Does globalization diminish cultural diversity?
There are many reasons to think that globalization might undermine cultural diversity: • multinational corporations promote a certain kind of consumerist culture, in which standard commodities, promoted by global marketing campaigns exploiting basic material desires, create similar lifestyles–“Coca-Colanization” • backed by the power of certain states, Western ideals are falsely established as universal, overrriding local traditions–“cultural imperialism” • modern institutions have an inherently rationalizing thrust, making all human practices more efficient, controllable, and predictable, as exemplified by the spread of fast food–“McDonaldization” • the United States exerts hegemonic influence in promoting its values and habits through popular culture and the news media–“Americanization” But there are also good reasons to think that globalization will foster diversity: • interaction across boundaries leads to the mixing of cultures in particular places and practice–pluralization
