WEEK 7: Global Culture & Ethical Design

"A space, made possible by improved means of communication, in which different cultures meet and clash"
​- Mike Featherstone, 'Global Culture - An Introduction', 1990

​Globalisation refers to the operation of organisations on an international scale. This involves different cultures worldwide developing connections and working in liaison, largely for economic purposes.

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The Global Village

Considering the themes of globalisation, we must talk about The Global Village phenomenon - that is, the growing worldwide interconnection facilitated by technological/communicational advancements.

In the modern age, we are now able to connect with others on a global scale. This allows us to form a sort of worldwide community (or 'village) via digital platform, which has been in turn paved the way for a number of changes:
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• Cultural exchange: the mixing of cultures and creation of a global creative community, resulting in hybridised texts.

• Problem solving as a planet: the ability to communicate, share and enable plans to tackle global issues (pandemics, climate change, etc).
• Cultural imperialism: the disproportionate effect of one culture over another.
• Post-Traditional community: the economic and technological impact on community relations (transient connection, changes in spatial environment, digital integration, etc.)

Note that although globalisation has catered for huge advancements, the impacts are not all positive.

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Trade Without Borders

Globalisation has also made cross-border trade possible. The growth of global economics since the 1980s has facilitated changes such as:

• Global brands: the creation and promotion of worldwide brands and transient corporations.
• Breakdown of trade barriers: national borders and ideologies are now less relevant.
  
• Economical shifts: movement in the west from manufacturing to service-based industries.
  

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Global Corporations & The Corporation Brand

"Products are made in the factory... but brands are made in the mind" - Walter Landor

​A global corporation is a company that operates in many countries worldwide. The growth of such corporations can be traced back to the 1980s, with marked movement from production to branding. According to Naomi Klein in her book 'No Logo', 1999, global corporations can be characterised by the following attributes:

• they are immortal: they have accumulated power and wealth, and great influential power.
• they are ephemeral: they can change operation quickly (eg. wages, tax, etc).
• they are aggressively competitive: they are driven by profit and growth.
• they are chameleonlike: they change their ideologies to suit location.

Klein also discusses the corporate brand as a company identity and logo, spread throughout advertising (including celebrity endorsement, product placement, sponsorships, etc). She notes in particular the growth of fashion franchise and high-concept advertisement since the mid-80s. However, there are hidden negatives behind the face of corporate branding:

• process concealment: the production process is hidden.
• outsourced manufacture: the exploitation of others, particularly developing countries, for cheap labour and manufacture.
• minimal labour costs: non-unionised labour and sweatshop employment.
  
• export processing zones: ​corporate enclaves and tax breaks with no benefit for local economy.
  

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Ethical Design & Anti-Corporation Movement

Activist opposition to the above is known as the anti-corporate movement. This movement has grown since the 1990s, raising awareness and promoting anti-consumerism with the use of social media and digital forums (see the 'Adbusters' for reference).

It is, effectively, the use of design as a weapon of propaganda, subversion and culture jamming.

​Anti-corporate activists use a range of creative resistance strategies such as brandalism, detournement/subversion and interventions to oppose corporate branding. They also challenge it by engaging in ethical and sustainable practice (see the 'First Things First 2000 Manifesto' ​for reference).

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Case Study: Mau Mau

Mau Mau is a British graffiti artist who uses his work as a means of ethical activism. With his token fox character, he protests issues such as consumerism, corporate branding and climate change in his artwork. As well as his own personal projects, he has produced activist work for many organisations, including Greenpeace.

Mau Mau's artwork has appeared on everything from walls to shipwrecks all around the world. Below are examples of his activist street art:

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Lecture Notes