Efendi

What are we protection against what.

Lets take an example of dish, Thank to the globalisation, fruit like Banana, pineapple entered our dishes, which made our gastronomical dishes richer.

We start to see different instrument in our musical traditons.

Globalism, increase the choice of taste. In the past sat at hotel you could find food limited with local tastes, you can now have more choice than it was before. I can buy russian salad in the market. Some kind of cheese local in Italia or Spain. I can go to McDonnalds with friends, or Starbucks coffee...etc ...etc. I can produce another things inspired from other culture. It is something like benchmarketing.

What ever our culture produce, It was affected from other culture.

If old generations were all protective, do you think our dishes folklores...etc would be rich?
For example If Ottomans were protective they wouln't accept coffee in their culture and we would no longer know what the Turkish coffee is.

My point is our cultre was invented by people who were not protectionist, they are killer of culture, with their unproductive aproach.

Optiow

I am a New Zealander, we do not have our own culture that much, we can choose. But I do not like change as a rule and usually stop all change because I see no reason to change.

Lucius

Change is the only thing that doesn't change. I like Jamaican coffee too.

blueberryem

The first question that came up in my mind was: What is original English, original Japan, original America, etc??

Surely, I can say the traditions of English are the original English. But also the most shared things among the English people.

For example, I think I can say Romeo and Juliet is more Korean than the traditional Korean romantic-drama Chun Hyang Jeon. Because Romeo and Juliet is more familiar/popular among Koreans than Chun Hyang Jeon.
Still, this doesn't make Romeo and Juliet true Korean, because it's originally from England.

This leads to another question like what Heidi commented on. Say, an American was born in Italy and lived the typical Italian life. When someone asks him where he's from, what would he say? Italy or America? Is it possible to say 'American' only because his parents are americans? Is there anything that proves that he's American?

Another situation: 3 Asian people were droped in an isolated island where there are cannibals. The asians are Chinese, Korean and Japanese. The Cannibals say they'll only leave the Chinese alone. The Chinese guy will have to find a way to prove he's Chinese, that differs him from the other Asian people. How can he prove that he's chinese apart from the Chinese language?

crossroadclarence

Well...First, we have to understand that talking would do nothing, as the cannibals would not speak any of their languages.

I'm not sure if I want to pursue this....are you suggesting you cannot see any racial diiferences between Koreans, Japanese and Chinese? If you cannot, then I must assume you are not Asian, correct?

corrocamino

Good fundamental point, Optiow!

Change is generally correlated with the unknown, and with fear, especially for mature or older people. Cultural evolution is an insidious thing, not a leap, by and large. (I couldn't leap if I wanted to.)

blueberryem

No no, I can see the difference between Korean, Japanese and Chinese as long as the appearance is concerned. I'm only saying that because well, they share similar features(e.g. monolids, skin tone, facial shape...etc). Therefore, it'll be difficult for the cannibals to see the difference in them when they only look at the physical part(in a case of the cannibals have never seen an asian before). So, my question is: what factors can divide them and prove Chinese is original Chinese, Korean->original Korean, Japanese->original Japanese? :What factors can be used to prove that you are from the country you are from? (not considering the materialistic part-e.g. passport...)

No, I'm a Korean.

diddyriddick

I'm with Clarence on this one. Just because we celebrate a particular cultural heritage doesn't mean that we "protect" it. If we use food as an example, life would be boring indeed if we were limited to one regional cuisine. Likewise, life would be boring without individual preserved cultures.

As to one American culture, yes and no. Yes, for the most part Americans consider themselves one people, but they still feel strong regional culture. Call it subculture, for lack of a better word. Again, to use food as our example if one orders barbecue in ten different areas in the US, they will get 10 entirely different dishes; here in NC, there is even "eastern" and "western" varieties.

corrocamino

I hesitate to imagine the contrarian countercultural concoctions offered as "chili" at the annual Cookoff in Terlingua, Texas. I have to suppose that subcultures have actually perished there.

diddyriddick

You been to Terlinqua? That is the food from the Gods!