor of the two is that credit money can be used to earn money. In this land, even if one doesn’t have money, they have the alternate route by borrowing credit money such as loans, which in the long run can lead them to stabilize themselves financially by putting themselves through school, investing, or start a business. The magic of this nation is that it has the power to make things happen through the many opportunities it has available. So, who is responsible for this image of America? The business of marketing. Since our reason is money, then marketing is its best friend. Since businesses such as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Disney, and Apple have already taken over the nation of America, why not take over the world if it means more money. Marketing has become a powerful way to profit. It is also more crucial when the sources of marketing are form of entertainment because that is where the real competition between businesses is.

Marketing being such a powerful force of attraction, it can cause nations such as Israel to feel threatened. They feel threatened for a few reasons. One of them is the fear of loosing their own culture. America feels that we are spreading capitalism while the Israeli companies and people feel that we are spreading materialism. Israeli people want to be like America to a certain extent but do not want to be Americanized. They want to have money and more opportunities but do not want to loose their own identity and become another nation. “Some might argue that the most obvious sign of the Americanization of Israeli culture is the increasing number of McDonald's fast-food restaurants throughout the country” (Rebhun, Waxman). Since major business companies market their product so much, their product leaves an impression of America and it causes other factors of being an American to go unseen and unrecognized. The desire for more is leading to many Israel people fleeing to America. This is another threat to the government of Israel. The table below illustrates the emigration of Israeli people.

Yearly Average of Israeli Emigrants to the U.S., by Period of Emigration, 1990

Period of Israeli-born Foreign-born

Emigration Jews Israel is Total

Total 1,673 1,257 2,930

1950-59 667 1,421 2,088

1960-64 979 1,858 2,837

1965-69 892 1,037 1,929

1970-74 1,264 774 2,038

1975-79 1,875 1,286 3,161

1980-81 2,496 778 3,274

1982-84 2,087 615 2,701

1985-86 4,311 1,759 6,070

1987-90 4,613 1,431 6,044

Source: Adapted from Cohen and Haberfeld, "The Number of Israeli Immigrants in the United States in 1990;" 1997, p. 206, Table 4.

Some Israeli people feel they are losing their own culture. So they make
restrictions on their radio stations and in grocery stores to limit the amount of American products in their country. The influence of American culture on Israel is also felt in the changes that have taken place during the past several years in spoken language. English words increasingly enter Israeli vocabulary and become part of daily speech patterns. Words such as "overdraft" "deadline" "check-in" "homeless" "action" "shopping" and "baby-sitter" among many more, are now part of the local Israeli vocabulary. The adoption of English words increases exposure to American television programs and the use of technology (Rebhun, Waxman). In addition to chains of American stores and restaurants in Israel, such as McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Office Depot, Ace Hardware, and Blockbuster Video, local businesses carry names such as "Best Buy, "Big Deal" "American Restaurant" etc. Names such as "Tom" "Lee" "Ben" "Shirley," "Betty" and "Karen" have become increasingly popular.

The topic of Americanization becomes controversial and many people of Israel become hypocrites. They want to be like America to the point where they are naming their kids American names and adopting English words. They have gone as far as developing franchises. They are living an American lifestyle by watching American television programs, eating fast food, and creating businesses resembling American one. At the same times, the government feels threatened by Americanization. Their fear has come true because kids all the way to adults are making subtle changes in their lives that resemble American lifestyle but refuse to acknowledge it. So, how bad is Americanization? If its so bad, then why do people, businesses, nations, and the rest of the world, desire to be part of it? It is the difference between want and need. Americanization tests a nation’s identity by offering everyone both.

Sources:

Friedman, Thomas L. The Lexus and the Olive Tree. 1st ed. Vol. 11. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2000.

Rebhun, Uzi. Waxman, Chaim Isaac. The "Americanization" of Israel: A Demographic, Cultural and Political Evaluation. Israel Studies - Volume 5, Number 1, Spring 2000, pp. 65-91

Adapted from Cohen and Haberfeld, "The Number of Israeli Immigrants in the United States in 1990;" 1997, p. 206, Table 4

2008-10-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

I took this picture in Durrës, Albania, which is a city right of the coast of the Adriatic Sea, in August 2008. Coca Cola is very popular there and marketed often in restaurants and bars. These businesses sell Coca Cola in the glass bottles that we seldom see in the United States. We all have seen the commercial for this item with the polar bear drinking Coca Cola in the glass bottle. That commercial popularized Coca Cola and encouraged businesses in countries, such as Albania, to sell it in glass bottles. It is the small things such as entertainment and way of marketing that are causing bigger problems in the world today. Selling drinks in glass bottles is a major step back in environmental sustainability because Albania does not have the resources to recycle. It is a developing country that is adding environmentally unsustainable acts to the world.

Americanized Much?

2008-10-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

Photographed by Jaymie Dahan, 2007

This image is taken at the Dead Sea, which is located between Israel, the West Bank and to the east Jordan.

100 meters away from the Dead Sea is a conveniently located McDonald's, which I found to be strange when I looked at this picture. McDonalds, as many know, was opened in the 1940's in San Bernardino, California. McDonald's now, in 2008, can be found in 119 countries operating over 31,000 restaurants.

Americanized much?

What Is Globalization?

2008-10-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

In the globalizing world of today, the term “Americanization” has many connotations, both positive and negative for people of all cultures and races. Ironically, the term “Americanization” was once used to describe the process by which immigrants became American citizens, however in recent times, some perceive it to be a type of Globalization that is nothing more than the imposition of American culture on the entire world. As a result, a highly debated question amongst the “victims” of “Americanization” is “How greatly has America’s culture affected ours and are its effects reversible or have they gone too far?” Americanization can be described as the process of conforming to American culture, ideologies and consumption of material goods and is therefore largely seen as a means of economic development for the United States. America has become a role model for other cultures as it represents an abundance of social, economic and political freedoms. America can also serve as a reference point to other countries in these areas of society, as well as in attitudes toward minorities, including those who differ in ethnicity, religion, race, or sexual orientation. At this point in time, it is crucial to understand the way in which American culture is diffused throughout the world, as well as how it affects the people it reaches. Perhaps the most essential element to observe is how the attitudes towards our country’s culture from non U.S. citizens have been shaped as a result of its diffusion. Following this judgment, our focus will be primarily on the cultural effects that “Americanization” has had thus far on different countries and cultures around the world, such as Israel, Albania, France and India to name a few. As it is important to understand both sides of the issue, we will be acknowledging both the American and non-American points of view on each case study. From the developed countries of Europe and Asia, to those that are underdeveloped in Latin and South America, there is no doubt that the United States has a secure hold on the influence of foreign cultural trends and ways of living. We will examine more specifically the striking spread of world dominating corporations such as McDonald's and Coca Cola into nearly every country, but also concentrate on the subtle details of Americanized language slang, media (the press, television and movies) fashion statements and the gradual replacement of American culture over that other nations in general.