Global Culture

It would seem as if large corporations, in their quest to spread around the world, are functioning as the engine for a more powerful effect than their mundane mission: they are forcing the convergence of centuries of customs and cultural manifestations within the economic hubs they require, creating a new global culture. All the participants will have no remedy but to confront each other and transform themselves in the process.

This is how I started this blog over two years ago. Since then the idea of a global culture has continued to evolve and I admit the 180 posts have taken me in directions I didn’t suspect. The understanding of cosmopolitanism has more recently taken this blog through an upbeat phase that aligns better with the events of my life. This month, my job got a little bit easier…

This is the theme of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. For a few weeks the whole world will be going oriental as McLuhan once said. Tourists impressed by the sights of a transformed Beijing, spectators bombarded by hours of “place branding” or Chinese not used to the sudden attention. Everyone should have a better understanding of China’s place in the world after the games.

I was told by an influential writer that science fiction is the literature of possibilities. Beyond all the laser beams, inter-galactic trips and aliens there are ideas explored that deserve full consideration. One such idea inspired me to start writing this blog: a society in which language had evolved to a point where the boundaries between English and Chinese had been blurred by centuries of integration. Forgotten the days when each nation would have its own language, everyone was able to communicate with each other using this lingua franca.

Spanish being my mother tongue, migrating to Canada implied using English on a daily basis to conduct business. Over the years I noticed how my brain “rewired” and started playing interesting tricks, creating concepts that could only be represented in one or another language forcing me to mix words at times. Most people would assume this to be a sign of lost cultural identity, but embracing the possibility that one day our children would have to play similar tricks to communicate with an increasingly diverse society I let it happen hoping I would be better equipped for the inevitable.

In 2006 I wrote the post déjà vu forecasting the growth of the Chinese influence on the evolution of the web. I may have been too conservative in my estimates as I realize their culture is about to take a giant leap forward propelled by the Olympic Games. China has invested heavily on the infrastructure required, but the dividends are likely going to be plenty when their culture decides to venture out of “Chinatown” to establish itself as an important component of global culture.

As Richard Florida explores the nature of urban renewal by reusing some of his key hypothesis in his essay “How cities renew” in the latest Monocle, I’m getting word of a research project called “Cosmopolitan Palermo - Inquiry on the future of the city”. In both cases, the affluence of influential protagonists that are willing to invest more than just money to build the city they want seems to be the key factor in transforming cities into truly global hubs. Here is a take on the sicilian project:

The research is based on the hypothesis that change in contemporary cities is increasingly dependent on flows of capital, people, knowledge and skills. In other words, large cities are cosmopolitan because they mix references, investments, trajectories with highly differentiated backgrounds.
More generally, one can talk of a “cosmopolitan urban regime” manifesting itself through the forms of the local governance and the urban texture. A regime that requires social actors able to manage these culturally different references.
Starting from this perspective, “Cosmopolitan Palermo” considers urban forms and actors of cosmopolitanism present in the city in a lapse of approximately fifteen years (1992-2008). The research focuses on recent transformations of the city centre. More specifically, it identifies and analyses a series of urban transformations produced by interactions between local logics and global networks. Through an in-depth study of these changes it clarifies the relationship between flows of people, ideas and capital, on the one hand, and the production of new urban forms on the other.

I find the idea of mapping the flow of key global citizens to the evolution of the urban landscape fascinating. Maybe a new generation of city planners will not be trained in schools, but as apprentices to these global moguls with the will to effect change at each stopover.

Thanks to Maurizio for the tip.

I owe a big apology to all my loyal readers for keeping you in the dark over the last 3 months. Since my last post I travelled to Mexico twice, shared the stage in San Francisco with some of the authorities on the “geoweb”, travelled to Corsica, the French Riviera, Lake Como, St. Moritz; and managed to launch PlanetEye.com where I lead the Technology team. Intense to say the least. But the most recent issue of Monocle has me burning the proverbial midnight oil and finding energy to start posting regularly again. Thanks for your comments while I was away.

The Monocle Global Quality of Life Index may one day graduate to adopt a scientific methodology that considers a larger spectrum of cities around the world, but I’m happy to settle for their current coverage and play the my-city-is-better-than-yours game, using the tidbits of quick facts they’ve compiled. For those who don’t buy the magazine here are the top 10 cities:

1. Copenhagen, Denmark

Good looks, brains, perfect proportions, a sunny disposition and a sense of humour are always a winning combination…

2. Munich, Germany

It combines a strong economy with rich cultural offerings. The city’s workforce is highly qualified; its universities world class. And if the walls start closing in you’ve got the Alps on your doorstep.

