Essay: Globalization Culture

SAMPLE EXCERPT:

[. . .] This is not strictly a one-way street, with America exporting itself around the world, and it is absurd to even think that. China has just as much influence around the world, as the dominant power in vast swathes of Asia and Africa. But even the almighty Internet -- an American invention dominated by American companies -- serves mainly as a communications tool. Its openness has become a powerful tool that allows people to build communications in their own image. This newfound openness is by far and away the greatest contribution of American culture to the world -- hamburgers are for people who can't think beyond a high school level. The Internet is not just built on the American model, but on the 21st century American model. This an American culture that has had to be exported to half of Americans, those older enough to remember a time without the Web (Tapscott, 2012). The openness, transparency and shifting communication styles afforded by the Internet is a transference of young, liberal American values around the world.

Globalization and Homogenization

Even with that, however, it can be argued that this culture is by no means homogenous. It has been adapted, as have older ideas like capitalism and democracy, to meet local contexts. It is tempting to look at a handful of global, leading cities and think that this openness to global influence is the norm in the world, but that is not the case. Ghemawat (2012) argues that there are key cities that are becoming globalized, but most of the world is not. Most of the world exists with a few elements of internationalism at best. Todays' burger or blockbuster is just an export, with limited cultural influence, just as in centuries past it would have been crops or gems that found their way around the world. The phenomenon of trade is old, and products are superficial. If a family in Dubai eats KFC for iftar, which of those things is the more deeply-embedded cultural element, the iftar or what is eaten? The food will change over the centuries with availability, but the meaning of the meal will not change.

Conclusion

Ghemawat has argued that the world has very little globalization, despite some outward, superficial examples. Indeed, if we look at the critical elements of culture, those seem to have changed little around the world. Some of the claims of American cultural homogenization are absurd, while others are grossly overstated. The deeper cultural traits, as identified by Hofstede, tend to show that America remains an outlier globally, its closest neighbors also being those bearing strong British liberal democratic influence. What elements of globalization there are can easily be undone, but just as important they are not strictly American anyway. The world's most globalized cities -- places like Dubai, Hong Kong or even Toronto -- are not American and arguably bear limited American influence, fast food aside. There is no real chance that global culture will become Americanized any time soon. Cultures are strong, and take generations to change. As long as the main American exports are products, not ideas, America will not be much influence. The Internet, to the extent it promotes openness is the one area where things might change and the U.S. does have influence, but again this is something that is a global cultural element, filtered through the lenses of hundreds of cultures, to take local forms and trend towards a middle goal, not a strictly American one. The world isn't just listening to America, it's talking. It's a shame that some commentators can't hear that over the sound of their own voices.

References

Ghemawat, P. (Artist) & TEDTalks (Producer) (2012) Pankaj Ghemawat: Actually, the world isn't flat. [Web] Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/pankaj_ghemawat_actually_the_world_isn_t_flat

Hall, S. (2000). The local and the global: Globalization and identity. Culture, Globalization and the World System. University of Minnesota Press: Minneapolis.

Hofstede, G. (2014). National culture. Geert-Hofstede.com. Retrieved March 31, 2014 from http://geert-hofstede.com/national-culture.html

Tapscott, D. (Artist), & TEDTalks, (Producer) (2012).Don Tapscott: Four principles for the open world [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/don_tapscott_four_principles_for_the_open_world_1 [END OF PREVIEW]