What is the relation between culture and globalization?

 

1. Summary

The relationship between culture and globalization is not a one-way street where culture simply reacts to external changes; rather, it is a deeply reciprocal and multidimensional process. Tomlinson defines globalization as a "complex, accelerating, integrating process of global connectivity" that links material, social, and economic life across the modern world. Culture acts as the "primordial context" for human agency, providing the socially shared meanings and narratives that make existence purposeful. In this relationship, globalization reaches deep into the local "lifeworld" , while culture simultaneously generates and shapes the globalization process through the small, meaningful actions of individuals, such as consumer choices.

 

2. Interesting and Unusual Points

One of the most counterintuitive arguments in the text is that globalization, rather than merely destroying local traditions, is a primary force in creating and proliferating "cultural identity". While many view identity as a fragile inheritance , Tomlinson suggests that modern identities are actually institutionalized ways of organizing and regulating belonging that have spread alongside global modernity. Another fascinating point is the historical example of the Ebstorf Mappa Mundi from the 13th century. This map illustrates an early form of "theologically revealed globalism," where the world was imagined as a unified entity within the body of Christ , showing that the desire to envision the world as a "single place" predates modern technology.


3. Concerns and Problems

A significant concern raised is the "Eurocentric cast" of thought that often accompanies global visions. Even progressive figures like Karl Marx welcomed the destruction of non-European cultures, viewing Western expansion as a necessary step toward a universal "world-history". This historical bias persists today in the form of "cultural imperialism" or "Americanization," where the spread of iconic Western brands is feared to be a "totalitarianism of culture". Furthermore, the text points out that globalization is "not quite global" because it is an uneven process that concentrates wealth and connectivity in some areas while neglecting or excluding others, such as parts of Africa.


4. Points for Discussion

The concept of "telemediatization" raises critical questions about how the speed of electronic communication is reshaping our values. If we increasingly value communication based on the speed of delivery rather than clarity or truth, what does this mean for the long-term emotional health of our social relations and the value of patience? Additionally, the text suggests that we face a dilemma between supporting universal human rights and respecting local cultural autonomy. Can we successfully adopt a "cosmopolitan disposition" that allows us to hold multiple identities—being both a member of a local community and a citizen of the world—without one trashing the other?


5. Conclusion

In conclusion, cultural globalization is fundamentally characterized by "deterritorialization," or the weakening of the "natural" bond between culture and a specific geographic location. While this process can be disruptive, it also holds the potential to promote a new sensibility of cultural openness and global ethical responsibility by widening our horizons. To navigate the future, we must move beyond the habit of taking our own culture as the "obvious" model for the rest of the world. Instead, we need more flexible cultural concepts that allow us to live in a world of "pressed-together dissimilarities" while maintaining mutual respect.

 

 

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