Introduction
Compared to the past years, the world has in the recent years become a global village, meaning that people in distant places are able to communicate with one another through various means because of the advancement in technology.
Contrary to the past when people had to rely on one conversation to convey information, today one can communicate with many people at once via internet. This is possible through the use of social sites like Facebook, or Twitter. Another means of communication that is commonly used in many parts of the world is the use of mobile phones.
Globalization and culture
In his book, Globalization and Culture, Pietrse begins by showing how globalization has brought controversy among people as well as the consensus reached by the same people. In his discussion, he has shown that globalization is not confined in one particular area or sector of economy but rather says that it affect all areas that touch on the life of human beings.
He says that government, social movements and even the academic sectors are not spared either by globalization. In addition the peoples’ culture has also been heavily affected (Pietrse, 2004).
He says that the increased movement of people from one region to another has made them borrow heavily from their host. The result of this movement is that they carry along with them the culture they have learnt in their native land.
He also argues that, globalization has brought about more controversies than consensus. However, he has noted that different people have agreed that globalization is being shaped by technological changes.
He says that these technological changes play a very important role in ensuring that business activities are conducted in an efficient and faster way, people move from one part of the world to another with ease, and also there is interaction of people from different parts of the world.
He says that as a result of globalization, global marketing has been possible. He notes that in the 1950s, the advertising expenditure was about $39 billion while in 1990 it stood at $256 billion.
He points out that, with easier ways of communication, demand and supply of goods has been made easier in that one can make an order from a supplier without leaving his shop and have the order delivered on time (Pietrse, 2004).
According to him, globalization is a package that includes information, flexibility, and deregulation. He says that, with globalization, international boundaries have become porous in that, the government cannot control what the citizens are watching in the internet as well as track the communication of her people with others beyond her boarders.
He notes that globalization has brought about democracy in a number of states. He says that people governed by a dictatorial form of government are able to learn their rights by getting to know how other countries are governed. As a result, such people rise up against the government and install a people government which they believe is going to observe the rule of law.
In addition, Pietrse says that globalization has brought about regionalization. He gives an example of 1840s where people were concerned about maintaining and protecting their territory. However, he says that with globalization, people and countries are coming together to form organizations for trade or security purposes. E.g. North Atlantic Trade Organization (NATO), or the European Union (EU).
However, he notes that it is not all people who seem to be in consensus with globalization. He argues that a number of economists perceive globalization as an economic phenomenon that can be proved or disapproved through statistical measures.
He says that there are other groups of people who are not aware of whether globalization is a recent or long term historical process. He says that such people look at globalization differently, that is, from their line of specialization and therefore this brings about the controversy (Pietrse, 2004).
He says that sociologists, ecologists, historians, and even economists have a diverging view on globalization and therefore, controversies arise from this perspective.
In addition, there has been the controversy of whether globalization really exists. There are those people who are of the opinion that it exists while others are of the opinion that it does not exist.
Conclusion
Depending on one’s understanding of the events currently happening in the world, one can tell whether globalization is here with us or it is just a myth. However, it is worth noting that globalization means the ability of people from different parts of the world to communicate with one another, travel from one place to another, and also do transactions using the latest technologies in place for example withdrawing money from an automated teller machine.
Because all these aspects of globalization are evident in the current world, one can confidently conclude that globalization is here with us and is not going anywhere. What we can say is that it is a long term process that is going to remain as part of human society in years to come.
Reference List
Pietrse, J., 2004. Globalization and Culture. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield pp. 7-21