Cultural Globalization

Comment:Where in the world would you go without having a meal from McDonald's, drinking Coca Cola, or listening to Britney Spears?á The fact of the matter is, there are not many places.á From this basis, the world has become more homogenous than earlier in history. With movements like "globalization," fears of destroying pre-existing cultures become more emminent. Globalization has become what is probably the most talked-about theme of the 1990s in the Western social sciences. Though to many it appears simply a magical buzzword, it does convey the process of trans-border enmeshment from which modern-day world society has resulted. It is diversity without unity, though as far as the Third World is concerned, it has a common operating basis--the profit-based expansion and modernization of foreign commercial concerns. Furthermore, some fundamentalists see it as the most recent imperialistic form that developed countries have ever had!

Furthermore, this homogenization process has passed the economic boundary to a wider aspect: promoting a western lifestyle or more specifically, Americanizing the world.áá

Supporters and critics argue between the fact that globalization is a cultural exchange across civilizations, or homogenization of cultures and loss of people's identities. In other words, there is a conflict about the impact of globalization. That is the concentration of wealth and economic power i

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al heritage, nor did it affect the French cuisine's value. After all French baguettes are still served with the marmalade jam in breakfast all over France!!á The whole idea behind adopting the fast food style was its convenience for working classes for it saves time, money and energy. In fact, there is confusion when talking about Americanization of the world. There is no differentiation between creating a mono-culture and exchanging cultural values.á The United States itself is a product of the 17th and the 18th century globalization. Americanization - in brief - is the way how the US succeeded and flourished economically. In other words, as some pro-globalizers see it, it is that how US impose American products and American ideas on the world. As the world's lone superpower, the United States is often viewed as the driving force behind globalization. However, Globalization is not as American phenomena many people assume that it is. Let me quote Ambassador Cynthia P. Schneider who made a list about what people see as Americanization instead of defining it: "New York. New York Yankees hats. Disney. Disneyland. Disneyworld. Disney Paris. Disney Tokyo. 'Pocahontas.' 'The Lion King.' à English. Michael Jordan. Elvis Presley. Jazz
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Some common words found in the essay are:
People Americans, Cultural Globalization, Third World, Microsoft Levi's, Sois German, McDonaldization Economically, Britney Spearsá, Arab Cultural, , George Ritzer, cultural globalization, corporate culture, fast food style, mcdonaldised systems, national culture, 3m corporation, food style, globalization represents, american phenomena, fast food, world americanized,
Approximate Word count = 1630
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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