Globalization Phenomena and Cultural Impacts - Coursework Example

GLOBALIZATION PHENOMENA AND CULTURAL IMPACTS Student’s name Course & code Professor’s name University City Date Contents 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Globalization and Fashion Cultures 3 3.0 Sports Culture and Globalization 4 4.0 Globalization and Media 5 5.0 Globalization and Economic Effects 6 7.0 Educational Globalization 8 8.0 Globalization and Cultural Effects on the Entertainment Industry (music and film industries) 9 9.0 Globalization and Tourism 10 10.0 Conclusion 10 11.0 Bibliography 11 Globalization Phenomena and Cultural Impacts 1.0 Introduction Globalization is the process of worldwide interlinking and connection in all living aspects to enhance information and communication flow from one region to another. Globalization affects individuals both positively and negatively in various areas such as: political organization, financial, economic aspects and social aspects (Boudreaux,2008). One of the most important facts about globalization is that communication has been made easy in such a way that people from all walks of life can share experiences and influence the way of living of other people. The globalization phenomena have led to acceptance and accommodation of different cultures by people due to increased sharing of information through various platforms such as social media, print media, broadcast media and interaction through educational institutions. Through all these avenues, there has been openness and tolerance to divergent cultures all over the globe ranging from fashion, entertainment, economic, tourism, political, education, healthcare, sports and law among other aspects. The major global forces attributed to globalization in all aspects include technological advancement, media and improved transport system (Kruse, 1993). 2.0 Globalization and Fashion Cultures Globalization being a gradual and effective widespread phenomenon has expressed its effects on fashion industry from ancient ages to current times. Ease of dissemination of information from place to place especially through media has led to westernization of how people dress and fashion in general. The traditional dressing in majority of the places in the world is being abandoned as the new westernized mode of dressing is being embraced (Bordo, 2003). Technology, being the main factor fuelling globalization has improved from time to time making globalization to penetrate more even to most remote areas in the world. As a result, in the people’s lives, they virtually socialise, knowing the way of living of other people. This leads to individuals changing their perceptions and attitudes about the external cultures and accommodate them. Ladies wear such as trousers and mini-skirts started as a western culture through model showcasing and advertisement and as spread all over the world. Currently, the mode of dressing is almost similar all over the world except for slight differences. The fashion industry has been greatly influenced by celebrity endorsement of certain wear product brands by specific celebrities. With immerse number of fans for these celebrities worldwide, there is a positive effect towards them purchasing those brands and consequently changing their way of fashion and dressing. With advance in technology and there is online internet marketing provided by many production companies. People can easily and promptly acquire whichever fashion and wear materials they order for (Bordo, 2003). People will as much wish to be associated with their fashion models that lead to the greater impact in people’s way of dressing. People have come to accept the way of living of others for instance the fashion models are believed to be slim so that they can perfectly fit in their outfits. This has led to many ladies to use all means to look and wear like the fashion models. 3.0 Sports Culture and Globalization Sports sector has become greatly globalized with sport types that started and developed in certain regions in the world being internationally recognised and competitive. This leads to attraction of more participants and fans. With increased set of rules governing the way the sports are conducted (Maguire, 2011). The culture of many communities considered sports as a waste of time but at the current times it is being embraced globally and viewed as a source of entertainment and income. People have accommodated both the positive and negative effects of this globalization. Sports sector leads to generation of billions of money and therefore regarded as an essential part globalisation has played to make the world a better place. For instance, in the football section it is aired internationally and locally creating economic effect in the media and influencing many people to express their effects. Others have used sports to stage their business ideas and develop business platforms where people can predict winning teams and bet for them using some money. Through that the people, companies and to large extent, the governments generate their revenues. The technology improvement and innovativeness has led to creation of simulation games in electronic devices that make people become interested in sports. Social media allows too sharing of information and ideas of developing sport with others being considerate accommodating the divergent cultures of others (Maguire, 2011). 