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Essay Globalization and Culture Preservation

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With every passing day the world is shrinking, and the globalization process is taking place. Advances in communication, transportation, and computer technology have all played a role in making the world a smaller place. With the right equipment, people can talk to friends and family from the other side of the world. Traveling from America to Europe, which once required days at sea, now only takes hours in the air. Computer networking and fax machines allow world businesses to conduct negotiations within a matter of seconds. Images and personas such as the McDonalds’s golden arches and Mickey Mouse are recognized worldwide. When Saddam Hussein was captured, nearly every country knew about it within a matter of hours. Yet, while …show more content…

Those who favor the process argue that it creates a stronger, unified world through “enhanced communications.”1 Societies become integrated and different peoples learn to live amongst one another. This is evidenced by the emergence of English as the most widely spoken language in the world.

In terms of business and economy, world corporations have been assisted by technological advances but have also been influenced by new global mentalities. For instance, Japan’s historical agricultural heritage is being threatened by a younger generation more interested in cars, stereos, and video games. Meanwhile, world business in general is extremely competitive where large corporations eliminate small, localized shops every day. These corporations are bent on conquering their respective markets, turning higher profits, and cutting costs wherever possible. The latter is evidenced by the loss of jobs in Britain where management officials relocated factories to other world locations, taking advantage of a cheaper labor force. Similarly, Levi’s Strauss and Co. recently closed factories in both the United States and Canada, sending jobs to factories in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia.

Globalization has also impacted the social fabric of world society. Slimness of the body is possibly the most defining characteristic of an attractive person. Movie stars and pop musicians such as Russell Crowe and Madonna are known

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