Demystifying the US Ecosystem: Myth 5

Myth 5: Exported cultural products represent American cultural values and international cultural policy priorities.

Exporting Culture

When the U.S. uses the term exporting culture, it is usually in reference not to the export of cultural goods and services through trade but rather to a component of cultural diplomacy based on citizen exchanges and the promotion of American performing arts. In fact, popular culture is often considered to promote a negative perception of American life because the quality of mass media exports does not usually reflect the “best” of American culture as found in the traditional disciplines of literature, dance, theater, music, visual arts, architecture and design.

Following September 11, 2001, the United States has reinvigorated its public diplomacy initiatives, which were de-emphasized during the post-Cold War period when the United States Information Agency (USIA) was incorporated into the State Department in 1999. While in the past the U.S.’s public diplomacy efforts were considered synonymous with propaganda tactics, a perception that lingers abroad, public and cultural diplomacy has evolved to include a means of fostering mutual understanding and the reinforcement of a common humanity.

During the Cold War, public diplomacy focused on both elites and the public masses and included such initiatives as Voice of America, a multimedia international broadcasting service launched in 1942, the 1946 Fulbright Program for citizen cultural exchanges, the 1964 Arts in Embassies Program showcasing American art in embassies abroad, and the American Centers /Corners which often included open access to information (many of which have since been closed.) Since 9-11, there has been a shift to address the Arab and Muslim world and its youth and new cultural representative programs have been introduced.

In the U.S., exporting culture is not considered to be synonymous with exporting entertainment and the country uses its own terminology when discussing cultural diversity and creative industry related issues. As a result, cultural exemptions in trade accords have proved to be a divisive issue between the United States and some of its closest neighbors and allies. It is the U.S.’s historic conceptual definition that focuses on entertainment along with its defense of free trade that has created tension between the U.S. and other countries seeking to carve out a market share for their own cultural voices. Within the United States there has been a paradigm shift from the idea of the “entertainment” industries to the concept of “copyright industries,” seen as a “creator” right, to refer to printing, publishing, audiovisual, multimedia, crafts, and design works. However, the U.S. still holds firm to the belief that these industries are best regulated through market forces with individual consumers determining success.

International Priorities

U.S. international cultural policy priorities are centered around education, preservation, the free flow of information and intellectual property rights. The United States was a founding member of the United Nations Education, Science, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the main international cultural policy related organization, but withdrew in 1984 in protest over mismanagement and programs believed to contradict American values (specifically freedom of the press.) In 2003, the U.S. rejoined the organization and reinstated the U.S. National Commission to UNESCO. This decision continues to be controversial especially because the U.S., by providing 22% of UNESCO’s budget, is the largest investor. The U.S.’s declared priorities at UNESCO, which include education and development, democracy and free flow of information, cultural preservation and exchange reflect domestic and international priorities.

Besides UNESCO, the U.S. engages in other fora that consider cultural policy related issues including the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the Organization of American States (OAS). Representation is primarily provided by officials from the State Department, accompanied by representatives from the various federal cultural agencies, departments, and offices that manage culture. Internationally, the U.S. has shown particular commitment to education and preservation/heritage initiatives through participation in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites Program, and through its Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation supporting global tangible and intangible heritage. Although the United States is not historically regarded as being a proponent of treaty commitments which might restrict its sovereign rights, it has signed over 35 treaties pertaining to cultural property, copyright and intellectual property, publications, telecommunications, migration, women and human rights. Notably, however, the United States has not signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) nor did it vote for the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions at UNESCO in 2005.

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