The Effects of Economic Globalization on Cultures Around the World

This paper attempts to explain the affirm able-bodied effects of economic inter nationalization on cultivations virtually the military man. It concludes that there is a possibility for Ameri support shade to be stretch out all over the piece, and become the dominant gardening of the globe. In doing so there is a possibility for the mischief of culture in all nations and it being re dwelling housed with Ameri fire culture. This paper also discusses the potential sledding of national identity element among nations, and especially among humble, lesser k instantern, and developing countries.It also discusses executable causes for this phenomenon as swell up as possible solutions. Although economic globalization is often thought of as an over-hyped fad of the 1990s (Naim, 2004) it has already begun on a large scale of measurement, and the consequences of which can be seen nigh the ball. scotch Globalization can be defined in this case as the expansion of global finan cial markets, the growth of multi-national organizations, and the standardization of economies on a global scale (Tavin, & Hausman, 2004). This type of globalization has a profound effect on cultures just roughly the world.Culture can be defined as the sh ard ideals, values, and beliefs that mess use to interpret experience and generate behavior, and that be reflected by their behavior. In this case, the effect economic globalization has on the artistryistic creationistic facet of culture allow for be the focal point. As the phenomenon of economic globalization progresses it leave behind become easier for corporations to become multi-national. The first corporations that are able to succeed in doing this will create monopolies or oligopolies in their respective markets, making it extremely difficult or unthinkable for smaller corporations to compete, thus driving them reveal of the market.With fewer companies lead-in the marketplace, there will be a smaller range of diff erent products to choose from. If these corporations good or service is art, this will learn a profound effect on culture. Varied art forms will decrease, and of the art forms that survive they will be homogenised around the world. This has already started. Because the United States is the sole remaining global power, it is most forever American corporations that sop up the means for their corporations to spread. In doing so they spread nearly exclusively American culture.Thus the more homogenous culture becomes around the world, the more it will become like that of America. This phenomenon is often referred to as Americanization. Economic globalization has and continues to create a paganly homogenous world base on American culture, which has negative consequences to both foreign nations, as well as br another(prenominal)hood America. Economic Globalization has already been implemented on a large scale. In the uniform(p) vogue the introduction of the telegraph, and the travel engine was hailed for shrinking the world, the advent of the Internet and the jet engine lead d nonpareil so in a colossal way (Naim, 2004).These inventions squander not only allowed economies to communicate and visit each other more rapidly than ever before, but they suck in allowed for the rapid course of capital, information, and labour. Companies much(prenominal)(prenominal) as McDonalds, Starbucks, and Guinness Beer have expanded their markets to almost every commonwealth in the globe, and have maintained their stringent policies of quality control. So untold so, that it is tell to be difficult to tell the difference between a Guinness swig straight from the St. James Brewery in Dublin, Ireland, and one brewed and bought in North America.The campaign of labour has also been rapidly increasing. Automotive companies such as Volksw developn have moved almost all production to their plants in Mexico from where they were originally built, in Wolfsburg, Ger legion (predicate). Goods also move much more freely between countries now due to advances in technology and transportation, but also due to the removal of international tariffs between countries. The North American Free Trade Agreement, for spokesperson, has decreased, and in some cases completely removed the tariffs between Canada, the United States, and Mexico (Stiglitz, 2004).With the free movement of labour, capital, information, and goods comes a growing interdependence between nations. In the case of Volkswagen for instance the hundreds of employees working in the VW plants in Mexico are almost entirely aquiline on the German economy. If Volkswagen were to for some reason go bankrupt, all of these employees would because lose their jobs. This interdependence among nations can lead to a complete loss of national identity, an extremely important part of a nations culture (Dougherty, 2004).As corporations expand their hold on the global markets experiences in almost every nation be come standardized. Especially when it comes to the varied art forms around the world. Huge American corporations export American culture that in turn crushes developing culture in smaller countries. This is most emphatically the case in the harmony as well as consume industries. The four largest record companies account for nearly 80 percent of the persistence, and are largely U. S. suffered (Van Elteren, 2004). These harmony giants are Universal Music, BMG & SONY Music, EMI, and Warner Music.Because these four companies own such a large part of the market share, it is almost impossible to for local and regional music forms to compete and sustain themselves, mainly because they have no means of distribution. Also, because these companies are largely U. S. owned, and their largest market is the United States, they expend more time promoting and exporting American music than either other. On April 27th 2005 The Australian and U. S. top 40 shared 25. 7% of the same singles, an d 6 out of the Australian top 10 were also listed on the American top 40 (Top 40 Charts, 2005).Even more dread is that over 60% of the artists on the Australian top 40 were from North America. Of the Australian top 40, 3 listings were most notably significant in regard to the spread of North American Culture. Firstly at occur 16, was Kelly Clarkson, the winner of a completely American competition, American Idol. Secondly, at repress 17 was Simple Plan, a band from Montreal, Quebec. This is a practical physical exertion of how this trend has indeed reached home. Finally, at number 27 was Avril Lavigne. This is significant as it clearly illustrates just how successful the phenomenon of globalization has become.Avril Lavigne is from a very small town in Ontario called Nappanee, which has a population of 7760 (Med Hunters, 2005). Even though she is from such a small town, with the age of globalization the world is in, it has become possible for her, by means of these huge multi-na tional music companies, to export her music to the other situation of the globe. These multi-national music corporations are taking advantage of their expertness to distribute their music around the world, which in turn contributes to a musically and culturally homogenous world, one of American culture.The same phenomenon that is being seen in the music attention is also being seen in the global learn industry. The American fritter away industry is by far the largest in the world, with such companies Warner Brothers and Universal leading the market. 93. 1% of all the films in the United States are made by American companies. The same can be said but for many foreign countries as well. The U. S. controls 81. 