Globalization has long been a topic of debate among many people such as reactionaries, conservatives, industrialists, protectionists, and nationalists. Some feel that globalization brings about positive growth for nations, while others fear that it actually wipes out traditional cultures such as a result of cultural imperialism. The main problem for both sides is in the correct definition of globalization. Ensuring that all parties involved in the debate define globalization universally can be a step to resolve such a heated argument. In addition, we should understand that positive growth stems from the proper implementation of true globalization.

The negative viewpoint of globalization is that it destroys unique traditional cultures. People often prefer to be part of a larger group that share in the same beliefs and customs that they practice. To protect these ways of life, borders are established, forming states and sometimes even nations. These traditional ways such as language, dress, religion, and sometimes even local laws are sometimes passed down from generation to generation. Destroying these eliminates factors that set a nation or a community apart from others, such as dialect, music, and local tradition.

How does globalization destroy traditional culture? In Pico Iyer’s Time Magazine article, “Are We Coming Apart or Together?” Iyer points out that during a time of transnational globalization and what seems to be an overall equality of the world’s nations, the differences in cultural identities that are not seen by our obscure views of a “global village” are more important. We first are responsible for recognizing the individual differences among us. Knowing how those single differences intermesh to form a global whole is merely secondary. We must look for the strong divisions in cultures still present today and help eliminate these boundaries to help promote the idea of globalization.

I have traveled to various countries throughout my life and have seen first hand what seems to be a slow elimination of established cultures due to the process of globalization. For example, in South Korea, one may expect to see fields of rice patties and farmers with traditional wide-brim straw hat wading through knee-deep water. Today South Korea is largely congested with skyscraper buildings and highways which have replaced many of the rice fields that dotted the South Korean landscape in the past. Rice has been a major export of South Korea for many generations and has brought substantial income to its economy therefore globalizing South Korea’s rice market. Under stress to maintain requested quantities of rice from importers, most farmers had to take shortcuts when supplies could not reach them because of the congested highways which can be seen on most Korean roads, which has caused heated debate to date. In 1994, while I was stationed in Korea in the Army, I remember that we were banned from leaving the base one evening because several Korean farmers were outside our gate protesting against Americans. Their protest was brought on by America’s decision to stop importing Korean rice exports due to the fact that there was rumor that the rice had been fertilized with human feces to help combat delays in delivery of other means of fertilizers.

Because of the rapid growth and modernization of Korea after the Korean War, globalization had caused most of Korean daily life to be more centered within cities, instead of more traditional rural areas. More varieties of jobs were available that at one time were not available to most Koreans. This always seemed to cause severe congestion of traffic on the roads and highways coming in and out of the major cities. For example, while taking a trip to Seoul one day, which should have been only thirty minutes away by bus, I was delayed two hours due to traffic that plagued the roads on a daily basis. I could actually see where rapid globalization has caused the traditional ways of growing the rice in South Korea to be put to such unethical, less traditional, standards so that South Korea could keep up with more competitive rice markets in other countries. If better traffic conditions and maybe more access to remote rural areas was a factor in the engineering of Korean roads, then the goods would be more accessible by farmers to compete with the rice market. The international demand for rice had also caused South Korean engineers to take shortcuts in the designing of the infrastructure to maintain established economic markets, therefore causing farmers to take shortcuts that could result in the spread of disease.

In fact, was America not founded on the principle of globalization? If we were not willing to accept outside cultural values or take our traditional cultures outside ours borders, where would America be today? We have gained more access to more non-American things that could not be found within our borders, such as music, clothing, and other items previously. Understanding that globalization is not here to destroy our unique cultures can be a step in the positive direction. Destruction of culture occurs when there is not a strong foundation in distinctiveness of a culture. And although, borders are eliminated, it does not mean that the culture has been destroyed. Established cultures normally are combined with different cultures during the process of globalization. One example is the teaching of the pilgrims to grow corn and to master hunting and fishing by the Indians which inhabited early America. Upon their arrival to the Plymouth colony, it was too late to plant crops, and food was scarce. Many of the pilgrims perished the first winter in Plymouth. Several were lost to disease. The survival of the pilgrims during their second winter in the newly discovered America was dependent of the blend of cultural differences between the pilgrims and the Indians. The pilgrims held a feast in thanks to the Indians which we still celebrate today in America called Thanksgiving. The pilgrims had to learn about customs other than their own to become successful. Consumer preference has also become a major factor because the unlimited number of available choices due to globalization. Since America has learned to globalize for resources we have become one of the most successful nations in the world.

In Tyler Cowen’s The Wilson Quarterly article, “Two Faces of Globalization: The Fate of Culture.” Cowen examines the views of the critics of globalization. With fears of losing cultural diversity, critics of globalization tend to forget that with globalization comes cultural diversity. In other words, globalization has brought us all unique bits of different cultures that most of us are not able to experience on our own. The ideas of globalization and diversity should never be separated. Cultural change occurs when there is a certain amount of diversity within a community or even a nation over a long period of time. Globalization is the interconnectedness of diverse cultures for the establishment of growth and eventual cultural change. In Roger Cartwright’s book, Enterprise 02.02-Going Global, Cartwright explains that the globalization has brought immense benefits and product differentiation as compared to a standardized product to less developed nations. He also points out the opposing view of globalization is the elimination of fiscal and political independence from governments and the apparent transfer of power to the larger corporations in the world. The concern of these corporations is an elimination of borders to facilitate a free trade market with little restrictions. Cartwright’s argument is founded on the basis that an increase in trade should benefit everyone not just monopolistic entities.

Cultures of today are sometimes derivatives of ancient cultures. These early cultures seem to be gone, but a true break-down of today’s cultures show that ancient cultures prevail today. Knowing that success of some of the most influential nations in the world was brought about by globalization is important. We can all succeed with a better understanding of globalization and what positive outcomes it can produce in the long run. In addition, globalization should be a gradual process. Rushing the process or forcing a culture on another is normally what slowly eliminates a culture. This is called culture imperialism which is the basis of most conflicts in the world today. One example of a conflict caused by globalization is the rebellious Russian state of Chechnya that refused to become a part of the process of “Russification”, the destruction of non-Russian cultures in people in lands surrounding by the former Soviet Union in the 1970s. The Russian economy and culture looked appealing to several countries which became members of the Soviet Union, except Chechnyan nationals that fought Russia for their independence which caused unnecessary death of innocent people. How we understand the true meaning of globalization could provide positive outcomes that could bring eventual world peace for ourselves and future generations.

Works Cited
Cartwright, Roger. Enterprise 02.02-Going Global. Oxford: Capstone Publishing, 2002.

Cowen, Tyler. "Two Faces of Globalization: The Fate of Culture."The Wilson Quarterly, 1 Aug 2002, 78-84.

History : Russification. -1 Jul. 2004. Estonica.-1 Oct. 2007. http: / /www. estonica.org/eng/lugu.html?kateg=43&menyy_id=99&alam=61&leht=11.

Iyer, Pico. "Are We Coming Apart or Together?" Time Magazine. 22 May 2000:114-115.

Walker, Jack D. Brief Account of the Korean . -1 Jul. 2004. Korean War Educator. -8 Oct. 2007. http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics /brief/brief_ac-
count_of_the _korean_war.htm.