Does Globalization Diminish Cultural Differences
Giorgia Frizzi, 23rd July 2010
''Globalization, Localization, Glocalization''
Research Paper.
Does globalization weaken cultural diversity or does it foster it?
Effects of Globalization in Cultural differentiation
1. Introduction.
As some of us may know, the term “globalize” started being used in the modern times. However globalization as an idea has been brought up since even before the 1500’s when people started forming connections between communities, and therefore creating forms of communication, migration and such between these. And it is probably from these examples that in the modern era we came to call it Globalization which is known for being a process of integration between cultures, societies, economies, etc. Nonetheless, there have been, and there still are, many debates about the real cultural benefits of such global process. There is no argument that when it comes to globalization, culture is indeed a concept of complex controversies. There are many different points of view about how globalization affects cultures and many competing perspectives of cultural homogenization versus cultural differentiation. The positive perspective of cultural globalization is that cultural diversity gives people ample choices and enrichment of learning from different cultures and traditions. We get the chance to choose between globally produced goods, besides local products, without being bound by their geographical location. Critics instead state that there is a depletion of cultural diversity through processes like ‘‘Mcdonaldization’’. Scholars who dislike cultural globalization believe that there is no such thing as ''Globalization'' but there is instead a process of cultural imperialism, where the only values and life style spread are the American ones; hence the use of the term ''Americanization''. In these regards, Joschka Fischer, a German politician, claimed
I never use the concept, multipolar. I use multilateral. Because we have only one global power:
''Globalization, Localization, Glocalization''
Research Paper.
Does globalization weaken cultural diversity or does it foster it?
Effects of Globalization in Cultural differentiation
1. Introduction.
As some of us may know, the term “globalize” started being used in the modern times. However globalization as an idea has been brought up since even before the 1500’s when people started forming connections between communities, and therefore creating forms of communication, migration and such between these. And it is probably from these examples that in the modern era we came to call it Globalization which is known for being a process of integration between cultures, societies, economies, etc. Nonetheless, there have been, and there still are, many debates about the real cultural benefits of such global process. There is no argument that when it comes to globalization, culture is indeed a concept of complex controversies. There are many different points of view about how globalization affects cultures and many competing perspectives of cultural homogenization versus cultural differentiation. The positive perspective of cultural globalization is that cultural diversity gives people ample choices and enrichment of learning from different cultures and traditions. We get the chance to choose between globally produced goods, besides local products, without being bound by their geographical location. Critics instead state that there is a depletion of cultural diversity through processes like ‘‘Mcdonaldization’’. Scholars who dislike cultural globalization believe that there is no such thing as ''Globalization'' but there is instead a process of cultural imperialism, where the only values and life style spread are the American ones; hence the use of the term ''Americanization''. In these regards, Joschka Fischer, a German politician, claimed
I never use the concept, multipolar. I use multilateral. Because we have only one global power:
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