The Modern Era of Globalization - Assignment Example

GLOBALIZATION by Introduction The world is increasingly changing each day. With the existing thoughts and intricacies in the political, economic and socio-cultural beliefs, man is continuing to contemplate about aspects of his nature. Commerce, trade, unity, and equality take the lead in mans complexities. With these beliefs, man has progressed through history trying to gratify his desires in relation to others. The beginning of the twenty-first century bore the idea of the world as a single community thus, the birth of globalization. According to Baker et al. (1998), globalization is the quickened and intensified economic interaction among individuals, organizations, and governments of different nations. Globalization is not a new ideology. For many years, people have been travelling across long distances trading goods and services. During the middle ages, traders toured along the Silk Road that connected China and Europe. The modern era of globalization started with Industrial Revolution in the 18th century; with new machines producing more goods at cheaper prices, and steamboats and trains transporting goods faster and further. Since then, globalization has speedily developed over the years, and it is easier today for people to work in countries other than their home countries. The internet gives companies a chance to reach more customers around the globe while workers are employed in companies that may be miles away. The debate on globalization is growing. Whereas many nations favour it because their governments believe their economies can grow, other people disagree. The opponents feel that all countries including the poor countries should benefit from globalization by improving mainly, their technology, education, and economy (ORourke & Williamson 1999). According to Sachs (1992), the global homogenization is in full swing. A world’s monoculture is easily accessible in the entire world. With increased assimilation of humanity beyond nations, the world is compressing into an interdependent global community. Today, many people liken the globalization process with the promotion of Western nations interests. This makes the developing countries feel compelled to declare their superiority and accept the Western way of life as the norm. Because of executing Western ideologies, homogenization of cultures and loss of identity occurs. The diversity and wide variety of cultures have been a peoples identity for a long time. Societies have prospered and grown through borrowing from each others cultures. Today, cultures have stopped being associated with geographical area or society; they are connected to the modern time they exist in as well as to the entire world because of globalization (Beverley et al. 1998). There are unique cultures emerging such as internet culture and others such as young peoples culture becoming a part of a universal set of ideas and values turning the world into a global culture. Globalization and Homogenization of World Cultures The consequences of global culture can be grouped into three namely, homogenization, hybridization, and polarization. Homogenization proclaims that because of globalization; culture is accustomed to a Western or American pattern (Weber 2001). While there is some evidence to support this view, the presence of cultural resistance to Western norms suggests that polarization portrays a more convincing picture of global cultural influence. Because of its complexity, culture becomes hard to standardize than technology or economic organization. The concept of hybridization argues that cultures assimilate and borrow elements from each other creating forms (Liu et al. 2011). Hybridization thesis can be evidenced by popular music and religious life. The globalization cultural outcomes are, therefore, complex and diverse. A globally homogenized culture creates a large market to sell products adding an economic advantage to the world. When the world is culturally homogenized, the potential market expands more than when the global culture is fragmented. For example, a movie firm can only sell its product to a local area because it may not translate the film well to other cultures. As the world becomes more homogenized, the film can be sold more easily to more areas. The more the world shares a culture, the more products are acceptable thus; a wider market for products whose popularity depends on the consumers tastes (Giddens, 2003). A global culture benefits transnational companies economically. Transnational companies are able to offer wealth to indigenous populations that actions take precedence over upholding their cultures. The companies, who set their sights on economic expansion, can grow as the locals benefit from employment, and availability of goods and services at reasonable prices. Communications and technology have assisted to boost cultural globalization (Grant et al. 2002). Satellite television, Internet, and digital communication types of communication, which have gone beyond the control of the government and other national boundaries. Another advantage of a globally homogenized culture is that some matters such as human rights are internationalized. With information through media, it becomes difficult for anyone to abuse the right of another, including animals and the environment. While culture unification has its advantages, at the same time, it brings the risk of intercultural conflict. For some nations, their culture is everything that makes them who they are. In an attempt to preserve ones language, culture or relation nations may become involved in conflicts. Some people may view each other as aliens due to negative stereotypes; this could lead to a clash of civilizations. Additionally, increased interaction between different cultures could lead to a unified culture dominated by the influencing nation. This could lead to cultural imperialism where one dominant economy, its policies, and culture dominate others. (Jorgenson & Kick 2006). The spread of popular cultural practices around the globe dilutes and overrides local cultures with the threat that the cultural diversity that globalization offers will be drenched beneath a droning uniformity. Media influence has given companies opportunity to promote their cultural preferences. Companies that dominate the United States media are the same companies that dominate the global media. These companies aggressively try to lead in the global market. Global markets present better opportunities for growth and expansion ahead of competition. Countries such as United States benefit because the expansion of US media companies leads to expansion of US culture. Hollywood is an example of cultural globalization with an American schema. A countless line of films promoting the political and cultural agenda comes from Hollywood, which has driven other independent filmmaking organizations out of business. Some countries such as Mexico have experienced government incentives try to support the film organizations while the success of Indian Bollywood film business is