3. Tokyo, Japan

… a new generation of well-travelled, job-hopping twenty and thirtysomethings who are changing Tokyo, challenging stereotypes…

4. Zürich, Switzerland

The city’s world-class education facilities and cultural offerings, great local public transport and well-connected airport mean it can satisfy even the most demanding employees.

5. Helsinki, Finland

Waterside revival, civic pride and a view to Asia bode well for the city…

6. Vienna, Austria

Don’t be deceived by Vienna’s apparent bourgeois rectitude…

7. Stockholm, Sweden

… with its archipelago, pristine parks and old architecture, is pretty as a princess cake - the Swedes’ favourite birthday treat.

8. Vancouver, Canada

By accepting increased building density as official city policy, Vancouver believes it is leading the continent in addressing climate change.

9. Melbourne, Australia

its economy is humming, its arts scene is thriving, and more than 1,000 new people a week are calling the city home.

10. Paris, France

…it is setting benchmarks in urbanism that have officials from around the world heading to meet mayor Bertrand Delanoë.

Sydney, Honolulu, Madrid, Berlin, Barcelona, Montréal, Fukuoka, Amsterdam, Minneapolis, Kyoto, Hamburg, Singapore, Geneva, Lisbon and Portland follow the leaders.

But the ranking is just a great marketing tool. Much more interesting and relevant to the readers of this blog are the articles “Thinking cities” which collects ideas from some of the best recognized urban thinkers; and “Perfect neighbourhood”, a redux of their ideal borough dream from last year. More on this in upcoming posts.

The special report “Nomads at last” in the April 12th issue of The Economist comes with a series of articles about how mobile technology is changing the fundamental fabric of today’s society, ranging from work attitudes to the effects it may have on language evolution. Altogether a collection worth reading.

About a year ago, in small, simple, sms I had pointed out some statistics that support the notion that half of world population would be armed with a mobile device soon. Now it seems a good time to figure out what that will do to our society.

With arguments that remind me of “The Hacker Ethic“, the notion that mobile technology is blurring the line between work and private life, seems to be a persistent meme throughout the special report. The trend for many independent consultants to be able to conduct their business without the need for an office or even having to subject themselves to work from a desk in their houses, thus liberating them to roam the multiple hotspots where Internet access is readily available and the surroundings are stimulating. As opposed to telecommuters, who are forced to work from their home office, this new generation of entrepreneurs has very little concern for fixed schedules or working hours. Instead, having full access to the entire infrastructure they need to be effective from their mobile devices, working from a client site, the neighbourhood’s coffee shop or trendy collaboration spaces provides them with better options to organize their lives and feel in control.

It seems to me the notion of nomadism, as introduced by The Economist, solves an important challenge that was stated in a convenient solution: community living. With the tireless growth of cities and their incursion into green belts to satisfy the needs from citizens looking for the ideal place, suburbs seemed to have fallen into the apathetic rhythm caused by the millions of workers who were slaved to commuting. Later, a few enthusiasts figured out that they could save themselves the rush hour, but were still bound to their computers and phone lines, leading to a new kind of frustrations such as boredom, lack of stimulation from interaction with co-workers. Suburbs seemed condemned to become hosts to a wide array of dysfunctional citizens. This may have a lot to do with the fact that people need to feel part of a vibrant society that gives them a reason to work. With the adoption of tools that liberate those suburban workers from their basements and allow them to converge in third spaces within their own communities, all of the sudden the suburbs acquire an interesting, vibrant social fabric that they seemed to hide. Smart councillors may create incentives for people to stay in the area during work hours and connect with their remote co-workers. These incentives could be as simple as plenty of wireless access points or more sophisticated collaboration centres. With the proper stimulus a new generation of local nomads is likely to bring back some interesting dynamics to dormant suburbs.

For the first time in a long time I can see how suburban life has a future after all.

Listening to Duke Ellington quote Marshall McLuhan, making the incredibly deep thinking of the cultural philosopher accessible to his audience is priceless. In “the whole world is going oriental” the Duke found inspiration to create some of the most advanced jazz fusion of the 60’s by unifying themes from around the world without concern for the remix of cultural patterns.

When McLuhan made the original statement he was talking about the process of westernization of the East and orientalizing of the West:

The entire Western world, McLuhan argues, is now turning inward upon itself—in the old Oriental pattern—while the Orient “has been increasingly engaged in an outer trip, aided by Western technology.

