Bollywood to K-Pop: Why it is important to acknowledge the cultural influences of our new generations

Increased access to technology has exposed Generation Z and Generation Alpha in Bangladesh to a wide variety of cultures, which is evident from the popularity of Western, Korean, and Japanese pop cultural content. 

However, policymakers and culturalists in Bangladesh have often considered this as an adverse phenomenon to our tradition and culture. 

There has not been much engaged attention to understanding the changing patterns of cultural tastes of the new generation. Rather, a persistent rigidity towards conserving and celebrating the traditions and heritage exists. 

While it is critical that we acknowledge the danger of globalisation, where small cultures and traditions are often on the verge of extinction, it would also be wrong to consider culture as  tangible and static. 

Our policies and practices need to be fluid. While preserving traditions is important, the protagonists of national culture should not disregard trends and newer aspects of culture.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Bollywood dominated the cultural scene of Bangladesh, but that is no longer the case. The changing cultural tastes have disrupted Bollywood's hegemony. However, authorities may be just catching up now and bringing Bollywood movies to Bangladeshi movie theatres. 

A lot of people watched Pathan and Jawan in Bangladesh, but that does not indicate Bollywood has gotten back its former glory. Moreover, if Bollywood movies can be shown, Hollywood, Korean, or Japanese movies should be imported as well, following the logic of globalisation. 

Urban movie theatres like Star Cineplex and Blockbuster Cinemas are bringing some, but they are not accessible to mass people in regional locations. Globalised culture should not be exclusive to Dhaka's residents, particularly with OTT access. 

Weak ties, network society and the transmission of cultural capital 

A generational shift usually occurs every decade, and with that shift, new cultural tastes emerge. Each generation experiences different social circumstances, which influence their cultural preferences. 

The young generation of today consists of Millennials, Generation Z, and Generation Alpha. Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, are known for their individualism and a more tolerant worldview than previous generations. Those born between 1997 and 2012 are termed Generation Z, and this is the generation that grew up in the era of modern technology, such as iPads and iPhones. Because of this, they are sometimes called iGen. 

Finally, Generation Alpha began in 2013. Some may call them the 'Covid kids' as their formative years were during the pandemic. This generation is far more exposed to the latest technology than Generation Z. Concepts like remote work and AI are much more familiar to them, but this also makes them the most vulnerable to the negative impacts of technology. 

Despite experiencing different times, the cultural preferences of generations often blend into each other, so it would be incorrect to assume that the generational age ranges are definitive. 

French public intellectual and sociologist Pierre Bourdieu claimed that culture, norms, values, etc. are passed from one generation to another, a process he named 'cultural reproduction'. This process is influenced by a number of factors, including 'cultural capital' and 'social capital'. 

Put simply, cultural capital is one's ability to utilise resources. It is a type of capital that is 'embodied' in an individual and gives them the skills or privileges to access 'objective' cultural artefacts. Education, behaviour, intellect, knowledge, etc. are some examples of cultural capital. 

Meanwhile, the 'social capital' is a type of cultural capital. It refers to social networks or relationships one forms in his/her particular society. It enables people to share identities, knowledge, values and build trust. 

Cultural capital and social capital can be transferred from one another. Typically, they are transferred from and to family members through socialisation.

How are all these relevant? Well, in the era of digital technology and social networking sites (SNS), one can network with people all over the world and transfer cultural and social capital. 

Because the exchange of cultural and social capital allows one to welcome foreign cultures, the process of cultural reproduction has changed quite a bit in this digital age. 

People from one corner of the world can transmit cultural values to people from another corner in the shortest order of time. Due to global network access, the new generations can reproduce a culture that is different from the generations before. 

In this regard, Spanish sociologist and communication theorist Manuel Castells coined the term 'network society' - discussing a way of life in which daily lives are structured around interconnected digital networks. The theory focuses on networks that use microelectronic technology to manage and analyse information. 

Castells argued that not only technology, but also "influences such as religion, cultural upbringing, political organisations, and social status all shape the network society". 

In the network society, individuals are able to form relationships with people they have no connection with outside of the digital world. These relationships are considered to be "weak ties". 

Despite the name, their strength is palpable. According to Granovetter's groundbreaking research, weak ties are more likely to produce valuable information than strong ties. 

Weak ties consist of acquaintances and potential relationships that are yet to form as opposed to strong ties of close friends, where most people know each other. Thus, your acquaintances or weak ties are able to provide information that your close friends or strong ties may not. 

The logic of weak ties, network society, and the transmission of cultural capital has facilitated rapid cultural globalisation. As a result, the cultural landscape has changed significantly in Bangladesh. 

Glocality

A convergence of cultures is taking place in Bangladesh, creating an atmosphere for 'glocal' culture. Globalisation has enabled the blending of the global and the local, triggering a glocal localisation. 

Glocality is an important concept in global cultural practices and modern consumerism. 

For example, there are burgeoning fandoms in Bangladesh who are reproducing foreign cultural content in the backdrop of Bangladeshi culture. Fans are creating fusion songs and dances, and spreading them on SNS. 

We often see fanart of foreign characters in Bengali attires or settings when we visit SNS-based fandom groups. On platforms like YouTube and Tiktok, fans reenact their favourite performances, sometimes with a parodic twist. 

This glocal culture will likely grow and gain more followers as future generations become more tech-savvy and digitally connected. 

The new generations want to feel culture and have a 'live' experience of culture. Their cultural tastes are intertwined with their consumerist practices, such as buying merchandise, visiting restaurants, buying outfits, and so on. 

Following the logic of late capitalism and the neoliberal economic world order, it seems quite impractical to divorce consumerism from culture as far as the new generations and their cultural tastes are concerned. 

Addressing the cultural tastes of the new generation

Culture is not something that should be paid homage to. If it needs homage, it is dead! 

Culture should be lived and experienced. It is beyond celebratory and showcasing purposes. 

Have we devised any policy to make the national culture felt and experienced through the everyday life and practices of new generations? 

From schooling to the administrative sectors, our imaginations and feelings about national culture are quite limited to seasonal acknowledgments during, say, the Language Day or Noboborsho.

Therefore, policymakers and culturalists must address the cultural tastes of Bangladesh's new generations, especially Generation Z and Alpha, who are going to lead the nation in the coming decades. 

Any understanding of the current cultural landscape would remain limited without acknowledging the new cultural tastes. For more timely and meaningful policy making, we need to cater to the new cultural preferences that simultaneously create space for global and local culture to flourish, and also promote our traditions and heritage. 

Dr Ratan Kumar Roy is an Assistant Professor at the School of General Education of Brac University. 

Nusrat Tasnim Fariha is a Research Assistant at the International Research Center of SIMEC Institute of Technology, Dhaka. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.