What is Globalization? -GUO YUMEI (곽우매)


What is Globalization? My Thoughts


Today, let's talk about globalization. It's a big word we hear everywhere. I read Roland Robertson's article and we had a great discussion in class. Now I think I have a deeper understanding of this term. 


1. Summary

Robertson mentioned that globalization is not merely about money and business between countries. It consists of two important parts.

First, the world has become as small as a village. Thanks to the Internet, airplanes and fast transportation, we can easily communicate with people far away and quickly obtain things from other countries. Now the sense of distance between countries has greatly decreased.

Second, we start to feel that we are all part of the same world. We watch the same Hollywood movies, follow the same international news, and are aware of the same global issues, such as climate change. We start to think about the entire world, not just our own countries and cities.

Furthermore, he has a very interesting perspective called "glocalization". This term comes from "global" and "local". It means that global and local things blend together. For example, McDonald's is a global company, but in China, it sells fried dough sticks and porridge for breakfast. Starbucks also sells Chinese tea beverages. Global companies adapt to local people, and local people also change the way global companies operate in their regions. 


2. New Insight

My new idea is that globalization actually makes us remember and cherish our local cultures more, rather than making cultures uniform and causing us to neglect our own.

Previously, I thought that globalization meant everyone becoming the same - wearing the same clothes, eating the same food, and watching the same movies. But now I understand that it's not like that. When we see the vast world and many different cultures, we start to think about who we are and where we come from. This makes us look back at our own culture and traditions, and pay more attention to their complete preservation and inheritance.

For example, Chinese paper-cutting, the Dragon Boat Festival, and traditional shadow puppetry. Now, because of globalization, more people around the world know about these traditions. Many foreigners come to China to learn them, which makes us Chinese feel more proud of our culture. We want to protect these traditions and prevent these cultures from disappearing due to being lost. Therefore, globalization does not kill local cultures. On the contrary, it gives local cultures a larger stage to be seen by more people. 


3. Discussion Question

Nowadays, many local traditions, such as Chinese shadow puppetry, Peking Opera, and silk production, have become World Intangible Cultural Heritages. This is great because it helps protect them and makes more people aware of them. However, when we present these traditions to international tourists and global audiences, we often modify them to make them more interesting and easier to understand. Maybe we shorten the performances, add English explanations, or use more non-traditional bright colors. Some traditions even become souvenirs for tourists, mass-produced industrially. When we change a tradition too much for the global audience, does it lose its true meaning and original value? How can we preserve the true tradition and its deep connotations when we want the whole world to see and appreciate it? I think this is something we need to further discuss.

AI use of this blog, I translated the full text of the provided document into English 

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