Globalization: Movement towards a Homogenized Global Culture

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Globalization: Movement towards a Homogenized Global Culture

Globalization as a Dominant Force of 21st Century

Globalization has become the buzz-word for the 21st century, spreading its light across

the entire globe. Several authors have attempted to define globalization, each with a distinct

perspective. A Swedish journalist, Thomas Larsson, in his book ‘The Race to the Top: The

Real Story of Globalization’ (2001), defines globalization as;

“It is the process of world shrinkage, of distances getting shorter, things moving

closer. It pertains to the increasing ease with which somebody on one side of the world

can interact, to mutual benefit, with somebody on the other side of the world.” (Larsson,

2001)

The above definition reflects the rising cross-border flow of goods, services, people,

money, information and culture though interdependence of national economies in trade, finance

and macro-economic policy. Four major themes of globalization can be highlighted from these

explanations- internalization which refers to the cross-border relations amongst countries,

liberalization which is the removal of state imposed restrictions on movements between

countries to create an open and borderless economy, universalization which implies the process

of spreading everything worldwide with an attempt to achieve standardization and lastly,

westernization whereby social structures of modernity begin to dominate the world.

The term ‘globalization’ might be a relatively new phenomenon but has deeply held

historical roots- be it the Silk Road carrying merchants, travellers and goods from China

through Central Asia and the Middle East to Europe or the Roman Empire that expanded its

economic and governance systems through fundamental portions of the ancient world, all

represented waves of globalization. The recent decades of globalization have resulted in the

creation of a strongly inter-connected, inter-dependent and a highly complex world than ever

has been witnessed before.

Globalization: Movement towards a Homogenized Global Culture

Manuel Castells, in his book, ‘The New Public Sphere’ identifies four types of crisis

that emerge as a result of globalization- crisis of efficiency whereby problems cannot be

effectively managed such as climate change, crisis of legitimacy which implies the vote of

confidence in the ability of the nation-state in managing the interests of the nation in the global

arena of policy making, crisis of identity loss and lastly the crisis of equity which implies the

inequality that arises as a result of globalization. This paper focuses on the third crisis of

Castells- the crisis of cultural identity.

Focus of the Research

This research attempts to highlight the same phenomenon evaluating the impacts of

globalization on the state as a whole alongside the challenges associated with it. The discussion

below is based on the thesis that globalization has resulted in certain strong social and cultural

manifestations as witnessed by the 21st century, specifically the cultural homogenization of the

world.

Implications of a Homogenous Global Culture

The fact that cultural identity of states and the phenomenon of globalization are

interconnected and correlated implies that despite of globalization being an integral source of

transformation of new and modern ideas, development of human capital and information, it

cannot be ignored that simultaneously it poses a threat to the socio-cultural environment of

states in the context of identity. Expanding further on this, Castells (1996) argues that;

“Our world and our lives are being shaped by the conflicting trends of

globalization and identity.” (Castells, 1996)

Owing to globalizations, corporations of today are much more actively involved in

foreign markets, specifically of other continents, hence they are suddenly bombarded with new

and distinct ethical challenges, sometimes even in contradiction. The established ‘home’ moral
Globalization: Movement towards a Homogenized Global Culture

values cannot be executed in foreign markets. For instance, there exists a huge difference in

the attitudes of Europeans regarding racial and gender diversity as compared to people residing

in the Middle Eastern countries. In additions, Europeans completely disregard the work of

morals and consider it illegal and immoral while Asian countries take a lighter hand on this

issue.

These implied differences do not reflect the contact of profoundly diverse cultures and

civilizations but because of the fact that the phenomenon of globalization leads to the de-

territorialisation of economic processes and activities. This serves as one of the huge

contradictions of globalization: where on one hand, globalization leads to regional cultures lose

their identity and importance, though encouraging the emergence and spread of a uniform

“global culture”, while on the other hand, globalization highlights the economic, political and

cultural differences by eroding the physical geographical distances which divided cultures and

civilizations before.

Cultural traits are diffused from one society to other, owing to globalization,

consequently disturbing the local culture of states. As globalization begins to take control of

the world, it has converged the entire globe into a single place, single culture and most

importantly, a single identity. Today, there exists no individual distinctions of society and

culture as the world moves towards a homogenous global culture.

The Changing Demographics

Globalization has brought significant demographic changes all across the globe. As the

economies of today become more and more complex, the range of possible available identity

paths in terms of work and occupations has expanded significantly. Be it with respect to

marriage, young individuals now possess much more freedom than ever before in choosing

their life partners with minimum influence of the family, the act of marriage has now
Globalization: Movement towards a Homogenized Global Culture

transformed from a practical arrangement amongst families to an identity-based search for a

“soul mate.” In addition, increased flexibility in gender roles, specifically during the past two

decades, has led to an unprecedented expansion of young women’s life options. Historically

speaking, becoming a wife and mother were virtually the only options available to women,

regardless of what their preferences for personal identity might be, however the young women

of today exceed young men in academic attainments in virtually every country of the world

(United Nations Development Programme, 2009). Also, the world of today witnesses women

in heavily vast numbers, entering into professions from which they were previously excluded,

such as medicine, law, and business.

