Globalization from a Cultural Anthropology Perspective

Globalization from a Cultural Anthropology Perspective

Introduction

Globalization is a process whereby the institutions of our daily lives, including religion, are greatly affected. The term is commonly used to describe the current era. While the term globalization is notoriously difficult to define, it can be understood as the confluence of several factors, including communication connections, world economy, and migration. Technological advancements have permitted communication connections that are worldwide, allowing every corner of the globe to interact with one another instantaneously.

Discussion

Since the 1990s, a major theme underlying much work in contemporary human and cultural geography has been the phenomenon of globalization. The term globalization has been widely adopted outside of academia to describe and explain many aspects of the contemporary world and the many ways the world has become ever more integrated socially and culturally. For geographers, an overarching and fundamental idea is that through processes of globalization, places and people around the globe are becoming not only more interconnected (thanks in particular to improvement in telecommunications or transportation methods) but also more interdependent (Tsing, 2000).

Globalization suggests something has been happening at a deeper level and a faster pace than what preceded it as the “internationalization” of the world's economies, societies, or cultures. Perhaps a good starting point is the realization that since the 1970s, the economies of the world have become increasingly interlinked, as witnessed by the expansion of international trade, the significant increase in flows of foreign investment worldwide, and above all, the rise of truly global, “transnational” corporations (TNCs). Although the global economy appears to form one, single capitalist market, the disparities between more developed and less developed countries still suggest that globalization should not be equated with an erosion of the differences between places. A human geographical perspective aims at revealing contrasts in spatial interactions ...