an example of how people can resist other cultures (Ruddier et al. 2009).The benefits to the transnational companies are huge. They own the digital television and cable channels around the world, which earn them huge incomes. Effects of Globalization on Economy, Politics and Culture In the current world, improved transportation and communication have produced more intense, more frequent, more inclusive interaction among people of different cultures. As a result, their identity has become significant. Conflicts have not ended with globalization, but globalization has established new identities embedded in the culture in which to view the whole world. In the past two centuries, economic activity has taken a more integrated global approach. Some economists state that thinking in terms of national economies is no longer necessary. International trade is more central to domestic and local economies around the world. The global economy has seen new jobs created. Economists project more than 50% increase in new jobs in the US yearly is directly associated with the global economy. International institutions such as WTO (World Trade Organization) and IMF (International Monetary Fund) facilitate a free flow of goods and services in the international market. These, along with other organizations work towards economic integration within the global market. Most economists evaluate economic globalization as creating a positive impact by creating a link between economic transactions across the globe. The past two decades have witnessed an internationalization of information involving expansion of communication through electronic mail and internet. People in almost all countries can communicate their perspectives and opinions on global and local issues that influence their lives. Satellite technology has enabled a few news organizations to disseminate news. CNN can extend its reach to the most remote areas of the world (Friedman 2004). Modern technology and communication have influenced the field of popular culture. Information technology has enabled a wide area of locally based popular culture to reach wider audience. For example, world music has attracted a wide international audience. Through globalization, the transmission of culture, which is considered popular, is increasing from developed countries to the world. Local critics of this development lament the silencing of domestic cultures and the reaching out of ‘alien culture and potential homogenization of cultural taste and values. On the political scene, globalization has impacts though there is no consensus amongst scientists about the degree of its influence on international and national politics. Some scientists argue that globalization has a weakening effect on nation states and that; global institutions will ultimately take over power and functions of nation states. Others believe that though global interrelations will result in changes in world politics, the nation-states will remain in the middle of international political activities (Gangopadhyay & Chatterji 2005). It follows that with globalization and its changes in global economic relations, the model of 19th and 20th century of the nation-state may become outdated. The economic direction of the contemporary nation-state is centred on national economic interests, which may conflict with the global tendency towards rapid and free movement of goods and services. It is, therefore, questionable whether the modern nation state can endure its present form in the new global era (Cohen & Kennedy, 2013). Conclusion There are intense arguments about globalization and its negative and positive effects. While globalization is perceived by many as having the potential to enrich societies through trade and to bring information to people around the globe, others perceive it as contributing to exploitation of poor by the rich and a threat to cultures because modernization has a changing effect on society. Others connect globalizations negative aspects to terrorism. They argue that declining or exploitative conditions contribute to the attraction of informal networks that commit terrorist or criminal acts internationally. In this instance, terrorism is globalised. Some critics also argue that globalization causes todays financial problems. Todays financial downfall, unfair trade, inequality, and insecurity are caused by globalization. According to Naím (2009), around the world, groups are still connecting, and the economic tension or crisis will not slow down their international activities. As the private economic activity goes down, the global movement of public funds is growing. Globalization is diverse, extensive and powerful force, which cannot be slowed down or reversed by the powerful economic crash. Currently, the process of globalization is more individualized than ever. It is likely that efforts to minimize globalization costs, steer international assimilation solve the global crisis and steer management of the global arena, will continue to fall short. A global culture can be identified in two ways. One is through communication and the other, technologies enabling people far away from each other to be aware of each others culture. In this context, global culture encourages people to mix their cultures and diversity. This has enabled people all over the world to overcome national boundaries and hold common grounds (Mander et al. 2006). The most common thought of global culture is that, it is one of a Western, predominantly American culture slowly imposing itself in the world often to the disadvantage of long established national cultures. For the critics opposed to globalization, this kind of global culture is gradually killing diversity and frustrating traditional methods of life. Whether it is an issue of climate change or terrorism, the gap between the need to act collectively at the global level and ability of the global world to satisfy that need is most dangerous shortfall facing humanity. Concerning culture and cultural diversity, culture is the way people live every day. Culture has always been different but equal. Every culture is worthy of non-interference and at the same time valuable. References list Baker, D., Epstein, G. and Pollin, R. (1998). Globalization and progressive economic policy. [Cambridge]: Cambridge University Press. Beverley, J., Cohen, P. and Harvey, D. (1998). Subculture and homogenization =. Barcelona: Fundació Antoni Tàpies. COHEN, R., & KENNEDY, P. M. (2013). Global sociology. Friedman, J. (2004). Cultural identity and global process. London, Sage Publications. Gangopadhyay, P., & Chatterji, M. (2005). Economics of globalisation. Aldershot, Ashgate. Giddens, A (2003) Runaway World: How Globalisation is Reshaping Our Lives (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith1999/lecture1.shtml) Grant, R., & Short, J. R. (2002). Globalization and the margins. New York, Palgrave Macmillan. Jorgenson, A., & Kick, E. L. (2006). Globalization and the environment. Leiden, Brill. Liu, S., Gallois, C., & Volcic, Z. (2011). 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