L5 -economy as social and cultural process 2: ethnic economies and culture Flashcards
1
Q
What are cultures
A
Coe et al, 2007
- Systems of shared meanings
- Shared by members of the same community (e.g. race, religion)
- Dynamic and change over time (process)
2
Q
Layers of culture
A
- What we can observe of other cultures as an outsider/tourist
- Market based, all about individual without any society issues
- Superficial layers
- Values evolve over time but are fundamental = can change slowly
3
Q
Ethnic economies - business clusters
A
- Neighbourhood as a source for employees
o Linked to migration
o Often driven by food = maintain a sense of identity, wanted to have the same food (as example) - Classic agglomeration economies
- Access to ‘ethnic’ resources
- Development and maintenance of identity
4
Q
Business clusters
A
- Positive in the sense of providing entrepreneurial opportunities
- Not exclusive to ethnic communities
- Issues of discrimination, blocked mobility
- People don’t necessarily want to work in ethnic business clusters but perhaps cannot get into other industries
- Ethnicity is used as something that can be sold (commodified)
5
Q
Advantages of ethnic clusters
A
- market opportunities
- ethnic resources
- job ops for immigrants
- low-cost labour
6
Q
Disadvantages of ethnic clusters
A
- discrimination and blocked mobility
- dependence on networks
- commodification of ethnicity
- segregation of ethnic groups
- poor pay
7
Q
Ethnic economies workforce
A
- can be caused by education levels within certain groups/areas
- Difference in education perhaps due to socioeconomic status, perhaps parenting/upbringing
8
Q
Consumption, place and identity
A
- Culture often expressed through consumption
- Consumers actively construct identity through informed decisions about commodity purchases, especially symbolic goods
- Relationships between consumption and identity are heavily shaped by place
- Standardised global/corporate consumption spaces used in different ways by consumers
- The body and home as particularly important scales of self-expression
9
Q
Consumption, place and identity examples
A
- Mcdonalds in Asia = new menu items
- Coca Cola in Trinidad = used to mix with rum, seen as sophisticated
- IKEA in Asia = key area for self-expression and identity, had to convince Chinese consumers DIY is good
10
Q
Development in Ecuador
A
- long tradition of textile production, strong growth in tourism and trade
- strong emphasis on ‘ethnic’ design
- long history of production (tried to imitate English tweed)
- family-based production and distribution networks
- minimises involvement of middle man
- base for 50,000 Otavalenos
11
Q
Global pipelines but no local buzz
A
Iturralde, 2001
- lack of community and neighbours = sell abroad
- competition between families, lack of cooperation
- no FDI to create local buzz
- informal sector always vulnerable to change and policy intervention
12
Q
Rethinking innovation
A
Blake and Hanson, 2005
- tech innovation has reduced quality
- modernisation leads to loss of originality and authenticity
13
Q
Challenges for ethnic economy in Otavalo
A
- harder to move around the world (terror suspicions)
- competition fro Peruvian traders
- saturated markets