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Koreatown, Manhattan
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This paper compares two seemingly conflictual cultural systems located near each other in Manhattan's ...... More...
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Paper Abstract:
This paper compares two seemingly conflictual cultural systems located near each other in Manhattan's Koreatown, the Koryo Book Store and the Grammy Karaoke pub. Various theories of urban studies are explained and the two cultural systems are used to show how these theories are illustrated in Koreatown.
Paper Introduction:
Koreatown Manhattan The W nd St block of Koreatown in Manhattan between fifth andsixth avenues is an enclave of Korean restaurants and businesses Koreatown Known as K-Town by locals the neighborhood is primarilya business district as few people live in the area There are conflictualcultural systems in the neighborhood As one urban studies analystexplains Once focused on fulfilling the needs of New York\'s burgeoningKorean-American community it has seen an increase in non-Korean traffic inthe last few years Koreatown Demonstrating this are the
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Culture as Praxis. Known as "K-Town" by locals, the neighborhood is primarilya business district as few people live in the area. There are conflictualcultural systems in the neighborhood. As one urban studies analystexplains, "Once focused on fulfilling the needs of New York's burgeoningKorean-American community, it has seen an increase in non-Korean traffic inthe last few years" (Koreatown 1). They now unite all peopleglobally into a culture of consumerism and increasing cosmopolitanism thatis reflected by seemingly conflictual but simultaneously co-existingcultural systems like the karaoke pub and the book store. Works CitedAppadurai, Arjun. This mixing but distinction isrelevant to Appadurai's (33) belief that "global flows," such asfinancescapes, technoscapes, and mediascapes, now transcend national,political, cultural, and geographic borders. 2 9. Strangely Familiar: Design and Everyday Life, 56-71."Koreatown, Manhattan." Wikipedia, 6 April 2 9 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreatown,_Manhattan, 1-3."Koryo Books." (Image). However, theyare also part of midtown Manhattan and these distinct cultural systems showthat they are also part of the global experience of culture, expression,and consumption in their different uses. Minneapolis, MN: Univ. While the Grammy Karaoke isdesigned to take advantage of Midtown Manhattan's upscale, youthful crowd;the Koryo Book Store is designed to cater to primarily Korean consumers.Even so, neither of these is distinctly American or distinctly designed byspace, location or use to be American. (2 9).Hunt, Jamer. New York: Routledge, 2 8, 165-177.Bauman, Zygmunt. As Appadurai (31) argues, "The United States is nolonger the puppeteer of a world system of images but is only one node of acomplex transnational construction of imaginary landscapes." Ironically,even though both of these establishments are located close together and arepart of the business district known as Koreatown, only one is distinctlyKorean. New York: Routledge, 1994.Eagleton. Koreatown, Manhattan The 23 W. "Here and Now." In Modernity at Large. of Minnesota Press, xi-xxi.Appadurai, Arjun. Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers. Appadurai's theory of scapes (global flows) and the theory ofconsumption are clearly evident in this block of Koreatown and Koreatown ingeneral. Thebook store caters to primarily Korean readers or those who speak and/orread Korean. In this way the cultural systemswithin Koreatown, despite its title, are universally applicable ifdependent on use. The Fabric of Cultures: Fashion, Identity, and Globalization. The Face of Fashion: Cultural Studies in Fashion. Appiah's (xiii) definition ofcosmopolitanism also sheds greater insight and deeper understanding intothese distinct cultural systems on Koreatown. 