The Extending Periphery: Conflicts and Identities

This article furthers the themes expounded in the previous chapter and exposes the critical issues in the dynamics of the “centre” versus the extending periphery. Whereas the focus of the preceding chapter was on the movement from the “centre” to the “periphery,” in this case the centre is de-localised as investments target new markets and the former Commonwealth context becomes a global scenario, as seen in the case of Australia, South Africa, and Jamaica. Confrontation with the dramatic past and the subsequent cultural clash are inevitable and account for the tensions of marginalisation and exclusion. The case of caricatures of African Americans, Latinos and Italian migrants regarding bananas, from plantation to fruit shop, is indicative of how ethnic stereotyping has tagged minorities, from plantation labour to fruit vendors (see also chapter five). The stigma is also graphically marked in lines and clouds of “broken language” (Banania). Other critical issues are the lack of recognition of native cultures and localisation. The issues related to localisation are manifest in branding products by plant names, and even in the discovery of precious gems that are then trademarked under the names of the proprietors of mines, and in conformity to the canons of the “centre” (Tanzanite). The conclusion is more like a warning: the risk of erosion of cultural identities and local specificity may also impact on the former “centres.” De-localisation can then also mean that the origin of the advertised product is blurred or cannot be tracked. The claim of the originality of traditional British products, Tex-Mex food, and beauty products have now become part of multinational corporations as the time-established centrality has become fluid and volatile.