Globalization is the phenomenon of global interconnectedness; it has been a significant force that has changed the world in every sector of life. It is the interconnectedness of people, economies, and cultures. Globalization has a significant impact on cultural identity by homogenizing the different cultural practices into a single global culture; this is because of the dominance of Western culture in the world. Culture refers to the shared values, beliefs, customs, and behaviors that characterize a particular group. Different scholars explain this topic from different perspectives. There has been debate regarding the impact of globalization, George Gidden, a scholar in sociology and social theory, explained globalization, and its impact on cultural identity. ”Globalization has brought about a dissemblance of social relations, resulting in the erosion of local cultural identities.” He argued that as the world became more and more interconnected, people began to follow the global culture rather than their own culture.
Globalization enables intercultural penetration processes, as we know that culture functions as a component of an individual’s unique personality. As we know, globalization has led to the emergence of the global cultural economy, in which different cultural products are produced in one corner of the world, and consumed throughout the entire world, regardless of the position of manufacturing; this is because of the development of information and technology. This is called homogenization of culture, in which the same products are used all over the world. Because of the homogenization of culture, we lose cultural diversity and local cultures.
Several factors caused the cultural erosion, for example, the dominance of the Western culture, because of their big economies and military power. This made it difficult for local cultures to compete globally. The effect of globalization is the formation of hybrid cultures, which are formed because of the amalgamation of different cultures, because of the dominance of Western cultures; it has resulted in individualistic societies. The promotion of liberal values, because of globalization, led to the decline of traditional values, and rejection of traditional cultures.
Another impact of globalization is cultural imperialism, in which powerful states impose their culture on other cultures. Traditionally, cultural imperialism was related to the military and conquests, for example, the spread of the Roman Empire. Now in a globalized world, it uses media, wealth, etc. because of the openness of the world, making it easy to influence people. Now if we think about why Western culture is more influential and everyone adopts it easily, no one is restricted from adopting their culture, this is all because of weak beliefs, and norms. For example, if we look at the economic dimension of globalization. As we know, multinational companies are producing and selling the same products worldwide, e.g. clothes. However, even though goods are being homogenized, people have freedom in choosing goods. People can maintain their own identity if they want, they have no restrictions on the selection of clothes or what they want to buy, and they can maintain their cultural identity regardless of cultural homogenization. This is their own choice they want to adopt the Western culture.
As we know, business cultures have also become homogenized, but they do not affect our relationships. We can learn by retaining our own cultural identities. According to some sociologist’s religion’s losses, its dominant position, and modernity have led to the differentiation of social institutions, but modernity has not managed to become a substitute for religion for most people because they have strong beliefs and values of their own culture.
We can preserve cultural identities in different ways, e.g., the government can support local cultural art and music by providing subsidies, which can also help in create jobs and preserve cultural identities. We can present our beautiful traditions worldwide through the media; we can be a good example of preserving our own cultural identity. We should represent our culture in the best way possible so that people feel it is attractive and can adopt it, we should also focus on technology, and different innovations that help preserve our cultural identities. We should emphasize the importance of learning about history, traditions, and values in schools and communities. Encouraging the preservation of regional languages, is a vital aspect of cultural identity. The government of Pakistan should invest in traditional art forms, for example, poetry, and embroidery, to keep them alive. Ensure that Pakistani media platforms display diverse local stories related to our cultural identities rather than focusing solely on international content. Encourage people to participate in cultural festivals and events.
Globalization is now not an option, it has become more necessary than an option, and it is important in different sectors of life. For economic growth, globalization is very important. Technological advancements have made the world more interconnected than ever before. This facilitates the exchange of ideas, information, and goods across the border. Issues like climate change, pollution, and resource depletion require international interconnectedness; these issues can be solved through international cooperation. Therefore, globalization has both negative and positive effects.
The writer is Kulsoom, a student of “BS International Relations” at International Islamic University Islamabad” and a member of PYDIR.