Globalisation, Americanisation, Disneyfication：全球化，美国化，迪斯尼.doc

Globalisation, Americanisation, Disneyfication? The Global Expansion of Disney’s IP, Mickey’s Magic Kingdom Globalisation, Imperialism, Americanisation, Westernism, Global Village and Global Economy are all terms, or buzz words, bandied about easily in the media these days but what do any of them actually mean? Possibly all the same thing. Globalisation is the expansion of the idea that the world no longer has any boundaries and that trade between companies and consumers can happen across the world as a whole, not just on a national level. There are, however, different definitions or applications of globalisation. Waters (1995) identifies 3 main types, Economic (trade borders, sanctions, import/export), Political (sovereignty issues, global governance) and Cultural Globalisation (indigenous art and culture, local produce, customs, religions). It is the latter that causes the blurring. Cultural Globalisation, Waters comments, is “the homogenizing trends that are summed up in the phrase ‘global consumer culture’ and for which value-laden terms as ‘Americanization’, ‘Western cultural imperialism’ and ‘Coca-colonization’ are often employed.” (Waters, 1995) Americanisation (Americanization in the US) was a term first used to describe the process of educating immigrants to the US to the American way. The Columbia Encyclopedia (2003) describes it as “the movement during the first quarter of the 20th century, whereby the immigrant in the United States was induced to assimilate American speech, ideals, traditions, and ways of life.” (Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2003). Today ‘Americanisation’ within the US is not as much of an issue, now the term is now used to described the implanting (or infecting if you’re a sceptic!) of American Culture in foreign markets. Companies such as McDonalds, Disney et al are seen as pioneers of Americanisation. Typically, the US Government is extremely keen on Americanisation; it’s invasion of various countries and installing their o