Cultural Globalization

1. Summarize in your own words of materials you read

To understand the meaning of cultural globalization, we should keep in mind the word “connectivity” first. It means that globalization occur across the whole world connected closely in the aspect of political, economical, cultural and so on. As the technologies-mobile phones, computers, emails, the internet are developed, we can see the connectivity more prominently in many areas such as food, music, movie. Connectivity also triggers the people’s concerns and anxieties like global warming, terrorism, and the home mortgage. In globalization, we can find the globalization has both independent and unified characteristics.

Because of increasing global connectivity, many people regard the world as a “single space”. If we consider the highly important global economic system, In fact, the fate of countries in Africa is determined by dominant economic system. Most people argue that Africa is part of a single, unified world. But it seems too far from the economic prosperity and social and technological development. The gap between the African and other countries are substantial. Therefore, we could say the idea of globalization can be applied for everywhere.

Deterritorialization means that the relation between culture and territory becomes weaker and weaker. It just means not localities, differences among the countries will be extinct soon. But there is an exception. For example, Thrives still remain in modern society retaining a high degree of cultural distinctiveness. We can also find ‘deterritorializing’ aspect of globalization in very ordinary everyday life. like choosing a food, watching other countries’ news and so on. Telemediatization is also the one of the important concepts of globalization. We often experience “virtual travel” while using the internet or watching television, the form of mobility that does not includes actual physical movement. it is also controversial. The term called “instant access’ would be applied for explaining our emotions and ‘Immedicacy” would increase the possibility of changing the way people make sense of the world.

AS the world get more and more global, We encounter dilemma that make us to choose between cultural difference and human rights. which one is more dominant and important? It is really difficult question to make an answer. Because both are compatible concept. Human rights are as crucial as cultural difference.

 2.Interesting, unusual items learned

I didn’t know the concept of globalization. After I read this article. I learned globalization can be interpreted as a “flow”. I thought this flow is applicable and recognized easily in everyday life by contacting Western cultural traditions like Microsoft, Google, McDonald’s, CNN, Nike and Starbucks. but there was an exception in globalization. Africa is still behind and become more and more isolated. I just thought globalization is obviously good thing and will bring us a lot of benefit. However, Globalization made some countries leaving behind. I saw this article and I was very surprise that Africa become more poor than last 40 years.

Africa has been at the margins of the global economy for much of the post-independence period. In terms of trade, it has been one of the least integrated regions of the world. Africa's share of world trade has actually dropped from 4% to 1.5% over the last 40 years. Growth rates were down through the 1970s, '80s and '90s. They weren't able to attract private capital. People didn't think of it as a serious investment destination. 

In my opinion, these countries has been colonized long time by the world powers, it was very difficult to systematize their own economy system. Also other factor like war might have made the political things unstable and vulnerable. I think that poverty in Africa is caused by the world powers and globalization made this situation worse.    

3. Discussion

 I want to talk about the effect of cultural globalization. I think globalization often happen in our brain, I mean cultural globalization affect us mentally.

 Ethan Watters, who is an author of Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche, suggest that our mental health is related closely with culture. He wrote the serious effects of American values and commercialism. In 1992. The women called zao died by anorexia. Most of experts analysis that aesthetic value spreaded by American media affected the woman in all over the world. In contrast, Watters argue that anorecia is not a simple dease which is labeled as one. It has very various form of locality. He said our cultural fascination trigger the deases and affect the many people. how do you think about this?

DO you agree cultural globalization also affects our body and mind?