全球文化转变的理论背景与方法论框架——兼论中国文化的跨国实践

当今世界正在经历百年未有之变局,全球文化的格局也在经历二战以来最深刻的转变。本文包含三个目的：首先,本文勾勒了全球文化转变的脉络和轮廓。文章首先回顾了有关文化全球化的理论,指出这是经济全球化的一个重要结果。同时,本文指出以资本主义现代性、个人主义和消费主义为基本前提和假设的文化全球化在21世纪、尤其是911事件以来受到了强烈的挑战。其次,本文基于行动者网络理论提出一个文化跨地方实践的“转译”模型,试图将微观尺度的文化实践与宏观尺度的地缘政治关系和过程,以及中观尺度的区域背景结合起来进行整体性考察。最后,本文结合孔子学院和李子柒网络文化实践等案例,对本文提出的理论语境和方法论工具的有效性和适用性进行证明,并对中国跨国文化实践的挑战和机遇进行了简要的述评和分析。

Theoretical contexts and a methodological framework for understanding global cultural shift:Implications for China's transnational cultural practices

Nowadays profound changes unseen in a century are evolving rapidly in the world. Accordingly, the socio-spatial patterns of cultural processes at global scales have also been radically altered. This paper outlines the spatial processes and patterns of what we call the “global cultural shift”. We use this term to refer to a spatial dialectic, namely the ways in which uneven, heterogeneous spatial outcomes have been produced under a total, universal process of intensifying mobilities and spatial connections at the global scale. We argue that amidst these uneven spatialities the visions and assumptions of a global culture based on capitalist modernity, individualism and consumerism originating from the West are being cast into doubt and challenged by emerging cultural trends that are at odds with the once celebrated cosmopolitanism and multiculturalism. This study delineates the emerging spatialities of cultural changes and contestations by drawing on the world system theory developed by Wallerstein. In the center of the world system, the global division of labor has effectuated cultural backlashes, as the pursuit for the spatial fix of capital has resulted in the disempowerment of the working class within the West. Uneven development has also catalyzed flows of transnational immigration, which has fueled rampant aversion to immigrants. Emerging economies on the semi-periphery, in a different vein, not only compete with the West in terms of political and economic interests but also the need to defend the alternative modernities that they envisage and the sociopolitical models that they aspire to uphold. This trend relativises the universalism of Western modernity but also leads to heightened ideological and political competition between emerging power and the Western bloc. In the periphery of the world system, there is rampant pessimism with capitalist development, advocacy for post-development politics, and increasing suspicion both with established and the emerging powers. Based on the Actor Network Theory, this paper proposes a translation model of cultural practices to illustrate a methodological approach for understanding the ways in which cultures are dis-embedded from their original actor networks, “travel” to other contexts, and become re-embedded in the actor networks in the destinations. Finally, we draw on the theoretical contexts outlined and the methodological model to reflect on a series of opportunities and challenged faced by China’s transnational cultural practices.