4.0 Globalization and Media Globalization has majorly been made possible through media. There are various means of communication of communication and it is the main platform of creating a awareness internationally about cultures of different regions. Consequently, there are impacts experienced in the other places that lead to influence and embracing some aspects of the new cultures. Global telecommunication and technologies have been on the development cycle over the years. Flow of information has been made easy, dependable, and real-time with the international heavy marketing of televisions, radios, and computers used for communication. They enable easy sharing and access of information from every part of the world, peoples’ way of living and cultures (Kruse, 1993). With the advancement of technologies in the media industry, there has been development of social media in internet where people share various kinds of information. Ways of living are copied by others therefore changing their way of lifestyles. This has consequently led to emergence of hybrid of cultures, making it a homogeneous culture for all humans. The sharing of given beliefs about the morality of these cultures leads to cosmopolitanism. Those people that embrace the other cultures in a given region are normally not castigated but accepted in the community. Their personal choices that they make are respected and accommodated by others as long as it is not destructive to self or others. 5.0 Globalization and Economic Effects Modes of trade have changed over time all over the globe to accommodate new methods of doing business. This has led to rise in generation of income for both individual companies, organizations, people and governments. People have been transforming along with those innovations to be part of those who embrace those changes. Supermarkets and online marketing are mushrooming all over the world including remote areas due to positive globalization and influence from other areas where they have been practiced for long (Holt, 2002). Currently, through internet, people do online marketing which is both faster and efficient in use. This saves time resources and reduces the marketing struggles. It is a virtual market platform where payment is also done online and the client’s purchased goods are delivered to them. Through science, technology, and globalization as whole businesses in remote areas has been improved to compete in the international market. Through online marketing and payment technologies such as credit payment and mobile money transfer, the whole world seem to be a one small village through the effects of cosmopolitanism, the various modes of trade are improved by combination to make them homogeneous one (Mathur, 2010). 6.0 Globalization and Political Cultural Impacts Globalization and improvement in all spheres of life such as communication and infrastructure has resulted to ease of leadership over a large area. There has been experienced combination and sharing of resources and leadership making some regions a political bloc for ease of governance. Subsequently, there have been establishment of international political institutions such as the United Nations which foresees various aspects in all member states (Mejia-Vergnaud and Andres, 2004).The world has been made to be like one single country with sub states under the umbrella united nations. People from various places under these institutions share and learn from each other in various aspects leading to homogenization and cosmopolitanism. In order to ensure political integration, there must be establishment common language for communication by these member countries. For instance English has become one of the widespread languages used in international communication. Its use has affected global-local dialects as through globalized interaction, individuals learn to speak like others. The political integration as a result of globalization has made it possible for leaders to meet in forums and make joint decisions concerning their people. This reduces the level of differences and conflicts between member states hence resulting in achievement of a peaceful global community. Political globalization helps leaders to share ideas on common matters concerning environment, terrorism, education, health and technology. It results in reduced ideological conflicts and accommodation of other people’s way of governance. There is also establishment of funds by these countries through the World Bank to finance specific agreed projects in member states that lead to development and improved living standards of people 7.0 Educational Globalization With complexity in technology and inventions, the educational sector has greatly undergone dynamic changes to accommodate these changes and technological developments. Educational globalization has led to sharing and blending of educational systems with those from all other places in the world to make one standard system that is homogeneous and accepted by all in the world. The educational fields such as medicine, engineering and business studies are some of the ones that have greatly been homogenized (Nützenadel and Trentmann, 2008). The technological platform where people from various parts and cultures all over the world can enrol for certain online courses and attend virtual classes has been made a reality with the educational globalization. Through this interaction of people of diverse cultures, sharing and appreciation of each other’s different ways of living ensues resulting to homogeneity. These systems are gradually replacing the traditional educational systems which didn’t allow much sharing between communities of diverse cultures. Through learning of others’ differences in anthropological and social structures, understanding each other makes it easy to resolve cultural conflicts. An immense amount of data and information has been made available to everyone with internet access. There has also been made ease travelling and sharing expatriate expertise with technological development in the transport sectors enhancing cosmopolitanism, acceptance of diverse cultures and acceptance of these changes (Bauman, 2001). In certain areas of the world, females were not allowed to attend school but with the globalization effects, these cultural values have been dumped and other better ones that are considerate of gender equity embraced from other cultures. The essence of education has been emphasized and embraced as more people are being sensitized through print media, social media, cultural events and interaction. Many organizations have emerged that champion for educational growth in both developed and underdeveloped countries making it easy to bring home cultural experiences and adversity from other places and fighting to end the cultural values that are harmful to the society such as female genital mutilation being practiced in some African communities. 