Impacts of Globalization on Culture
Advancements in technology and the advent of the internet coupled with high speed data networks, and digitization have helped businesses and nations to open their borders to trade. Globalization impacts have increased the ability of businesses to tap into the global economy and enhance their economic productivity. As businesses engage in global activities, more goods and services are produced and supplied to regions that would have otherwise lacked the goods and services. Nonetheless, such advancements in technology are associated with negative effects. Globalization threatens the viability of domestically produced goods and services. The entry of cheaply priced goods and services brings intense competition to local industries leading to their closure. Increased availability foreign products and services damages the local culture because it discourages the traditional production of cultural products.
The effects of globalization are far more influential than just the process of increasing foreign goods and services in addition to disrupting traditional production. Other cultural products and services introduced through the effects of globalization include music cultures, publications, and movies. As such foreign cultures diffuse into the local culture thereby altering domestic traditions, values, and cultures. Eventually, exposure to foreign cultures can undermine an individual’s cultural identity.
The American culture has become so influential such that it has influenced the world culture. This rapid increase in the popularity has invaded the world culture in what is now known as Americanization. This can be attributed to the permeability of the world culture and the spread of American multinational corporations. Equally, American chain restaurants also harm domestic through influencing the local eating habits. This is evident in American Chain restaurants in France invasion of the French eating habits.
Other than influence on the local eating habits, multinational food restaurants have the tendency of influencing habits and traditions in their host cases. For instance, the entry of Starbucks in Italy altered the normal tradition of relaxing and enjoying coffee because Starbucks offers a standard coffee formula where customers can buy takeaway coffee to be drank in the street or at the office. This is quite a culture to many an Italians.
McDonalds has expended their business ventures into various global markets inclusive of China. This has significantly influenced China’s culture in a number of ways. For example, according to Chinese culture, it was forbidden for kids to buy foodstuffs on their own. However, with the presence of McDonald restaurants in China has generated interest form, these children to try their food. These children have been forced to disregard what the Chinese culture considered forbidden. This is evident by the fact that by the fact that it has become a common practice for Chinese children to purchase food from McDonalds. In addition, the presence of McDonalds in China has led to adoption of birthday parties that were not part of Chinese culture.
The United States is perhaps the central point where globalization was initiated. This is because most of the globalization aspects are often aligned with cultural norms found in the United States. Many at times, various aspects of the entertainment industry in various countries emulate those utilized by the United States entertainment industry. This emulation of aspects of the United States is perturbing as it results in erosion of cultural norms in other countries. Governments of various nations such as France have in the past sough to initiate regulatory measures to protect their local industries from the influence of United States norms. Such regulations are however not justified because they limit individual freedom to choose the norms they find adorable.