That was back in the 60’s. More recently we could argue a very similar process has been evolving when around 200 million migrants find a new home every year. In immigrant population and the south in the heart of the north I’ve documented some of the facts and figures of this process, but what interests me today are the methods that migrants use to cope with the sudden disorientation that results from trying to build a new way of live in an unknown city.

Meet David Sasaki, a true global citizen migrating from the North to the South and finding refuge in technology:

Two months ago I was back in my old stomping grounds, Encinitas, California. [...] More than anywhere else, this was home. I still knew the names of the best surfers bobbing up and down in the Pacific as they waited for the right set of waves. Years later, and I still knew all the best running trails, the most articulate columnists, the best plates at the best restaurants, and the history of nearly every beach and every block up and down the ten or so miles of coast that make up Encinitas. Subconsciously, throughout the years of my youth, I had built up my own personal Wikipedia of the history, institutions, culture, and sub-cultures that make Encinitas such a special place for so many people. I have also witnessed the changes endured by the community as home prices have tripled from around $300,000 for a coastal bungalow in the mid-1990’s to over a million dollars today. I know that I will never be able to afford a house where I grew up. Which has brought me here, to Buenos Aires, one of the few cosmopolitan cities where it is still possible to buy a house or apartment without committing oneself to eternal debt. Unlike my comprehensive knowledge of Encinitas, however, I know next to nothing about Buenos Aires. I am an immigrant here. And each new block, every cafe, every neighbor greeting me with a silent nod of the head is a story to be discovered.

His unusual journey from North to South is supported by an array of technical knowledge that will likely translate into a better integration to his new city. Not only he carries the experience from proven methods and technologies, but he is going to be in a privileged position to influence others around him that will take for granted his expertise in the area. The exchange that will result from his interaction with his new community somehow reminds me of the action of the “Orient” looking outward aided by Western technology, with the only difference that this time it will be a very curious and receptive “South”.

If only all migrants had this kind of advantage in their journeys.

Clustering of like-minded individuals is not a new idea, but new research based on the mapping of personality types reveals one very interesting trend about the group called “Open To Experience People”: they are far more distributed than any of the other groups.

In his post The Personality Map, Richard Florida presents these results in a timely manner to promote his most recent book “Who’s Your City?”. A much better explanation is given in his column on the Global and Mail:

We know that values, beliefs, and attitudes cluster geographically and are sustained over time through social interaction – that’s what defines culture. According to Sam Gosling, a psychologist at the University of Texas, and Jason Rentfrow, a psychologist at Cambridge University, these places (and their inhabitants) will also assume certain personality traits.

They refer to these as “social founder effects.” That is, people come to acquire personality traits that reflect their practices, lifestyles, and beliefs. Places that tolerate or encourage openness to experience will ultimately attract people who seek environments in which they can feel free to express themselves.

People seeking a place where they can express themselves is almost a perfect definition for the global citizen that will move anywhere around the world to find the region that better defines the core values that he/she hold true and treasure the most. This realization provides a very important argument in favor of why cities that have been welcoming to generations of migrants are now among the most important hubs for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. As I have stated in previous posts, one of the most essential tools of the person starting a journey to a new place is a complete willingness to experience and accept a new culture without hesitation. This very same personality treat is probably, according to this research, why these same cities have evolved economies that are a model for a truly global city. Cosmopolitanism and its quest for understanding other cultures may be the key that triggers the desire to relocate to a newly discovered region of the world, but it is that same global knowledge that gives the region an important advantage as more connections with the rest of the world are created with every new individual that arrives. So, while it may be psychological characteristics what drives the clustering shown above, I believe it is the global connections that these people have what fosters a prosperous economy.

The latest book from Benjamin R. Barber, “Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Shallow Citizens Whole” presents a timely critic to capitalism, not as an economic theory, but as a flag to incite mass consumption where there are no real needs. Barber explains about capitalism:

…in the beginning of capitalism — in the 15th and 16th century — capitalism was focused on production, on hard work, on deferred gratification, on altruism. People investing and saving and capitalists acquiring wealth and keeping it in order to do further investments. All in the name of producing goods for people with very real needs and down the line making some profit from it as well. The problem is, today we have not a productivist economy but a consumer economy. And the emphasis today is not on production, but on consuming. And you’ve got a capitalism which is producing an awful lot of goods which are chasing very few needs, while real needs are going unmet around the world.

Very much in line with the previous post on the story of stuff, it seems that fixing the problem has nothing to do with a radical change of economic system but a fundamental shift in our attitudes as consumers.

Barber is a democratic theorist that blogs for The Huffington Post and on his own strongdemocracy.