Globalization has brought these significant changes to each and every corner of the

world. The rising interconnectedness of the global economy has led to an overall expansion of

identity options in work for young individuals in developing countries, especially those

residing in urban areas. As a result, young individuals are now migrating in huge numbers from

rural villages to urban centres. In the year 2008, being the first time in human history, more

people were residing in urban areas than in rural areas (Population Reference Bureau, 2008),

and the interest fact is that the migration has been led mainly by the emerging adults themselves

(Hugo, 2005). Therefore, as these young individuals leave their families and rural villages and

move towards urban centres, they have greater freedom to choose their own love partners as

well, sometimes despite their families’ objections in some cases. In urban areas, the young

individuals are subjected to come into contact with the ideology and values promoted by the

global economy, including independence, consumerism, and individual choice.

In an attempt to explain the impact of globalization with respect to when a local regional

culture comes into contact with a global environment and the resultant identity that emerges,

Berry (1997) presented two possible patterns of acculturation:

Globalization: Movement towards a Homogenized Global Culture

1. Assimilation: Individuals do not prefer to maintain their initial original cultural

identity. They actually reject it and embrace the new foreign culture as the foundation of a

completely new cultural identity. These individuals actively engage in what Berry terms

“culture shedding,” which is defined as “the process of unlearning of aspects of an individual’s

previous repertoire that are no longer appropriate or applicable.” The individuals undergo

significant dramatic changes in values because they learn that, in the global culture, values such

as assertiveness, self-confidence, and being initiative are more regarded and rewarded, rather

than the traditional values of humility, self-sacrifice, and self-denial.

2. Integration: The original cultural identity of the individuals is combined with

elements of the new culture, as a result of the phenomenon of globalization. Applied to

globalization, this implies the fact that, in addition to the local identity, young individuals begin

to develop a global identity which provides them with a sense of belonging to a worldwide

culture comprising of an awareness of the global events, practices, styles, and information that

are an integral part of the global culture. Their global identity enables them to communicate

with people from different places when they travel from their homes, when others travel to

where their homelands, and when they communicate with people in other places via media

technology.

The Confusion of Identity

Many scholars over the years have repeatedly voiced their concerns regarding the

impact of globalizations with respect to exposure to multiple that may lead towards a situation

of identity confusion (Nsamenang, 2002). The phenomenon of globalization is often regarded

as a factor of international economic integration and business transactions between the nations,

as most of the power and momentum take place within these areas, it is considered a highly

complex process with fundamental consequences for social and cultural dissemination and
Globalization: Movement towards a Homogenized Global Culture

transformation. The explanation and underlying rationale of such a condition is based on the

notion of “de-territorialisation”, a concept which was first coined by the French philosophers,

Guattari and Deleuze. This term refers to the relationship that exists between location, culture

and identity. As per Tomlinson (1999),

“A central defining characteristic of de-territorialisation is the weakening or

dissolution of the connection between everyday lived culture and territorial location. It

serves as the most essential cultural outcome of globalization.” (Tomlinson, 1999)

In a similar explanation, Clifford (1992) emphasises upon the concept of “traveling

cultures” in which he attempts to highlight how identity is not rooted in a particular specific

geographic location but in fact in mobility. These arguments clearly indicate the fact that

identity can no longer be comprehended as a stable phenomenon or having a fixed formation

because our sense of self as integrated subjects is increasingly undermined, the more we tend

to become decentred and dislocated, given the result of globalization. The movement towards

homogenization of culture implies that local beliefs and cultural values might become

universalized leading to the demolishment of the uniqueness of local identity.

Given this cultural invasion, it becomes quite threatening and a root causes for serious

major problems for some conservative states by virtue of the fact that such rising openness to

foreign content can disrupt and erode the traditional values and indigenous cultural identity.

Castells (1996), further ads on this, by regarding this as a tension between the “Net” (global

cultural flows) and the “Self” (local communal cultures). The tension highlights how the

“sameness” and “difference” in this context manifest themselves as constitutive and

fundamental parameters for the formation of identity. He notes that such resistances against

oppression may emerge in “resistance identity” formations which he terms as the “exclusion
Globalization: Movement towards a Homogenized Global Culture

of excluders by the excluded” such as religious fundamentalism, territorial communities and

nationalist self-affirmation.

This research paper clearly indicates that globalization and the formation of new

cultural identities are closely interconnected. There is no doubt in the fact the phenomenon of

globalization is a fundamental step towards a stable and better world for people. However, what

cannot be ignored are its impacts and challenges associated with it as the world becomes

integrated into larger global networks of relationships. The strong pervasiveness of identity

confusion as local cultures change in response to globalization is now an emerging issue

requiring immediate attention.

Globalization: Movement towards a Homogenized Global Culture

References

Larsson, T. (2003). The race to the top: The real story of globalization. Washington, D.C.:

CATO Institute.

Cowan, G. (2008). Public diplomacy in a changing world. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Handler, R. (2003). Clifford Geertz: Culture, Custom and Ethics.:Clifford Geertz:

Globalization, Culture, Custom and Ethics. American Anthropologist, 105(4), 871-872. doi:

10.1525/aa.2003.105.4.871

Stewart, F., & Berry, A. (1997). Globalization, Liberalization, and Inequality: Real

Causes. Challenge, 43(1), 44-92. doi: 10.1080/05775132.2000.11472139

Nsamenang, J. (2002). Identity exploration, identity confusion, and openness as predictors of

multicultural ideology. International Journal Of Intercultural Relations, 37(4), 491-496. doi:

10.1016/j.ijintrel.2013.04.005

United, N. (2019). Retrieved from

http://iaccp.org/sites/default/files/jensen_hbk_identity_0.pdf