The topic of globalization and its impact on local identity has been a subject of debate for many years. Globalization is defined as the spread of products, technology, services, people and ideas across national borders and cultures, leading to the emergence of a global identity.
Impact of Globalization on Local Identity
- Globalization has brought about new jobs and economic growth through the cross-border flow of goods, capital and labor.
- However, this economic growth and job creation are distributed unevenly across industries or countries, with large corporations in the western world benefitting the most from the global free market.
- Cultural globalization involves the formation of a single culture of shared norms and knowledge with which people associate their individual and collective cultural identities.
- This process of cultural globalization has led to challenges to local cultures, as well as the loss of traditional entertainment modes, the westernization of culture, the loss of local languages for English, the loss of moral education for advanced commercial education, the loss of traditional cuisines, and the death of local clothing styles.
Evidence of Local Identity Loss
- Loss of Traditional Entertainment Modes: Globalization has made people forget local or traditional modes of entertainment. For example, the youth in India are adopting the music culture of Jazz and Pop, which puts the survival of traditional classical music in India in question.
- Westernization of Culture: People are blindly copying features of western culture and giving less importance to their own culture. For example, celebrating Christian New Year but neglecting the traditional Indian New Year (around April).
- Loss of Local Language for English: In this modern world, the death of the native language has resulted from the process of cultural assimilation. For example, the decline of local languages in favor of English.
- Loss of Moral Education for Advanced Commercial Education: The growing disorientation between morality and higher education is the greatest demolition of our identity. For example, change in value systems from respect to elders to everyone being called by their name in a corporate setting.
- Loss of Traditional Cuisines: The globalization has brought different types of cuisines across the regional culture. For example, traditional snacks are being replaced by McDonald’s and other global chains.
- Death of Local Clothing Style: With the rise in corporate cultures, traditional Indian clothing styles are losing their existence. For example, the Indian traditional style of clothing is worn only occasionally and is facing a challenge from the western concept of jeans, t-shirts, and skirts.
- Degradation of the Institution of Marriage: The growing acceptance of live-in relationships has questioned the sanctity of the institution of marriage in our society. This represents the dominance of western culture and the Indian way of living.
- Despite the local identity being attacked by the global identity, local culture has been able to maintain its identity to a significant extent.
- There is an emergence of a mixture of both global and local identity which is creating a GLOCAL identity.
- For example, Indo-Western fusion in dressing style, McDonald’s adapting to Indian style by including a vegetarian menu, Indian festivals being celebrated all across the globe, and Yoga, an Indian philosophy, being appreciated all over the world.
Identity is a central aspect of the capacity-building process in which both local and global elements are harmonized. Culture is an ever-evolving entity that constantly changes through the assimilation of cultures. It is our duty to preserve our cultural identity.