Does globalization present the road towards the end of our cultural heritage?
Globalization is a term widely used nowadays. It is a process of recognition, dissemination, appraisal and adoption of different values and cultures as a result of transnational capitalistic relationships. Globalization is a dangerous commodity. It increases the living standard as a result of additional and cheaper products on the market, but at the same time pushes the practice to produce quantity over quality. As a result of low-cost products, we are being subconsciously dictated to buy new substitutes rather than repair non-functional ones. What is most concerning is that as a result of globalization people are automatically prone to incorporate new values and replace the existing ones. They view the process as a logical part of their life and everything it brings about is viewed for granted and as acceptable. The essay will convey the negative and positive effects globalization has on cultural heritage.
To start with, as globalization has led to an extensive technological development it has majorly contributed to the safeguarding of nation’s cultural heritage. Electronic devices and internet have been made accessible even to the poorer. Almost everyone can experience the commodity of knowing the current geopolitical situation round the world. People can share their ideas and talk freely with their friends via the internet and social networks. However, the technological global Mecca is not only individualistically but also collectively empowering. Technology provides a medium where depiction of images and portrayals of self-identity can promote awareness and provide public knowledge and understanding of one’s cultural heritage. It can be used to promote and preserve language, customs, cuisine, etc. For example, online dictionaries and books are a great way to preserve the language, different articles explain and share the importance of customs, online recipes enable a dish to be made and presented in its original way and form. Instead of destroying certain cultures, with the constant flow of information, the mass media provided for the lack of stability and fortified the existence of smaller cultures and values.
In contrast, the global access to the internet has opened a portal towards cultural theft and devaluation. The medium that provided cultures their stability and recognition is the same medium that can destroy the importance and authenticity of a culture. Many view the information available on the internet as “free to take”. Stealing symbols, rituals, recipes, even songs and dances and performing it with no clear purpose leads to the loss of meaning and importance for the very well defined and reasonable intention. The loss of meaning is also accompanied by the loss of roots. This is susceptible to happen if a certain habit is practiced to such an extent that people no longer know where it came from. For example, in Slovenia “potica” is baked only at the time of big religious holidays. If the pastry were to become used as a normal pastry, baked on every occasion, then it would lose its purpose and certain cultures would start viewing “potica” as their own.
In addition, globalization as a result of capitalism is very individualistically oriented. The western way of life is being forced on eastern cultures that work more in a collective manner. The global trade works based on capitalism which, in order to work, needs as much competition as possible. Competition detests cooperation and works solely based on comparison between individuals. Capitalism is prone to catapult the capable to the top, where they can furthermore practice their potentials. It nurtures individuals and detaches the chains of communitarian restrain — in cultures, that are more prone towards social justice, individualistic behavior is not greeted with open arms but rather with harsh convictions. The communitarian idea is that everyone should work together, and no one should stand out even if their idea is of great importance. Such action logically leads to exponential economic growth but also to the loss of certain community values. People are no longer ready to work together, help each other and form new relationships, as that would only mean more competition. As much as competition is needed for global development, people really do not like to compete and compare to others. For example, Hindu religion in India promotes brotherhood and unity forming strong cohesive relationships. But because India has become a big market for corporations and so under a humongous influence of globalization, people have been forced to modify their way of operating in order to meet market demands. It is no longer a norm to cooperate and work with others and the individual rights have superseded communal rights.
To conclude, globalization is an excellent tool to furthermore elevate the living standard in developed countries while at the same time an excellent tool to offer new jobs and opportunities in developing countries. It is also a great promoter of awareness and provider of public knowledge and understanding of one’s cultural heritage.
Cultural heritage is something a nation cannot live without, as their existence becomes meaningless. And knowing perilousness and risky circumstances transnational free trade conveys, it really frightens me that we might become slaves of most predominate global economic powers. That we will be forced to adopt values that we do not really cherish, customs that we will be forced to conduct without real and justified intentions and dishes that were never known to our everyday life.
A great deal of responsibility and fighting effort against negative effects of globalization lies on our shoulders. People are the ones that define cultural heritage thus the ones that affect it the most. Accepting every foreign cultural component that comes known as a result of globalization is for sure death of our cultural heritage.
