Joya Barber

J. Rulon Parker

Globalization Essay Outline

March 9, 2017

Globalization and US Culture

Americas culture is one characterized by dynamicity and fragility. With so many

different views and opinions, and the opposition that comes with them creating issues among

people, the availability for other cultures to influence it to a drastic degree is immense. Within

this culture, change is inevitable because the people from opposite sides of arguments or ideas do

not understand other points of view that are not inherently theirs, therefore making the values

and freedoms resident to the United States of America so delicate, that the slightest globalization

of cultures occurring within the country would ultimately break any culture that is still left.

Globalize, according to the definition found on Google Search, means to develop or be

developed so as to make international influence or operation possible, (Google, Globalize).

Reinforcing this point, a main synonym of the word is internationalize, which means both to

make (something) international, and to bring (a place) under the protection or control of two

or more nations, (Google, Internationalize). Globalization is simply the process of these

things occurring. The term globalization refers to the increased mobility of goods, services,

and capital across national boundaries, (Smith). So, when this occurs, what happens to the

nations culture? Every single nation has specific cultural values and a history and reason behind

it. But, does it just disappear when nations become more alike with one another, or does it merge

just as other important aspects of the nations might? Furthermore, how would this affect
America, what with its unique and diverse culture? What might be included as some of the

important portions of what exactly a culture is would be leisure, or what would be thought of as

pastimes, food, how communication occurs, and how social order is organized.

Every Sunday afternoon from about mid-September to early January, and some

weekdays, many Americans sit down with family and friends, most wearing colors pertaining to

their preferred team, and watch a few hours worth of NFL football games. This is one of the

most common leisure activities in all of the United States of America. Leisures role in the

United States is vastly important. Leisure is what we as people do for entertainment purposes on

a daily basis. In America, some of the most common leisure activities, or pastimes, include

watching films or television, eating, travel, attending theme parks, sports, spending time with a

friend or loved one and even simply having a conversation, (Marling). Controversy in leisure

causes fragility, which can be used against the United States. Some people believe that certain

leisure-affiliated activities are bad and should not take place. Typically, this is because whatever

the activity is, is against the accusers morals or ideas and principles. Oftentimes, because of

these conflicts, the activitys participation levels drop significantly, mostly to avoid conflict with

the opposing party, but sometimes by force. Because of controversies like these, the lack of that

activity causes it often to get replaced with another activity. This is where other cultures come in.

In this case, the activity may be replaced with one that is specific or common within another

culture. For example, a select group of people believe that hunting is a violent activity that

should stop because it is harming animals have caused the activity of hunting to become

uncommon in specific regions across America. This activity, then, for many, has been replaced

by things like media and video games, many of which originated and/or developed in nations like
Japan. Food also is part of some leisure activities, which makes it an important part of culture as

well.

Whether Americans like to admit it or not, food is also a huge part of its culture. No

matter if its seeing food all across modern media, or sharing a meal or a snack with friends or

family, food has a special place in the hearts and lives of the current American citizens. Media is

defined as, The main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet)

regarded collectively, (Oxford University Press). This includes social media, commercials,

billboards and signs along the freeway, and advertisements in magazines and newspapers. All of

these are common forms of advertisement for food. Many of these ads will be for a chain fast

food restaurant. One that is especially popular is McDonalds. An interesting fact about this point

is that McDonalds, one of the most popular and well-known fast food restaurants in America,

did not even originate in America. In fact, the first McDonalds opened in Beijing, China, in

1991 (Marling). In fact, as also stated by Marling, the United States did not even invent fast

food, fast food has existed for centuries, (Marling). Yet, fast food has been such a prominent

part of American culture for so long, that many people across the globe today believe that it did

actually originate in the United States. This was one of the biggest globalizations of ideas in

American history, yet people have grown so used to it that they have not even realized that it

occurred. Communing over a meal is also a way in which food is a key interest in American

culture. Yet mealtimes are also objects of cultural import in themselves. They are more or less

conventional and demarcated as a kind of social practice that requires certain sensibilities of

participants, (Ochs and Shohet). So often, friends, family, and loved ones come together to

share a meal. This time offers a chance to socialize and build a sense of kinship among

participants. It also provides a time for members to learn. Writers from UCLA Ochs and Shohet
stated, Embedded in the socialization of commensality are messages regarding the morality of

food distribution and consumption and the rights of adults and children to determine how, when,

and how much family members will eat, (Ochs and Shohet). While in agreement, Griffin says,

Victorian parents used family mealtimes to educate their children on religion, conversation and

table manners, (Griffin). One of the most prevalent parts of sharing a meal, per say within a

family setting, and in other situation, is communication.

In the world today, there are a mass of ways to communicate among people. In America,

face-to-face communication has faded out; therefore a majority of people in America rely mainly

on text and call for communication. Text is an immensely popular and efficient way to quickly

communicate between individuals or groups through both long and short distances. But, text

messaging has its downsides, one being failure to communicate what a person wants to say in the

exact way that they want to say it. Some may even say that texting is failure to communicate.

What weve got here is failure to communicate, ("Communication as an Idea and as an

Ideal."). People have communicated through writing, or drawing, for many years, ergo, giving

lettered messages through electro-magnetic fields was expected to happen at some point.

Communicating through writings was something done by most civilizations long ago.

Hieroglyphs are an excellent example of this. Back in the day, early civilizations used to tell

stories and communicate things by creating what are called hieroglyphs, which were drawings

and symbols made in a specific order and layout, meant to display a specific meaning or story or

message. Something that influences exactly how people communicate with one another in the

United States is social order.

In America, social order is mostly organized by age. All societies classify people to some

degree based on their age. In North America, for example, we generally label people as
children, teenagers, adults, middle aged, and elderly or senior citizens, (O'Neil). This type of

social order was not very original in the United States. For example, many history and historical

books from way before Americas time have discussed different ages and social order by age.

One of these would be the Bible. There are numerous points in scripture where age groups such

as children, young adults, adults, and elderly folk are discussed. Therefore, it is quite easily

known and understood that the system of status by age was implemented before America was

made, and did not originate in the states.

Granted, these may only account for a few of the major aspects that define a nations

culture, but, all included, they are arguably some of the most common, and quite possibly some

of the most important. With Americas fragile culture, it is important that more people start

thinking for themselves when it comes to creating new things and innovations, and solving

issues, rather than just accepting ideas from other nations. In order to protect and sustain

American culture, it is imperative to put the people in the country and their lives and ideas first.

Americas nation is built on its culture, which is based on its history. It is one that is diverse, and

full of different ideas and opinions waiting to be developed in order to help the nation. It is built

on things like leisure, food, communication, social order, and so much more.
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