Introduction
Globalization is the process through which countries and states of the world have increased the ability to connect and depend on one another to improve the world’s markets as well as businesses regardless of their cultural diversity. Globalization has seen a dramatic rise following the re-awaking in technological advances, which has facilitated traveling, and communication process amongst people of different cultures. In deed, trade amongst nations of the world, which has been enabled by break through in technology advancements in the areas of ICT, computers and telecommunications has aided inter communication and therefore interactions. This has enabled people to operate and manage businesses internationally as well trading. Telecommunication innovations and the invention of internet that have facilitated communication processes are the main causes of the dramatic rise in globalization in the world.
Globalization has impact on social, Political, cultural, economical as well as technological aspects. It influences all these aspects and cause changes, either positively or negatively. For instance, through globalization, there can be a very quick economic growth in a country since foreign investors are free to visit the country and invest. This economic growth leads to increased growth in industries, increased job opportunities as well as improved living standards among the citizens. It is only through cultural diversification occasioned by globalization that, developing countries as well as the developed ones alike have bee able to contact bilateral and multilateral trade therefore overcoming challenges which impede trade.
Through globalization many companies have been able to diversify their product base to cater for the needs of different cultures. For instance, coca-cola company has come up with a wide range of products able to serve the interests of its client base regardless of cultural backgrounds. Culture and therefore globalization has contributed to the increased cases of mergers and joint ventures not of only companies from same countries but from different cultures as well as regions of the world who manage to overcome cultural challenges such as environmental and economic pressures which have been occasioned by globalization. As companies adjust their strategic plans to meet global challenges as well as to serve a global customer base, so do the challenges increase and therefore the need for a better way of tapping the opportunities and maximizing that. Globalization and therefore the ability to negotiate change and satisfy numerous cultural differences in order to achieve customer satisfaction has been cited as one of the significant factors responsible for the rise of very many economically stable and well-established companies in the world for instance Wal-mart Company in the US and Tesco company in UK. These companies, through globalization have been able to participate in large production of goods and services and therefore maximizing economies of scale. This yields to profitability and the ability to serve a big clientele across boarders.
Globalization is also a very significant process that has led to increase in global literacy. Most of the people including women who were sidelined in educational matters in most developing and in some of the developed countries are now enjoying educational independence, courtesy of globalization. This has in turn impacted on cultures in that; education brings about empowerment, technological advancement, as well as increased access and use of health facilities. Therefore, globalization has seen the development as well as the advancement of cultures whenever, as a result of events occasioned by globalization, peoples cultures change in one way or the other. This has led to increase in qualified labour force whereby people have worked to bring about new technologies and innovations. The advancement in technology and new innovations have seen drastic fall in child labour that earlier was spread among most countries.
Globalization has encouraged tourism and travel. Through this tourism and travel cultural exchanges have occurred, marriages have taken place. Through tourism people get to understand and appreciated other cultures as they get the opportunity to learn more. Tourism is also responsible for tremendous growth of the traditional industries which depend on tourism to thrive. This serves to preserve the cultural practices such as dance which in turn is one of the cultural instruments for many communities.
However, globalization has some negative effects on culture. The critics of globalisation have argued that, as a process globalization has contributed to the erosion of cultural beliefs which have been upheld for many centuries. In fact globalization has been cited as a key contributing factor to cultural extinction of many cultures. This has led to insecurity, high crime rate and poor standards of living, something that has had adverse effects on economies of most countries.
Globalization can lead to assimilation of foreign cultures, something that leads to changes in people’s way of lives and may have very adverse effects on the economy, for instance whereby people take to free living styles and choose not to work. This assimilation is influenced by the existence of great international exchange of culture found in globalization. Globalization as well favors greater immigrations, which sometimes may be illegal. This illegal immigration may be accompanied by illegal businesses such as smuggling. These businesses lead to unproductive individuals especially in the case of drugs and hence the production output goes down since no enough labour provided is available to support the needs of industries. This leads to economic decline of the countries. Globalization is believed to cause debts and debt crises since it provokes an economics which is credit-based.
Minerva Model
It refers to a basically European cultural heritage programme which aims at digitization of the regions cultural heritage through technological exchange as well as integrating and independently promoting the diversity of European cultural heritage especially through the Internet to other parts of the world. The model calls for a joint approach making use of EU multilingual advantage. The model has integrated member countries resulting into joint cultural heritage inventories, therefore allowing access to various cultures information, by an international audience.
Conclusion.
Although no empirical data exists to explain fully the impact of culture on globalization of in other words the influence globalization on culture, there is insurmountable and overwhelmingly enough evidence that the two variables are interrelated and affect one another. For instance, this is manifested in the fact that, globalization is responsible for most of the changes as well as the development and the changes many companies have underwent. Therefore there is a need for more research into the effects of globalization on culture with emphasis on how globalization can be practiced in order to contribute positively to growth of cultures.
REFERENCES
Tyler Cowen: (2002) Creative Destruction: How Globalization is Changing the World’s Cultures. Journal of Cultural Economics. Springer Netherlands.
