What is globalization? -HUANG YANHAN

What is Globalization?

 After reading Robertson and White's What is Globalization, I have a new understanding of the term “globalization”. The book points out that globalization is not only an economic phenomenon, but also has far-reaching effects in the social, cultural and political fields. What impressed me most was the discussion on cultural globalization, which is what I would like to focus on today.

First of all, I find it very interesting that the authors mentioned the phenomenon of “McDonaldization”. They used the example of McDonald's to illustrate the typical characteristics of cultural globalization - how a consumer culture originated in the West has rapidly expanded to all parts of the world, even affecting our daily eating habits. Nowadays, McDonald's, Starbucks or KFC can be found almost everywhere in the streets of our cities, which not only represent fast food, but also symbolize the cultural homogenization in the process of globalization. However, as the book mentions, “global localization”, these brands often need to be adapted to local cultures as they expand globally. For example, McDonald's offers beef-free burgers on its menu in India because the cow is considered a sacred animal in Hinduism.

This example made me realize that there is actually a contradiction behind cultural globalization. The convenience brought by globalization has brought the world closer together, but it is also gradually eroding the uniqueness of local cultures. When the trend of globalization sweeps in, the characteristics of many local cultures are easily submerged in the “unified global culture”. We can eat food from all over the world and wear globally popular brands of clothing, but we may also gradually forget our local traditional culture and unique way of life.

From this, I feel that cultural globalization has both positive and challenging aspects. The positive side is that we are able to come into contact with diverse cultures and broaden our horizons. Especially for young people, such cultural exchanges have greatly enriched our studies and lives. The negative side is that it may lead to the complete assimilation of local culture into Western culture. Therefore, while absorbing foreign cultures, we should also strive to promote local cultures on the world stage. For example, the recent Chinese game Black Myth Wukong, which has gained popularity both in China and overseas, is a way of bringing Chinese culture to the world through gaming. In the gaming world, a wave of understanding of the four famous Chinese books “Journey to the West” has been created. It's an attitude of communication, but at the same time, it's also a way to hold on to one's own culture and promote it.

Generally speaking, the discussion in the book makes me deeply feel the complexity of cultural globalization. Globalization is not a single economic process, but a multidimensional and dynamic development trend. Each of us lives in the context of globalization, and how to balance the global and the local may be a challenge that our generation needs to face.

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