Globalization is the process through which the world community integrates into a common social and economic system (Steger, 2009). It is the tendency of technologies and business to spread all over the world. It involves interaction among countries in the world, to enhance global economic growth. Through globalization, there is a technological, economical, political and cultural exchange, which is made possible by advances in communication, transportation and infrastructure.
It refers to the process through which people in the world are incorporated into a single world society. The world has become a “global village” this is due to the expansion of communication networks, the rapid information exchange and the lifting of barriers of visas and passports (Nederveen, 2003). Globalization leads to both negative and positive impacts on different countries. This question requires the discussion of negative impact of globalization on the culture of individual countries.
The process of globalization aims at bringing people from diverse cultural background together in the future. This future does not belong to any culture, but it must be a shared project, which allows the inclusion of all. Culture, is the way of life of a group of people including, traditions, customs, beliefs, language, behavior, rituals as well as music (Cowen, 2004).
Cultural heritage represents the major wealth of developing countries. Globalization has largely affected the culture of several countries particularly the developing countries. Cultural diversity is a source of innovation and creativity.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), states that nature’s secrets in songs, stories, art and handicrafts of indigenous people may become extinct because of growing globalization (Griswold, 2008). The threat of extinction to cultural heritage is usually noticed in Asia, Africa, and in the Middle East. Globalization causes rapid flow of people, products and information, which menaces the minority society, particularly their cultural heritage.
Study shows that many indigenous languages and cultures are on the verge of becoming extinct due to globalization. It is estimated that there are about 7000 spoken languages in the world with 5000 of these estimated to be indigenous. About 2500 indigenous languages are in danger of becoming extinct, and many more are losing their link in the natural world. Papua New Guinea constitutes the most spoken languages about 847 different languages are spoken. The main languages under threat of extinction are those spoken by 1000 people or less (Held & Anthony, 2004).
In addition, in those regions that the mother tongue is only spoken by old people, and shunned by young people. According to researchers, over 1000 languages are spoken by between 101 and 1000 individuals. Only up to 100 people speak around 500 languages. About two hundred and thirty languages have already been faced out because of globalization. Researchers estimate that 90 per cent of the languages in the world will have become extinct in the next 100 years (Moghadam, 2008).
Several indigenous people have an interest in having a wide variety of plants and animals to have diverse source of food. Because, of the impact of western style- civilization and its farming methods. These varieties of plants and animals encouraged by the native people are rapidly fading out along with their generic diversity.
Globalization is highly increasing the threat of crop failure around the world because of generic uniformity in the world’s main cash crops. For instance, research indicates that there were 287 varieties of carrots in 1903, but this has dropped to just 21 today, a fall of 92.7 per cent. About 460 different types of radish were there in 1903, but this has reduced to 27 indicating a 94.2 per cent decline. Around 500 varieties of lettuce were known in 1905, but this has dropped to only 36 (Griswold, 2008).
The decline of languages, culture and traditions caused by globalization has affected the sources of medicine. Many native people have local knowledge of plants and, parts of animals, such as herbs and flowers, which they use as medicine. These traditional medicines could give a clue on how to develop new drugs for the west.
These people have knowledge about the right part of plants and animals, which can be used to make natural medicines. They also know the best season in which to harvest so they contain the maximum amount of health compounds (Smith, 2001).
This knowledge is usually indicated in rituals and ceremonies showing how culture, language, religion and spiritual beliefs cannot be separated from their understanding of the natural world. For instance, the Aka pygmies of the Central African Republican use magic and rituals together with herbal medicines to cure the sick (Taylor, 2003). They use plant species to cure a majority of the most common diseases. These species grow in different types of forest, and this helps pygmies to cure themselves when travelling.
Globalization has also affected cultures of developed countries. In Japan the rapid progress in industrialization and modernization from Meiji era onward, has led to the decline in traditional performing arts, social practices and artisanship. The benefits of globalization such as democracy and poverty reduction are highly recognized in Japan (Rodrik, 2011).
In Greenland and many other indigenous societies, many words in the language are related to the way people lived traditionally. This makes the language to be in danger of diminishing in the society. Also in Greenland there are several names for snow and ice because it is necessary for hunters to differentiate them, but many children today know only a few of these names.
Globalization has also affected religion particularly in the developing countries, which has led to the loss of local identity in the cultural sphere. Globalization is now threatening the oldest cultures in the world. For instance, “siriani” the language spoken by Jesus is vanishing in the few villages of Lebanon, Syria and Iraq (Smith, 2001).
In Iran, a country, which was particularly rich in regional languages that traditionally remained spoken at all, levels of the society, many rare languages are vanishing. Written languages are also affected by globalization.
This is evident in borrowed words that lead to, word for word translation of phrases that do not fit grammatically (Griswold, 2008). Media globalization also affects culture of societies. For example, the lilting tones of street English spoken by black Americans in New York, spread through television and were adopted in some parts of London.
In large areas of Western Europe, vernacular instrumental music was faced out by internal globalization long time ago. Vernacular singing is also fading away particularly in Southern Europe, Wales in Britain and Ireland. In the Middle East and Far East, sound pollution is common, sophisticated music is more affected than vernacular music. In Iran a few years ago, Russian tunes were corrupting Iranian music as relayed by Tehran radio programmes.
In Afghanistan North Indian, singing was blared on Kabul radio (Taylor, 2003). Globalization has also influenced the mode of dressing. In Western world itself, globalization has spread similar costumes. In China, there is adoption of dress forms and customs, which started some time ago. In Malaysia, many people have adopted English as their primary language. They speak English all the time and prefer English language media (Griswold, 2008).
Summary and conclusion
Globalization may have a positive or negative impact on individual countries. The negative impact of globalization to the cultural heritage is a threat. Most of countries in Africa and Middle East are facing a crisis of globalization on their rich culture.
Globalization is advancing, and people should reconsider the importance of their cultural heritage. Many cultures across the globe are slowly diminishing due to the overwhelming effects of globalization (Moghadam, 2008). The most dominant way that globalization is seen to be a threat to culture is through languages.
Most of developing countries are trying to adopt English as their primary language. Vernacular languages are on the decline and are on the verge of becoming extinct (Stiglitz, 2003). Another way is through religion, where tradition beliefs among the native people are diminishing.
Dressing is also influenced by globalization; where many countries are adopting western fashion. Finally, threat of globalization to the culture of individual countries is manifested in the declining of traditional plants and animals. Most of the indigenous crops and animals are diminishing in the native countries (Griswold, 2008).
Reference List
Cowen, T. (2004). Creative Destruction:How globalization is changing the world’s culture. New York: Princeton University Press.
Griswold, W. (2008). Cultures and societies in a changing world. London: Pine Forge Press.
Held, D., & Anthony, M. (2004). Global Transformations:Politics,economics and culture. Chicago: Stanford University Press.
Moghadam, V. (2008). Globalization and social movements. Chicago: Rowman & Littlefield.
Nederveen, J. (2003). Globalization and culture. Chicago: Rowman & Littlefield.
Rodrik, D. (2011). The globalization paradox. Chicago: W.W.Norton & Company.
Smith, P. (2001). Cultural theory. New York: Wiley-Blackwell.
Steger, M. (2009). globalizatin:A very short introduction. Chicago: Oxford University Press.
Stiglitz, J. (2003). Globalisation and its discontents. Chicago: W.W.Norton & Company.
Taylor, M. (2003). The moment of complexity:Emerging network culture. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press.