Impacts of Globalization on the Cultural Aspects and heritage on Qatar - Term Paper Example

Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction 2 Globalization and Culture 3 Globalization and the immigration 4 Globalization and Living standards 6 Doha Cultural festivals 7 Promotion of cultural heritage by Government 7 Conclusion 8 Globalization and Cultural Heritage of the Qatar Introduction Culture and heritage forms the basic bedrock of Qatar’s modern society, which provides the foundation of the nation’s hospitality, music and handicrafts as the inspiration of modern artists. The Qatar government has embarked on intensive approaches aimed at preserving the culture and heritage of the nation. Many buildings in Qatar though, still maintain their traditional architecture. In major towns such as Doha, you will find many handicrafts such as traditional foods, art and fabrics displayed on shops and stalls. Even young Qataris are being encouraged to adopt businesses that promote traditions and old crafts. The government has set up a campaign dubbed Qatar Foundation (QF) that aims at promoting the cultural prosperity of the nation and preserving the country’s heritage. In the National Council for Culture, Heritage and the Arts as well as in the Qatar Museums authorities, there are various collections of Arabic writings, art and calligraphy, which are all being made available for research as well as public appreciation through the Qatar Foundation (Rukhsana 224). Qatar’s culture and heritage is evidenced in the following areas: Music Percussion still plays a very crucial part in all Qatari music. Drums and other gadgets such as galahs, clay jars used to create bass and treble notes are still applied in modern music. Almost all modern songs and performances feature strings and percussion. For years now, Qatar’s heritage has been handed over by words of mouth from parent to child (Johnstone 93). Poetry Traditional Qatari music and culture is derived from Bedouin poetry, song and dance which represented the ideal standards for other literary adventures and achievements and the Arabic language. Heritage library Most of the books in Qatar form the Arabian and Islamic Heritage Library in Qatar. Traditional architecture The poor used to live in structures built of mud bricks and coral blocks with roofs covered by mangrove poles covered with mud whereas the rich could have more elaborate houses with perimeter walls and wooden gates. Arabian horses and camels Globalization in Qatar has both positive and negative effects on the cultural heritage of Qatar. Globalization is the process of international integration, which arises from international exchange of views, products, and ideas among other aspects. Globalization and Culture In the modern Qatar, there has been a lot of construction and renovation, which has caused Qatar to boast of having the world’s highest GDP per capita in one generation. While driving in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, one is able to witness many changes brought about by globalization. In the commercial context, globalization can be evidenced in the streets, as there are several international franchises such as luxurious shops, fast moving restaurants among other modern establishments. Globalization has both bright sides and dark sides but its dark side is more evidenced in terms of culture and heritage. It tends to erode culture and heritage of the country (Rukhsana 183). The manifestation of westernization is evident in the manner in which the Abaya has been worn recently whereby young girls wear it with jeans beneath it and carry with themselves a Marc Jacobs bag. The effects of globalization have modernized the oldest market of Doha, Souq Waqif such that at one point, a person may be selling Chinese traditional products at the expense of Qatar’s cultural products (Eckes 117). The impact is that in the process of Qatar becoming a more developed country, they are at the time missing their culture and heritage to a certain extent in the entire process. A good illustration on how globalization has changed the culture of Qatar is the picture of a Qatari woman embedded in the Art Centre at the Katara Cultural village in Doha. She is seen clutching a cup of coca-cola, which hangs in the rear gallery. Her fingernails and lips have been painted such that they match the red logo drawn on the American soft drink. Her wind-swept hair flows out from under her veil. The cup and her appearance indicate that there have been a lot of changes on her country. The Coke is the big globalization element in this scenario (Rukhsan 173). Globalization and the state immigration According to the data given by the Qatar Statistics Authority, the country hosted about 1,795,828 people as at May 2012. The funny thing was that fewer than 300,000 were actual citizens. This authoritu did not give out the figures on the nationalities of the residents but according to the US State Department , it was estimated that 24 percent were Indian, 16 percent Nepali, 13 percent were Arabs who were