Tag Archives: Americanization

Technology and Minority Languages

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Image-MultilingualDanger

Photo by User:Mattes [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

In his essay “Death by Monoculture,” Stephen Pax Leonard discusses the devastating impact that consumerism and globalization are having on linguistic diversity around the world. Leonard focuses specifically on the dual role played by technology: on the one hand, certain forms of technology are endangering minority languages; on the other hand, the Internet has the potential to preserve linguistic diversity.

To promote multilingualism and cultural diversity and to honor the men who gave their lives on February 21, 1952 in defense of Bengali language and culture, UNESCO declared February 21st “International Mother Language Day” in 1999, and it has been celebrated annually throughout the world since the year 2000. Please watch this 6-minute-long video about International Mother Language Day, produced by UNESCO, and then leave a comment in which you respond to the following 2 questions before class on Monday, 10/29 (*Note: You do not need to connect to another Globalization essay in this response!):

1. What role do you feel technology plays in the extinction and preservation of minority languages around the world? Do you agree with Leonard’s point of view?

2. Do you feel as though your own mother tongue is currently endangered? Why or why not? Are there minority languages or regional dialects in your home country that are in danger of extinction? How are you affected (or not affected) by the risk to linguistic diversity in your home country and/or around the world?

Refer to the “Blog Response Evaluation Criteria” handout distributed in class (also available on BB > Handouts > Unit 2) for guidelines and expectations in your response.

Cultural Gains and Losses

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Image-Falafel

Stilfehler at wikivoyage shared [CC BY-SA 1.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0)%5D, from Wikimedia Commons

In Tanveer Ali‘s essay “The Subway Falafel Sandwich and the Americanization of Ethnic Food,” he acknowledges advantages and disadvantages of mass-producing the food of a particular culture so that it can enter into the American mainstream. Ali considers how the authenticity of the food is inevitably sacrificed in the process of Americanization, which brings us back to a theme that we have been discussing since the start of the semester: cultural gains and losses during globalization. Overall, do you believe that the advantages (gains) outweigh the disadvantages (losses) when a culture’s cuisine becomes Americanized, or vice versa? And why? Are the sacrifices too great, or does the opportunity for cultural exposure and integration outweigh the sacrifices? In your response, consider any food from your country that has become part of mainstream American cuisine, and also establish a connection with another Globalization essay that also conveys the theme of cultural losses and gains.

*Additional note: I also encourage you to read this opinion piece in The Washington Post, which argues that the term “ethnic food” is offensive and should be dropped.

Respond either to this post or to the “Veiling and Integration” post before class time on Friday, 10/19. Refer to the Blog Response Evaluation Criteria handout (BB > Handouts > Unit 2) to review expectations for your response.