Mary Finney

ARE 6933 Globalization and Art

April 17, 2016
A Game of Chess
Chess is not about winning, sometimes its simply about learning,
and so is life.
~Anonymous
Globalization is the inevitable widespread phenomenon of growth that has improved
many traditional ways of lifes international relationships. Attributing its growth with the notable
inventions such as motorized cars, boats, trains and planes; as well as to the undeniable
influential impact of the digital age and global networking era; globalization has really brought
us into a new era of multiculturalism. Globalization scholar Anthony Giddens, referred to
globalization as the universal form of life that touches on everyone and cause individuals to
orient their actions towards it. Elizabeth Delacrus, describes globalization as being one of the
most hotly contested, contradictory and critical facets of contemporary life. Although
globalization brings a plethora of positive aspects to the world, it also cast shadows global
inevitable negativity aspects in the form of cultural confusion, power struggle, and low economic
development. However, through the shadow of negativity, art education can shed some light
offering a sense of resolution towards cultural identity loss and breaking down cultural
constructs. Understanding constructs and processes of globalization also informs our
conceptualizations about multicultural, intercultural and transnational identities, practices, and
what that means for visual arts/visual culture education.
Globalization has always been a part of civilization, dating back as far as to Columbus
discovering America and prior. The complex social situations that result from globalization and
its effects are just as familiar. Taiwan for instance has a history of identity complications with

Mainland China. Dating back as far as 1386 Taiwan has gone under various global influences
such as the Dutch, Japanese, Chinese and Spanish just to name a few. These inevitable changes
of migrations and changes in governing entities have created a nation of diverse interests and
peoples and have contributed to a lack of consensus about Taiwans national and cultural identity
(Wang and Kuo, 2009). Countries such as Taiwan, Kenya, China and Korea has elaborate
histories of culture struggles, influenced by changes in central control and/or continuous
migration. With the diligent work of Taiwanese citizens working towards having a voice, a
strong Taiwanese political figure took office and was able to steer Taiwan into the right direction.
Taiwan soon re-established an education system that would assist in teaching Taiwanese
children, about the culture of Taiwan through the use of childrens book. The eight series
children books, soon because part of the education curriculum and worked towards the mission
of representing Taiwanese conscientiousness (Kuo, 2009).
In January 2008, Kenya went through a similar struggle of inter-ethnic clashes following
their release from British colonial power which results in death and displacement (Nyaberi,
2009). As Kenya tried to find cultural identity by establishing guideline for their newly
independent nations, it became clear that reform for their education system was of the upmost
importance. The challenge in education however were impacted by the multiethnic nature of
Kenyas population and meaningful reforms in any sector including education must address the
challenges of a multiethnic society (Nyaberi, 2009). Although Kenye has long since been
considered post-colonial, it has yet to successfully transition in search of its identity however it
maintains a sense of civil cohesion in attempt to position itself for an increasing globalized
world, but this will not be an easy task in search for its identity. Nyaberi suggest that an
education policy in Kenya should accentuate the interrelationship and diversity of cultural

heritage in a globalized world along with implementing a critically inclusive national curriculum
that would strengthen Kenyas national identity as a multicultural nation (Nyaberi, 2009).
Read more at: Art is a domain with open structures and no borders and it thrives on critiquing

orthodoxies and breaking rules (Marshall, p.96).

In Weifang China, every year in the beginning of April since 1984, the Weifang
International Kite festival is held. Weifang is the birth place of kite. Dating as far back as 1368,
new and traditional kites made of silk, bamboo, and paper have over time been included in their
cultural. Social and religious activities (Kuo,2009). The Weifang international Kite festival
celebrates its history and culture of Kite making with a festival, creating along with it cultural
expression and exchange, multicultural value, growing international popularity, aesthetic
richness and a fascinating function as a site for global cultural, artistic, recreational and
economic activity and exchange (Wang, 2009).
In both Taiwans and Kenya situations, Cultural identity has been a struggle to obtain.
And kenye, is still working toward its own establishing and maintaining a system to support its
multicultural identity. However, in each story, education played a major role. A way to empower
conscientious generations of democratic citizens committed to work toward peace and social
justice is for educators to imagine a process by which we might change our institutions and our
psyches to take seriously the nurturance of conscientious, conscience, compassion, and
community. (Keen, 1986, p. 184). P.75 Without Education, and art education, the dissemination
of the same knowledge to instill facts, would be taxing and challenging. Its almost like a game
of chess. In a game, each piece, although they have their own path, each piece is only as valuable
as the positions ins placed. On a chess board of Globalization, only realizing how valuable your

pawn of technology is, or how valuable Art education can be, the options towards finding
maintaining owns culture, can seem like a monstrous feat.
Resources

Kuo, C. (2009). Taiwanese Picturebooks and the Search for National Identity. In E.M.
Delacruz, A. Arnold, M. Parsons, and A. Kuo, (eds.), Globalization, art, and education

(pp. 14-19. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association

Marshall, J. (2009). Globalization and Contemporary Art. In E.M. Delacruz, A. Arnold,
M. Parsons, and A. Kuo, (eds.), Globalization, art, and education (pp. 88-96. Reston, VA:

National Art Education Association

Wang, Y. (2009). Sculpting the Sky: The Art and Culture of Weifang International Kite
Festival. In E.M. Delacruz, A. Arnold, M. Parsons, and A. Kuo, (eds.), Globalization, art,

and education (pp. 41-46). Reston, VA: National Art Education Association
Nyaberi, D. O. (2009). A Policy Analysis of Formal Education in Modern Multiethnic
Kenya: A Case for Cultural Hybridization. In E.M. Delacruz, A. Arnold, M. Parsons, and
A. Kuo, (eds.), Globalization, art, and education (pp. 77-82). Reston, VA: National Art
Education Association