Modern events and contemporary issues

People around the globe are more connected to each other than ever before. Information and money flow more quickly than ever. Goods and services produced in one part of the world are increasingly available throughout the globe. International travel is more frequent and international communication is commonplace. This phenomenon has been titled "globalization." Today we can talk about the globalization of politics, economy, and culture. The term has come into common usage since the 1980s, reflecting technological advances that have made it easier to complete international transactions - both trade and financial flows. It refers to an extension beyond national borders of the same market forces that have operated for centuries at all levels of economic activity - village markets, urban industries, financial centers etc. This essay looks at the phenomenon of globalization and its relation to culture. Also, this essay tries to general an assessment of the power of building or destroying the cultural identity of one region, country, people etc. To the benefit of the process of globalization.

As with all important issues, globalization has given birth to numerous debates; its supporters believe it can bring tremendous opportunities and benefits; its opponents consider globalization as a phenomenon capable only of destruction. In this sense, it has been argued that uniformity imposed by globalization will lead to a loss of cultural national identity which in turn, will be the catalyst of a reduction of diversity in terms of traditions, customs, etc. Nevertheless, such a simplistic approach can be dangerous. The duality of the phenomenon can hardly be reduced to clear definitions of good and bad, of right and wrong. Globalization is neither inherently good nor bad. The vehicle of globalization is communication whose main purpose is sending and receiving information, i.e. The circulation of knowledge. Since Francis Bacon first enunciated it in the 17th century, knowledge has always been synonymous with power. Over the ages, power has taken varied shapes. In prehistory, power belonged to those who possessed physical qualities which determined their superiority in the community. During the middle ages, sovereigns represented the embodiment of power and authority. The word of the king was above the law, or in most cases, was the law itself. Hundreds of years later, during the industrial revolution, the financial capital became the true, and frequently, the only source of power as money dictated one's social status. In today's ever changing world, one thing is certain. Knowledge resides in information, and this particular level of information determines class structure. Of course, money is still highly relevant in establishing social order, but the immense flux of information circulating cannot be underestimated. Moreover, in today's society, one can easily distinguish between who possess information and who does not; in fact, this simplistic yet accurate classification works to the definite advantage of the former. Very few expressions of globalization are as visible, widely-spread and far reaching as the world proliferation of consumer brands, the rise of symbols and the simultaneous broadcasting of events thanks to satellite television. Some of the most well-known symbols that are now familiar to billions worldwide are Coca Cola, MTV, Madonna and McDonald's, to name just a few. Although it is very difficult to explain the causes behind it, the strongest form of globalization is the cultural one. The easiest explanation one can come up with regarding this truth is the fact that culture directly affects and influences each of us irrespective of political affiliation, economic status or say, education. Culture is part of our lives and determines who we are in terms of our cultural identity. Globalization alters our perception of culture because culture was, for a long period of time, directly related to the idea of a fixed community or geographical region. This perception has changed drastically due to the complex connections that have been established thanks to the development of the means of communication whose king is, without a doubt, the Internet. Nevertheless, a global culture - which would incorporate the entire world population and would replace the diversity of cultural systems with a sole set of practices and symbols - has not appeared yet.