American culture and globalization: technological change, multinational corporations, and cultural effects

Globalization of American Culture

Although national and international business expansion has existed for an extended period of time, it is only recently that the globalization phenomenon has received significant critical and academic attention. One main reason for this is the expansion possibilities opened up by the rapid development of communication and computer technology. The world has literally become accessible on a scale that has never been the case before. This has created a platform for ever-increasing expansion of businesses. On the surface, this type of expansion may appear to be positive, since it allows for greater global understanding as cultures meet, learn about each other, and come to understand each other. In fact, however, criticism has been mounting that the globalization phenomenon has been driven by the United States, its culture, its currency, and its rules. Other cultures, some of which include thousands of years of tradition, have been all but trampled under the weight of the financial strength coming with a culture that is no more than 500 years old.

Tay (2010) affirms that, for a significant amount of time, the effect of the American involvement in globalization has been so overriding that the term "Americanization" comes to mind. American mores and culture have invaded almost every part of the globe. The spread of companies such as Coke and McDonald's, for example, have been accompanied by advertisements that promote all things American as the most desirable of lifestyles. Conversely, Americans themselves have done little to adjust to the cultures they entered, or indeed those who came to the United States.

One important area of adjustment is language. English, native to the United States and Britain, has become the world language of business and education. American business people who work in countries where English is not one of the official languages, tend to use this language to communicate with non-English business partners. This, especially in the early days of globalization, forced foreign business people to learn the "invading" language, whereas there was no such pressure on native English speakers. Language is also an important component of culture.

Ssenyonga (2006) notes how the American culture has almost infected or at least become an infestation worldwide. What the author refers to as "cultural imperialism" has caused a destructive or inhibitive element in local cultures worldwide. It has done so not only by means of language, but also by means of creating an artificial sense of need among local populations. This need for material things includes American popular culture items such as hamburgers and Coca Cola. Young people are especially susceptible to these artificially created wants, which tend to be regarded as "cool" and therefore desirable. Rather than a healthy, wholesome interaction between cultures, this means that the American business, because of the power of finance behind it, can communicate in such a way that it appears desirable over and above the traditions of the local culture.

What this amounts to is that globalization has come to mean the imposition of American culture upon the world. American music, food, clothing, language, and the culture in general have become a worldwide phenomenon. Indeed, because of the predominance of American television, there is hardly a person on earth who does not know much more about the United States and its citizens than those in the United States know about the rest of the world.

Tandon (2004) makes the point that even countries with strong economies, such as the Britain and Germany,

are less than positively inclined towards allowing American businesses to expand into their territory. The basic fear associated with this is that the world is gradually being hegemonized, with local cultures and values being systematically trampled by all things American.

The "dark side" of globalization might be seen as the American effort at "keeping the peace" in terms of imposing the ideal or equality and democracy upon nations that are not yet ready for these ideals. At the same time, those who promote these American ideals tend to be oblivious to the local cultural ideal and ways in which this might aid the process. Instead, these drives generally take the form of an invasion process, where the local culture is supplanted by ideals that are completely foreign to the local people. This creates feelings of hostility and anxiety, more often than not leading to even further human rights atrocities than have been the case in the first place (Maceus, 2012).