Understanding the Globalization Phenomenon

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Is it possible to understand the nature of globalisation? This is a question that has led to fervent debates, and has confounded sociologists in their pursuit to explain the mechanics of globalisation (Machida 2012). Globalisation is the most dominant social phenomenon that has shaped social interactions around the world in the modern age (Ritzer & Ryan 2002). In an age where people socialise beyond their immediate communities, where a Japanese person can purchase an American product that’s made in China, and where government policies in Africa can be written by people in the Netherlands, it is impossible to ignore the current, globalised state of the world. Globalisation has led to the blurring of national boundaries, which allows nations around the world to communicate its ideas conveniently, at an unprecedented scale (Christou 2003). These global interactions allow for diverse cultural forms to disperse around the world, to be consumed by a wide array of people (Adams 2008). Despite the large, global impact of this phenomenon, it can be problematic to comprehend the nature of globalisation to a full extent, because of its vast nature and endless complexities (Mythen 2012). How is it that some nations have embraced the full extent of globalisation, and others are more closed off? Is it possible for cultures to maintain their traditional identities despite the influx of foreign influence? This essay attempts to explain the nature of globalisation through the discussion of various sociological concepts and perspectives that underpin the phenomenon. These key concepts and perspectives allow for globalisation to be understood in a more distinct and thorough way, as globalisation has moulded a global village that displays itself as d...

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...as a compromise as nations conform to the dominant nation’s cultural values. These consequences occur as a result of the imbalance in power between nations due to the broadening of social interactions, which is characteristic of globalisation. Thus, through the extent of conflict that has arisen due to the inequalities of power between nation-states, globalisation can be explained as a phenomenon that both unifies and separates nations in the global environment.

Works Cited

Machida, S 2012, 'Does Globalization Render People More Ethnocentric? Globalization and People's Views on Cultures', American Journal of Economics and Sociology, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 436-69.

Medina, C 2010, '"Reading across Communities" in Biliteracy Practices: Examining Translocal Discourses and Cultural Flows in Literature Discussions', Reading Research Quarterly, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 40-60.

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