32nd St. "Just Re-Do It: Tactical Formlessness and Everyday Consumption." In Blauvelt, Andrew, ed. Appiah (xiii) definescosmopolitan as a perspective that views all human beings on the globe "asso many branches of a single family, and the universe as a state, of whichthey...promote together...the perfection of the whole." In this sense,different branches of different families patronize or consume or make useof the cultural systems in Koreatown. In"Culture as Concept," Bauman (4) shares the slogan, "Don't ask for themeaning: ask for the use." In this we see that the conflictual culturalsystems the Koryo Book Store and Grammy Karaoke are better understood intheir spatial proximity and distinctions when looking at their use. In the construction of modern urban spaces,applicability of constructs or cultural systems remains highly critical forachieving this reality. "Visions of Culture," 1-8."Grammy Karaoke." (Image). Minneapolis, MN: Univ. In many ways, these two cultural systems are different, from theirtarget consumers to their offerings and uses. of Minnesota Press, 7 -85.Appiah, Kwame Anthony. Both of these disparateuses exist within the same or unified construct of "Koreatown." We see that the cultural systems here are distinct in many ways butthey are in the same neighborhood and are part of Koreatown. As such, despite their being of thesame global family of consumers/users, they have distinct needs and requiredifferent cultural systems for different uses. Despite these differences,they both show how modernity is created. Demonstrating this are the two culturalsystems shown believe, the façade of the Korean "Koryo Books" (left) andthe image of the "Grammy Karaoke" (right) pub on the same block. This is because as societybecomes more diverse and cosmopolitanism rises, individual differences likeethnicity or religion still matter to individuals but society becomesmodified or modernized in that it becomes a construct that is driven bymultiple not national or ethnic or other solitary interests. [pic] [pic] The conflicting cultural systems pictured above can best beexplained by three theories of urban studies, including Arjun Appadurai'stheory of "scapes" and "global flows," Kwame Appiah's theory of"cosmopolitanism," and Zygmunt Bauman's "culture as concept." Theconflictual cultural systems of the Koryo Book Store and the Grammy Karaokereadily show the vague and difficult nature of defining culture. "Fashion Brazil: South American Style, Culture, and Industry." In Eugenia Paulicelli and Hazel Clark, eds. Minneapolis, MN: Univ. These two cultural systems demonstrate that larger forces thanethnicity or national identity drive individual, social, market andgovernment interrelations around the globe. However, it would not be applicable if otherestablishments designed to appeal to a broader and more universal audiencedid not exist in the same location. block of Koreatown in Manhattan between fifth andsixth avenues is an "enclave of Korean restaurants and businesses"(Koreatown 1). "Introduction." In Modernity at Large. In this way, scapes or global flows meld what used to be distinctlycultural features such as national identity, secure borders, and differenteconomies. As Appadurai (1)notes, "Modernity belongs to that small family of theories that bothdeclares and desires universal applicability for itself." In modernsociety it is applicable that residents of Midtown Manhattan's large Koreanpopulation would be offered constructs designed for their distinct uses,such as the Koryo Book Store. Despite talking about fashion, the distinct uses andsimilarities of these two cultural systems might be summed up by Brandini's(164) assertion that "The cultural mixing process demands the creation offashions that are sensitive to this reality." In this sense, the culturalsystems of the book store and the karaoke pub can be viewed as "fashions"that are sensitive to the realities of modernity, from global flows thatshape culture to the need for broad imaginary constructs that pertain tothe needs of a united but diverse world population where the local isundermined by the universal. It is readily clear that the three theories of "scapes,""cosmopolitanism," and "culture as concept" are all illustrated by thecultural systems of the Koryo Book Store and the Grammy Karaoke inKoreatown. of Minnesota Press, 1-23.Appadurai, Arjun. of Minnesota Press, 27-43.Appadurai, Arjun. Theydemonstrate that even in America, the world's dominant culture, a globalvillage is developing. Norton & Company, 2 6.Brandini, Valeria. In this sense "Koreatown" is imaginary as a construct as well.This shows that the impact of scapes and global flows is not only inwardbut outward as well, affecting all cultures involved in exchange. Boston: Routledge, 1973.Craik, Jennifer. "Periodicities and Histories." In Modernity at Large. New York: W.W. The karaoke pub; however, caters to the young, hip mid-towncrowd that embraces diverse cultures and peoples. "Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy." In Modernity at Large. Minneapolis, MN: Univ. The mainthing is that modernity is driven by applicability. As such, the Grammy Karaoke and Koryo Book Store represent muchmore than two shops in close proximity to each other in Koreatown.
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