Research Paper on Globalization: A Historical Perspective

Introduction

Globalization is the interaction, integration, and interdependence of populations, governments, economies, and cultures brought about by advancement in technology and infrastructure that leads to the easy and fast flow of information and trade across the world. "We talk about globalization today as if it's some great big new thing that we've all just discovered. But there's nothing new about it." (Jacqueline Winspear,2006) It is a gradual process with a deep historical process dating way back even before civilization since the ancient humans would travel and share ideas and customs, unlike modern globalization where technology and communication are fast people, can travel for longer distances with minimum time. Culture is the knowledge encompassing people's way of life, their beliefs and customs, social behavior and laws "Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones, and a million other things," (Cristina De Rossi, 2017).

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There are two contesting ideologies in the debate if globalization is creating a single world culture, heterogenizers who view globalization as means to spread cultures and they are accepted by other societies, thus fostering cultural diversity while homogenizers who debate that everyone is gradually conforming to western cultures and they are dominating and suffocating other ways of life.

Homogenizers argue globalization is creating a single world culture in that the greatest catalyst for globalization is a technology, which has modernized many modes of transport, and people are traveling interchangeably for long distances for a minimal time, resulting in the diffusion of cultures. This has intensified social relations in that values and ideas are being simultaneously shared and exchanged amongst and across the world; people are relocating across different cultures, intermarrying, and creating families from different nations. Cultures fuse and turn to follow western trends.

Advanced technology has resulted in efficient internet and smartphones that are social media and support real-life communication. Mass media is so common that almost every home has a television .advanced technology has made it easy for media stations to broadcast from all over the world, and for viewers to access international content from television programs that air the same entertainment content. Due to this, people are accessing similar information over very short periods of time, creating some societal norms and expectations that people associate to and consider as their collective cultural activity or trends and fashions. "We also have a cultural phenomenon: the emergence of global culture, or cultural globalization."(Peter L Berger, 2019) .This results in people abandoning their traditional cultures for appealing trends and fashion that are a single popular western culture.

Globalization has created a single world culture through a transformative shift to international trade as compared to ancient forms of trade; this involves the consumption of diffused cultured products and services by the popular marketing media and travelers. Trade involves the transaction of goods and services, and this has resulted in some cultural items being traded across the world, thus losing their cultural values and originality. Some of the traditional dishes from different communities are in restaurants across the world and consumed by people of very different cultures; some American fast-food chains are located all across the world, offering different cuisines and are considered symbols of globalization. "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America."(Bill Clinton). International food chains influence traditional foods of a nation as most locals snob them and for international cuisines.

"Globalization has produced a new level of interdependence among us. The economy and multinational supply chains do not abide by political boundaries. A computer ordered in Brazil is designed in California and assembled in several other countries. Economic integration was the first strong evidence of a new era."(Eduardo Paes,2012).Economic globalization has enhanced a single world culture by encouraging the formation of trade blocks, unions, and agreements that foster an easy and fast movement of information, technology, capital, and goods, and services. This increases interdependence among regions or nations since there is an easy cross border trade. Businesses are leaning towards establishing more international branches, some outsource for cheap labor, some take advantage of the favorable legislation, but it all leads to cultures diffusing and people relocating to different places for jobs, where they engage in new social relationships creating shared socially diffused cultures and interdependence amongst themselves. "I find that because of modern technological evolution and our global economy, and as a result of the great increase in population, our world has greatly changed: it has become much smaller." (Dalai Lama).

Heterogenizers debate that with advanced technology, globalization provides chances for people to experience, appreciate, feel and promote different cultures, advanced and improved transport has promoted and encourage tourism since they acknowledge and appreciate different cuisines and cultures from international destination sites at a fee. This encourages locals to uphold their cultures, and it promotes different cultures to develop since they act as a source of income.

Enhanced communication has promoted the establishment of local channels that air and broadcast in local dialects across the world. Through mass media like television programs, documentaries about different cultures are aired, promoting cultural diversity. Through fast and efficient communication, people from different geographical locations and cultures communicate avoid biasness and prejudice.

Globalization, advanced communication, and the internet have provided a platform for every dialect to grow, provided for content to be created, stored, and shared and avail to all internet users across the world since they can be retrieved later on. Shared information provides for people to learn how to prepare different cuisines from different cultures, enhancing their popularity, thus cultural diversification.

Through Economic globalization, businesses are established internationally or open branches in other nations; people have to migrate to offer services or trade, whereby they socialize and learn about local cultures gaining new knowledge interchangeably. This does not necessarily mean they will be drawn into the western culture; people want to share ideas, enjoy art, explore, and enjoy the amicable business environment. "Outsourcing and globalization of manufacturing allow companies to reduce costs, benefits consumers with lower-cost goods and services, causes economic expansion that reduces unemployment, and increases productivity and job creation."(Larry elder, 2011)

Conclusion

In conclusion, "globalization brings togetherness and not sameness" (Wang, 2007). This illustrates that we can leave together in unity in the world and lack conflicts of diversity and uphold our cultures. "I give lectures on globalization. I have lived on three continents. I do not quarrel with a global consciousness."(Os Guinness ).

References

Forbes (2017, August 28). Is globalization creating a single world culture? Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com

Stiglitz, J. (2002). Globalization and its contents. WW Norton and company. HF, 1418, 5. S75

National Geographic (2019.June 25). Globalization is a term used to describe the increasing connectedness and interdependence of world cultures and economies. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.org