non-Qatari, 11 percent were Filipino, 5 percent Sri Lankan, etc. Only 15 percent of the population was composed of the Qataris. Foreign workers comprised of 94 percent of the nation’s active population n with 67 percent of them engaged in semi-skilled and unskilled labor. This increased expatriation was brought about by the significant income from oil and gas which was being exploited in the country. The presence of this percentage of the visibly ethnic backgrounds has brought about westernization, which has caused the collapse of cultural beliefs of the country. The foreign labor has been evident on the Qatar society and culture (Johnstone 87). For instance, the Indian population has influenced culture in terms of the foods sold in grocery stores as well as the kind of interactions seen in places where people are gathering. All this affects the service industry. One might even think that Doha would turn to be like Delhi due to the design of cloths and other developments from the Indian culture. The obvious effect of the many Qatar ethnic groups comes from the types of traditional aisles sold in supermarkets, which are labeled Filipino or Indian foods. There are also a variety of family-based and ethnic restaurants and stores as well as geographical ethnically elementary and high schools. There may be warnings that Qataris may be losing their traditions and cultural heritage but most Qatar nationals believe that they are under the government and it will save the Qatari culture from getting undermined completely. Many of the people are not afraid of losing their culture because they believe that the leadership in Qatar has put in mind culture and traditions as the first thing. The Qatari government has repeatedly been emphasizing on the preservation of Arab-Islamic culture and the Qatari heritage. In fact, this is stated in the National Development Strategy as well as in the Qatar National Vision 2030 (Aaronson 231). This is also evident in moat of the government-backed projects. This forms the most discussed topic in Qatar and makes Doha to be more special than other cities in the Gulf. The government has very big moves to include heritage. For instance, the government has embarked on projects like the renovation of the Katara Cultural village and the Souq Waqif. These are very old Arabic buildings, which promotes cultural heritage in Doha. Qatar. In addition, the government is also undertaking the Msheireb Downtown Doha project, which is a new city center, which is constructed in a modern way but in the essence of the heritage architectural style principles of Qatar (Rukhsana 224). The picture below represents Qatar University students displaying cultural diversity The Qatari government is also aware of the need of integrating foreign human labor especially ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to be conducted I n Qatar. The initiative undertaken includes the development of new strategies of recruiting and retaining of expatriates. This is to balance the percentage of the unskilled workers in the nation, construction of a recreation and entertainment complex for the workers who reside in the Industrial Area as well as an establishment of worker’s unions to protect the rights of the workers (Mittelman 124). Globalization and Living standards Globalization is also changing the living standards of people in Qatar especially in matters of ducation. For instance, the number of women entering higher levels of education is drastically increasing and the number of women entering the workforce when compared to before. In addition, the living standards have also been improved by the kinds of art and cultural products that are being produced out of modernization and globalization. Also, there is the establishment of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra which is a band composed of a large numbers of European musicians who perform highly classical music thus providing some quite good entertainment. Doha boasts of many art galleries, which often displays foreign artists such as the performances of French-American sculptor Louise Bourgeois at Katari and the first solo exhibition of the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (Johnstone 127). Doha Cultural festivals To promote culture, traditions and heritage of the Qatari, the government through the ministry of Culture, Arts and heritage organizes and conducts festivals that promote local creativity as well as maintaining the cultural poetry, music, theatre and many more aspects. Such events are always informative and inspirational to even attract the attention of the large groups of foreigners in the country. They are designed to promote talents of local artists within the country. They help create a refreshing outlook in the field of cultural arts and heritage. In the places where these events take place; there are always visual art galleries that help give an insight on the heritage, art and culture of Qatar (Moubasher 191). Promotion of cultural heritage by Government To promote culture, Arts and heritage in a modernized and globalized economy, the government of Qatar has set up the Ministry of Culture, Arts and national heritage which undertake the following (Moubasher 191). It ensures that the following responsibilities are undertaken so to promote cultural heritage. 