Colloquium
SUBMITTED BY BJG DATE 02 - 03 - 2010

So far on this trip, I have seen many interesting things and quite a few different cultures but still have not seen anything to warrant a belief in a true "World Culture." We have been asked to look for signs "regarding concerns that a more common and diffused world or global culture is quickly taking over and extinguishing important qualities of our world-wide mosaic of diverse and once-unique cultural patterns, social traditions, and built-environment traits" [taken from the course description]. I find this ironic because the closest thing I've seen to any one culture "taking over" and/or "extinguishing" any once-unique cultural traits would be the culture from which we travelers have come from. Back home, the presence of other countries and cultures is felt or seen on rare occasions: every now and then I might rent from Blockbuster a movie from the "foreign films" section or see a commercial encouraging me to visit the "warm, exotic beaches and friendly atmosphere" of some distant island. While traveling though, I cannot escape the constant presence of everyday American life. I have seen McDonald's restaurants in grand European thoroughfares [image 1 is a diagrammatic plan of a busy, high-end shopping corridor in Milan, Italy -- image 2 is of the McDonald's at the busiest corner of this shopping area]. Egypt is "lovin' it" as well but seems also to be quite fond of Pizza Hut and KFC. I ran into a sandwich shop in Granada, Spain and enjoyed the few Spanish music videos that were playing until Miley Cyrus came on, starting singing about some "party in the U.S.A." to which I must have not been invited and to the delight of every local in the shop who, at the least, hummed along. Traveling through these countries, I cannot name a single key figure in one country's political life but as soon as someone recognizes me as being from the states, it's inevitable to be asked the one-word question I've heard most often on this trip: "Obama?" I would definitely not label American culture as being the "World Culture" that we have been asked to look for, however it might very well be that it is at the forefront of what could be an emerging "World Culture."