8.0 Globalization and Cultural Effects on the Entertainment Industry (music and film industries) The film and music industries for the better part of the 20th and 21st centuries have been westernised and so far the western cultures dominate these fields and the entertainment industry at large. These cultural effects are continuing to be felt more with development of communication and social interaction technologies. In particular, celebrity endorsement of the music and film products has been a strategy that has greatly utilized and which has contributed much to these cultural effects. Celebrity endorsements arouse some change in attitude of the consumer towards the entertainment products (Adeyanju, A. 2015). Youth adults’ behaviour is influenced by the celebrity endorsement as most resort to changing their dressing to be similar to that of the celebrities. The fashion wear makes them express who they are and the way they want others to view them in the society. This by itself is cultural change geared towards homogeneity and acceptance by majority of individuals in the society. However, there are also various negative cultural effects that has come as a result of cultural globalization; easy access to information especially of age limitations such as pornographically prepared art can have a disastrous impact on minors. Legal tolerance and recognition of rights and freedom of people to carry themselves as homosexuals has influenced and offered other individuals a chance to carry out such acts against their own cultures (Holt, 2002). Acceptance and openness to other cultures therefore cannot only bring about positive cultural effects but also morally negative effects that are contrary to local community cultures. Some individuals have used globalization to exploit others by intimidation or by obtaining gains from them unfairly such as hacking and cybercrime (Mejia-Vergnaud). 9.0 Globalization and Tourism As a result of improved communication, technology and easy access to various parts of the world through globalization, there has been a rapid growth in the tourism sector. Enhanced methods of communication and fast relay of information from place to place has made the tourism industry expand in all countries. The services have been made better and suitable to all people from diverse cultures. They can make orders on the type of services they need based on their cultures and the local hosts become aware of these cultures and embrace some of them. Food consumed in various cultural communities differ to a greater extent and therefore globalization which has improved tourism has made learning of communities and countries from each other on the preparation, uses and value of certain foods (Cook and Crang, 1996). Presently, the foods consumed all over the globe are almost the same due to this cultural interaction, openness and tolerance that has led to accommodative society. Tourists come with different cultural views in all aspects from fashion, dressing, food, education and lifestyle which eventually cause some impact on the local communities that are hosts (Schlosser, 2002). This leads to appreciation of other’s cultures and cultural homogeneity is experienced. 10.0 Conclusion The globalization impact on the diverse cultures is a non-exhaustive issue as it has different effects in different areas all over the world. There are both positive and negative impacts of globalization that result to mixed attitude and views on the openness and tolerance of those cultures. Therefore, as globalization is embraced, care need to be taken to maximize the positive effects as the negative effects are considerably reduced. There have been considerable impacts of globalization that have led to cosmopolitanism, global-local dialects in linguistics through entertainment industry and education and homogenisation of the diverse cultures that blend to form a hybrid culture for all on specific matters. 11.0 Bibliography Adeyanju, A 2015, Influence of celebrity endorsement of advertisement. Saarbrucken: LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing. Bauman, Z 2001, ‘Consuming life’, Journal of consumer culture, vol1, no (1), pp.9-29. Boudreaux, Donald J, 2008, Globalization. Westport,Conn: Greenwood Press, Bordo, S 2003, Unbearable weight: Feminism, Western culture, and the body. Univ of California Press. Cook, I., and Crang, P 1996, ‘The world on a plate culinary culture, displacement and geographical knowledges’, Journal of material culture, vol 1, no (2), pp.131-153. Holt, DB 2002, ‘Why do brands cause trouble? A dialectical theory of consumer culture and branding’, Journal of consumer research, 29(1), pp.70-90. Kruse, H 1993, ‘Subcultural identity in alternative music culture’, Popular music, 12(01), pp.33-41. Maguire, JA 2011, ‘Globalization, sport and national identities,’ Sport in Society, 14(7-8), pp.978-993. Mathur, N 2010, ‘Shopping malls, credit cards and global brands consumer culture and lifestyle of india’s new middle class’, South Asia Research, vol 30, no 3, pp.211-231 Mejia-Vergnaud, A 2004, ‘Effects of globalization’, Effects Of Globalization.soc vol 41, no 3 pp.66-70. Nützenadel, A. and Trentmann, F 2008, Food and globalization: consumption, markets and politics in the modern world. Berg. Schlosser, E 2002, Fast Food Nation: What the All American Meal is Doing to The World. Read More