Globalisation Is an External Phenomenon

Globalisation is having a profound effect on the entire world. For Africa, however, the traffic has all been one way: globalisation and the advent of information and communication technology have flooded the continent with western ideals and standards.

By Ayodele Aderinwale

PHOTO: AP — Delegates to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in front of a giant globe in Sandton Square, Johannesburg

In Africa, the dominant view is that globalisation is invariably an external phenomenon. An appreciation of this external nature and the nature of the system that preceded it requires a structured and interpretative understanding of the current phase of "globalisation" based on a capsule-like description of those "phases" or processes that could be described as being the "parents and grandparents of globalisation", i.e. slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism.

However, the current phase of globalisation is characterised by the interconnection of world economies through trade and financial flows, the exchange of technology and information, and the movement of people.

In reality there are neither national boundaries nor local allegiances. This generates new challenges for local cultures and values in Africa and other non-western societies.

Minimal influence and maximum consequence

For a continent that has remained volatile and vulnerable to external factors and factions, Africa is as usual experiencing both minimal influence and maximum consequence.

Moreover, the apparently homogenising cultures of the industrialised world, which are also characterised by democratic structures, seem to be the crusading cultures of our times; breaking down barriers and forcing all other cultures to comply with their values, statutes and subjective preferences.

The numerically insignificant few who constitute Africa's power elite can conveniently relate to the different strata of other worlds. They shuttle between different world capitals – more often than not with an openly closed-mind.

They consume on a daily basis and often without discrimination the Western perspective through a combination of the ubiquitous cable channels and interpersonal interaction. Consequently, Africa is powered by an elite that is at best hybrid in its world view and confused in its thought process.

Information and Communication Technology in Africa

Like other regions of the world, Africa is being affected in very profound ways by the new electronic communication possibilities that bring the people of the world together in previously unimaginable ways.

Personal computers, fibre electronics, satellites, mobile phones, and networks of faxes, e-mail and the Internet, most of which rely on the capability of satellite broadcast technology has made the "villagisation" of the globe a living reality.

Swapping food for access to the Internet

Both funds and information can be transferred almost instantaneously simply by punching keys and flipping switches. For those in Africa with the financial wherewithal, this is indeed a welcome development.

It opens up new vistas and expands horizons – bringing with it the good, the bad and the awful. I see an increasing number of secondary school pupils in semi-rural communities sacrificing their lunch money to surf the web in commercial cyber cafés.

Interestingly, it is perhaps the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) that has shown Africa the extent of its vulnerability. Today in Africa, cable television is a major source of information and entertainment, which both consciously and unconsciously shapes the Weltanschauung of its viewers.

Cable television affects people's sense of judgement

Most of the children of Africa's rather tiny elite are more often than not hybrids. Unfortunately, they come across as bad imitations of the original they are aping. In other instances, adults have been sucked in by cable television, which has affected their perception and sense of judgment.

It is within this context that one might understand the ballyhoo surrounding the so-called reality TV show "Big Brother Africa''. While an African still regards some aspects of social interaction as strictly private, these aspects can be shown in the full glare of the public eye in the western world.

With the advent of such unreality shows, sex and other such shenanigans are beamed around the world. Travelling through African capitals, it is not uncommon to come across fan clubs for European football teams in places where local football clubs have little or no support or recognition.

The exploits of the teams' stars are relayed around the world by the amazing instantaneous technology of satellite broadcasting, capturing the imagination of young people, and their names adorn jerseys the world over.

Local customs, tastes and languages are dying

Culinary predilections have also changed. And many children can barely communicate in local languages any more. It is foreseeable that in the years to come, our African languages – of which there are still some 1,000 on the continent – may become extinct with all the attendant consequences for cultural reproduction.

In Africa, this cultural aspect of globalisation presents specific problems. Traditional African cultures emphasize values such as community, family, respect for life and hospitality. These values have come into strong confrontation with the values communicated by globalism or the global culture bias towards western entertainment, food, medicine and advertisements.

Global culture is gaining ground over traditional sources of economic and political power, while the dominant pop culture of the West is overwhelming traditional African cultures.

Democracy, good governance and human rights

One significant political development in Africa that was born out of globalisation is the push towards democratisation. This includes a heightened emphasis on good governance and respect for human rights.

This is indeed a sweet relief from the practices of old. As the liberal political space expands and civil society grows stronger, it is hoped that society will be able to interact with the government in a way that will facilitate development. However, the post-September 11 world has also put more pressure on Africa regarding security issues.

I think the biggest challenge Africa faces is that of identity. While the impact on values has been massive, the attack on the African identity is overwhelming and is characterised by gross misrepresentation of stereotypes. This poses a fundamental problem because it affects the way young people – particularly those in Africa – perceive themselves.

Africa's crisis of identity

The consequence is the careless adoption of a whole new set of values that work directly to stunt the individual's personal development and that of his community. For some, especially the young, these new ideas and values have also translated into new products.

A change of identity may mean an escape from oppressive traditions including traditional beliefs and faiths. But interestingly enough, Islam and Christianity offer a wide range of opportunities and a set of values that somehow enable the African people to face up to and overcome the challenges of the modernization process.

However, this is only one side of the coin as the gap between the rich and the poor at both global and local level increases with the spread of globalisation. And these paradoxes will, to my understanding, prevail in Africa for quite some time.