Effects of Globalization on Native Non-Western Cultural

Globalization and its effects on non-Western cultural practices Globalization is typically defined as the phenomena of increasing world interconnectedness. It is an undeniable feature of the modern world. The world is gets smaller as technology advances and economies become interlinked. Today's economic crisis is a prime example of globalization. One nation undergoing a financial crisis can easily become an international economic meltdown. Nederveen (2009) comments how modernization has advanced at the cost of eliminating cultural and biological diversity.

This is causing alienation of groups who oppose modernity and change, causing disenchantment among many groups around the world. These groups oppose the Mcdonadlization, or the "increasing cultural standardization and uniformization" (Nederveen, 2009). Cultures around the world have to either adapt to modernization or see their traditions ebb away, as seen in China and Africa. China One nation, China, reaps many of the benefits globalization has to offer, seeing its economy turn into a global powerhouse and its position as an international power grow on the world stage (Veeck, 2011).

China, while politically communist, has integrated capitalism into its economy allowing itself to be influenced by the tide of globalization. Major Chinese cities are filled with signs of capitalist excess. High end clothing stores sell their goods to rich Chinese citizens, stores such as Apple and Gucci are not rare, European and American brands are seen throughout the country being bought by millions of Chinese.

One only has to examine a modern urban Chinese citizen to see the influences of westernization: the clothes, the makeup, even hair styles resemble Western styles. Prior to the onslaught of globalization China was a country of old traditions and customs. These customs are prevalent today but have changed in response to globalization. One such custom is guanxi. Gunthrie (2012) explains how guanxi plays a central part of social life in China. There are two definitions associated with the term.

The first is social relations, as in having a good relationship with someone. The second concept is the gift economy. The gift economy is an interesting notion that suggests using social relations to conjure obligation and indebtedness as means of accomplishing something in the future.

An example of this would be to treat your professor out to dinner, in order to obligate him to do some future favor that serves your interest, as in tutor your doctor's daughter, for free, to ensure your sick mother has a bed in a crowded hospital. This concept is deeply rooted in Chinese tradition, where the individual's identity is a social construct developed through relationships. Gunthrie (2012) argues that the Chinese government is trying to distance itself from such practices.

It wants to build institutions that are free of social obligation and are subjective to a legal system. Guanxi needs to adapt in order to continue to pervade in all levels of Chinese society. Africa The rise of globalization in Africa has the same expected results seen throughout the globe (Adebayo, Adesina, 2009). The advent of globalization is the precursor for the uniform homogenizing (Briar-Lawson, Roth, 2011) of distinct cultures and the weakening of traditional culture values. Traditional values are replaced by a uniform global culture.

Globalization and the dominance of a global culture brings about social and cultural developments such as increases in consumerism and consumption, prevalent use of satellite technology, recognition of global warming, weakening of the nation state (Englebert 2009), the extension of world tourism, and the development of world political systems such as the United Nations (Yankuzo, 2014). Despite the positive economic and technological advances that benefitted African society due to the spread of globalization through Africa there, according to Yankuzo, are several negative consequences as well.

The traditional African family, traditional medicine, education including the economic and political fields in Africa all experienced adverse consequences due to globalization's impact. The Traditional African Family Yankuzo (2014) states that the traditional African family unit consisted of one type of family: the extended family, consisting of a man, his wife or wives and their children, relatives, and in certain cases, the children of the man's friends. There were strong family bonds and a deep attachment to the family unit.

The relative closeness of the family allowed it to help one another in times of need as well as support the extended family. Siblings did not seek dominance over one another but one of mutual love and support. Co-dependence was emphasized and the overall welfare of the group trumped the well-being of the individual. Traditional African families were actually moderately successful based on this group dynamic. Western imperialism changed the African social structure and the family dynamic.

The western colonizers believed their own social structure to be superior to the African one, condescendingly referring to African traditions as inferior and primitive. This notion of supremacy made the colonizers change the African family structure to resemble their own. The cult of Western supremacy is still prevalent today. Yankuzo (2014) argues that modern African believes the closer their buildings, music, dress, and even food appear to be Western, the more civilized they are. This, along with the prevalence of globalization, has led to a new homogenized culture.

Africans watch American movies, drink Coca-Cola, eat fast food, and watch European sports all at the cost of the continual declining African values. The emergence of these values suggests the dominance of westernization and modernity. Africans no longer depend on the family unit as individualism is now stressed, perpetuated by trends such as consumerism. In today's hypercompetitive environment, a nation needs to embrace globalization in order to survive. Accepting modernity also comes with accepting a uniform, global culture.

In certain places like the Gulf region, prosperous Muslim countries are prioritizing higher education,.