summary response

1

Almakhmari

Ahmad Almakhmari

ASP32

19 July 2018

In class summary response

Summary response of For some countries, America's popular culture is resistible

In the article “ For some countries, America's popular culture is resistible” by Tyler Cowen, he states that American culture has become popular in some nations where they have same taste , but some nation prefer their own culture. I agree with the author that individuals use their culture to define themselves and I agree with the author that Americans culture becomes popular when they interact with other people from different culture.

The article “For some countries, America's popular culture is resistible” claims that people use culture to connect with other people, to define themselves and also make economic decisions. Thus, why some countries have the ability to resist the popular American culture. Cowen points that American entertainment will lose relative standing in the global marketplace because some individuals from different small poorer countries prefer to use local cultural products. However, Cowen states that Europe has moved away from an aristocratic class society and has global connections and this is the main reason why Hollywood movies gained popularity in the European market. Furthermore, poorer countries avoid producing many films because it is expensive and this suggests that the relative market share of Hollywood movies will fall as the world becomes richer. Lastly, the greater reach of one culture does not reduce the stature for others and the American culture will still make money, but there will be no a specific world culture leader.

Cowen writes, “we use culture to connect with other people and to define ourselves”. Cowen states that individuals use their own culture to identify themselves by either their language or clothes sometimes. I agree with the author that culture is way to introduce yourself to others. In my own experience, Before one year ago I have went to Washington DC to visit my uncle in the hospital, my uncle is old enough and he sticks towards our country's culture where he used to wear our traditional clothes. However, we went to eat lunch together in a restaurant where when he went to order food for himself the cashier recognized him from his wearing that he is from the middle east, my uncle asked that did you know that I am from the middle east, the cashier simply told that he recognized his identity from his wearing. This identifies that the author was right with his point where individuals use their identities to define themselves and I strongly agree with the author in this point.

Cowen also writes, “ American popular culture tends to be popular when people interact with others from around the world”. The author says that when American locals interact with people from different regions they make their culture more known or popular, the author uses his stepdaughter as an example where his stepdaughter hangs out with friends from different nations and they all eat something in common which is an American food. I agree with the author because when a person meets a friend from different nation they share things with each other and they also introduce their culture between themselves. However, food in the united States is a great example where you can find different kinds of food for example Mexican, Greek and Mediterranean. Globalization may take place where you will find people from different regions eating from food that are different from their culture’s food. In my opinion, I believe that those people who ate from different restaurants were introduced by their friends. The author has succeeded in this point where I agree with the author.

In conclusion, Cowen claims that American culture has been introduced to many different nations with stuff like movies, but some regions prefer their own taste. I agree with the author that individuals use their culture to define themselves and I agree with the author that Americans culture becomes popular when they interact with others. I think learning or introducing individuals culture to others leads to peace and spreads happiness between different regions.

Work cited

Cowen, Tyler, “For some countries, America's popular culture is resistible”, The New York Times, February 22, 2007.