1. Organizing cultural heritage and traditional music festivals as well as taking part in festivals, which are organized in Qatar and other friendly countries. 2. Organizing cultural events and activities that promote national heritage such as symposia, lectures and poetry recitals. 3. Producing and presenting cultural theater and folklore shows and music concerts. 4. Organizing hosting cultural weeks of neighborhood and other friendly countries. 5. Organizing arts such as plastic arts and photography as well as heritage exhibitions; 6. Publishing and distributing books and compilations in relation with culture, translating outstanding intellectual and literary works into Arabic and vice-versa; Conclusion During the last few years, Qatar has taken initiatives on globalization and modernization to look for great advancements in the economy. Due to this, the nation has rapidly changed in terms of dress codes, living standards and lifestyles. At certain times, these changes are beneficial to the individual citizens and to the economy at large. In other instances, it could strip the nation of its sense of individuality and belonging as well as its cultural heritage. Globalization in Qatar has several negative social consequences such as the loss of cultural identity, deterioration of the Arabic language, and undermining the Islamic religious values and beliefs. For Qatar to combat these problems, it needs to make sure that it preserves the cultural identity, religious values and the language (Rukhsana 230). Globalization has undeniably benefited Qatar in several aspects of the society. Qatar has been able to access excellent education, improved living standards, as well as a greater sense of cultural awareness and social equality. Qatar implemented the Education City Project where it invited various prestigious American Universities who have opened branches in Doha. Some of these Universities are the Texas A&M University, Virginia Commonwealth University among others. Qatar invested in the Education Reform Project so as to create an academically strong Qatar Youth (Johnstone 107). In addition, modernization and globalization has led to developments in the social and economic state in Qatar. In 2012, Qatar was recognized as the one of the fastest growing economies worldwide with the highest per capita income. As a result of globalization, Qatar has created global cultural awareness especially in education, free trade and media. 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Discusses how globalization has changed diplomacy. Chandler. D. & James W. Cortada. 2000. A Nation Transformed by Information: How Information Has Shaped the United States from Colonial Times to the Present. New York. Dragsback Schmidt, Johannes & Jacques Hersh, eds. 2000. Globalization and Social Change. London, New York. Eckes, A.2000. "Backlash Against Globalization?" Global Economic Quarterly 1 (June 2000): 117–122. Everard, Jerry. Virtual States: The Internet and the Boundaries of the Nation State. London and New York, 2000. Fraser, Jane, and Jeremy Oppenheim. "What's New About Globalization?" The McKinsey Quarterly 2 (1997): 168–179. Accessible and informative account of the velocity and scope of late-twentieth-century globalization compared to other eras. Friedman, Thomas. The Lexus and the Olive Tree. New York, 1999. A spritely, optimistic analysis. Giddens, Anthony. Runaway World: How Globalization Is Reshaping Our Lives. New York, 2000. Gray, John. False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism. New York, 1998. A leading British conservative intellectual criticizes globalization. Greider, William. One World, Ready or Not: The Manic Logic of Global Capitalism. New York, 1997. Anecdotal but in-depth criticism of the business globalization process by a leading progressive. Held, David, et al. Global Transformations: Politics, Economics, and Culture. Cambridge, 1999. Holton, Robert J. Globalization and the Nation-State. London, 1998. For the role of the state and politics. Jameson, Fredrick, and Masao Miyashi, eds. The Cultures of Globalization. Durham, N.C., 1998. Excellent starting point for understanding the cultural aspects. LaFeber, Walter. Michael Jordan and the New Global Capitalism. New York, 1999. A leading diplomatic history revisionist analyzes globalization through the career of a famous sports star. Lechner, Frank J., and John Boli, eds. The Globalization Reader. Malden, Mass., 2000. 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New York, 1998. Tomlinson. J. 1999. Globalization and Culture. Chicago, 1999. Highly theoretical treatment of the complex interaction of culture in international society. Zachary, G. P. 2000. The Global Me: New Cosmopolitans and the Competitive Edge—Picking Globalism's Winners and Losers. New York. Read More