Globalization and Middle Eastern Culture
The term globalization has positive connotations in that it implies interaction and sharing through technology and suggests the improvement and development of less developed countries through connections with countries that are more economically wealthy. However, this is not always the way in which the term is interpreted by some countries and cultures. There has been a negative reaction throughout the world in recent years to the concept of globalization which is increasingly viewed as a means of domination and assimilation -- especially with regard to cultural aspects. A more formal definition of globalization is as follows:
Globalization can be conceived as a process (or set of processes) which embodies a transformation in the spatial organization of social relations and transactions, expressed in transcontinental or interregional flows and networks of activity, interaction and power (see Held and McGrew, et al., 1999).
In essence globalization is characterized by a "stretching of social, political and economic activities across frontiers, regions and continents."
It is also marked by the interconnection between different countries in areas such as trade, finance, migration and culture. "Globalization, in short, can be thought of as the widening, intensifying, speeding up, and growing impact of world-wide interconnectedness."
There are two divergent points about the benefits and dangers of globalization. On the one extreme are the "hyperglobalists" who are enthusiastic about the possibility of a global economy -- harmoniously integrating the various regions and cultures of the world. At the other end of the scale are the skeptics who are suspicious of the aims and goals of large scale globalization. "Dismissing the idea of a unified global economy, the skeptical position concludes that the world is breaking up into several major economic and political blocs, within which very different forms of capitalism continue to flourish."
Another important issue to consider is the difference or the similarity between the concepts of westernization. It is the identification of westernization with globalization that has created the fear of this proposed interaction in developing countries as...
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Q2. From an American perspective, it is tempting to look out at the world and to assume that American culture now dominates and reigns over all, given the seeming ubiquity of American movies, television, and music. However, a cultural analysis of many regions of the world yields the finding that culture is far more regional and pluralistic in nature. For example, in Mexico, soap operas known as telenovelas captivate almost the
That said, Goodhart believes that global governance, if pushed too far into sovereign nations' doings, can in fact undermine popular sovereignty as "a viable conception of democracy" but it is not doing that and in fact, in a globalized world that is increasingly interdependence needs a new kind of democracy. The new sovereigntists' views are normative while Goodhart's are more along the lines o positivism. Basically, Goodhart argues that
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These companies are getting bigger and bigger. Some companies have such huge assets all over the world that they are worth more than many small countries. If you compare the GDP of many countries, you can see that the GDP is even less than the earnings of those big companies (Disadvantages of globalization, 2012). The governments do not have the power to stop the multinational companies from closing a factory
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