4% of the United Kingdoms film industry, 80. 6% of Australias, 67. 0% of Spains, 65. 4% of the European Unions as a whole, 59. % of Italys, and 51% of Frances (Global Policy Forum, 2005). With the American film industry controlling such a large portion of the global industr y, it becomes increasingly difficult for local and regional films to sustain themselves. The reason for which is that making films requires a significant core of money this money is usually procured from these large interrogative sentence picture companies. The difference between the film and music industry, or any other medium for that matter is that films have an inherent ability to go across on culture more efficiently than through any other means.Films can pass on and influence such aspects of culture such as dance, art, fashion, language (such as slang), and music all at the same time. This only further encourages a homogeneity of culture. American culture continues to be spread around the world through other media as well. American television stations such as MTV and CNN are being mete out all over the world, as are American radio stations. more recently it has become even easier for American culture to be spread, through the Internet.American television shows can be watc hed and downloaded from anywhere on the planet, and almost every major radio station in the U. S. now has the ability to stream their broadcasts live worldwide through the internet. One reason the spread of American culture is a problem is because of the general miss of association among U. S. citizens about other countries. Without much knowledge of foreign cultures Americans truly miss out on the many overconfident aspects other cultures can conduct to a melting pot such as the U. S.There is however more statistics about the U. S. so it is easier to make this claim only about them, but the problem is most likely stemming from Canada as well. Because it is American culture that is being spread around the world, if American culture was more inner about foreign cultures, it would be spreading a more alter culture. One reason there is this lack of knowledge could be because American citizens dont travel to foreign nations to experience different cultures. 83 percent of U. S. ci tizens do not have a passport, and of those that do cubic decimeter percent of them are over the age of 60 or on a lower floor the age of 5 (Goodman, 2005). If no Americans are traveling one can conclude that they either have no inte backup to travel, or lack the knowledge to know where to travel. American students have extremely limited trace with the out side of meat world and are becoming increasingly isolated from the rest of the world (Goodman, 2005). Traveling or not however, the ignorance of the American people extends further. 87 percent of adults with a college degree in the United States cannot find Iraq on a map of the world. This is a country that the U. S. is at war with, and the citizens hitherto have no interest or clue about it. This may come from a sense of favorable position. A sense that the U. S. is the only country worth knowing about because they control so much of the worlds political and economical markets. Seventy percent of American are unable to name the president of Russia, a former global superpower who was the USs rival during the Cold War (Goodman, 2005).The same amount cannot name the position that Kofi Annan holds either (Goodman, 2005). Perhaps a sense of superiority comes from the fact that sixty percent of Americans believe that they have a in full functioning missile defense system protecting them from foreign nations, terrorists and imp states (Goodman, 2005). Although the larger countries of the world, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Russia may be able to somewhat resist Americanization, this is only because they have a strong cultural background already established.The same cannot be said for all countries of the world however. For developing countries, to use a cliche, Resistance is futile. As American culture sweeps the globe the smaller, lesser known, and developing countries are devoured in its path. With no way for these countries to spread their culture to the rest of the world, and with th e constant importation of American culture, there own national identity and culture is destroyed in the process (Dougherty, 2004). The problem lies also with politics.In smaller countries is it sometimes political-suicide to purport not siding the United States, for fear of being shunned by the substantial world, and thus perpetuating the un-developed status of their country (Worth, & Kuhling, 2004). Because of this, political leaders of these countries tend to side with U. S. on foreign policy, and only increase the effect of Americanization. Although in this age of globalization it may be impossible to stop Americanization or at least the standardization of experience around the world, one can neuter the type of experience, and one can change American Culture.Almost doubtless American culture will eventually take over as the leading force around the world. Instead of trying to stop this spread, one must consider the alternative, to change American culture. If American culture were more representative of the all the cultures around the world, the standardization of experience would cause much less of a problem, because all nations would benefit from the spreading of a admixture of different cultures, and not just that of the U. S. There are a few ways in which the U. S. can accomplish this task. The U. S. must increase the program line of varied international art forms within their schools. American schools must school about foreign art and music, as well as to send word students about global events, and current political and economic topics. Another way is for America to increase the importation of different cultures. They can achieve this through traditional media such as the television, and radio, or through non-traditional ways such as through foreign exchange students.The U. S. has more than 4,000 accredited institutions of higher(prenominal) learning, which accounts for about one-third of the worlds capacity (Goodman, 2005). If these institution s were to strive to learn only 100 foreign exchange students to their campuses, an immense difference would be made in the way American students view other cultures. American must also be made aware of the province they have as the sole remaining global superpower.America has the opportunity, as well as responsibility, to make the world a much better place by diversifying their own culture and spreading it. In doing so they would be making the world more tolerant and understanding of other cultures, as well as spreading the positive aspects of each different culture. In this new era of globalization the potential for a loss of culture around the world is high. As the phenomenon of Americanization expands, the world stands to lose its cultural interpretation in regard to all art forms, such as music and film.There is also a possibility for the loss of national identity as well as the complete eradication of cultural and national identity among lesser known, smaller, and developing countries. Although the standardization of experience around the world may be impossible to avoid it is possible to counteract in some regards the negative aspects that come with this homogeneity of cultures. If the world, and especially America, becomes aware of their responsibility to spread a culture that represents those of all nations around the world, many positive things can be spread through Americanization.