Title: Cultural imports, foreign influences, and domestic traditions | VOX, CEPR Policy Portal
Headings: 
The importance of culture
What’s in a name?
Foreign media’s influence on names
References

Content: In a pioneering investigation, Francois and van Ypersele (2002) modelled the externality as being mediated by increasing returns in the production of cultural goods. The idea is that imported cultural goods might crowd out domestic alternatives, leaving some consumers (those that highly value the domestic version) worse off. More recent investigations by Janeba (2007), Rauch and Trindade (forthcoming), and Olivier et al. ( 2008) have built the externality between consumers directly into the utility function. The first three papers find that restrictions on trade in cultural goods can be welfare-improving. The Olivier et al. paper does not derive welfare results, but it does highlight the disutility experienced by the parent generation as their children adopt new cultures. A 2007 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center finds some evidence of the tension in many countries over displacement of domestic customs by those imported from the US. Responses are summarised in the table below. Response: