Research Paper about Impact of Globalisation on Identity

Globalization can have many effects on identity, both positive and negative. It can effect our traditions, culture, language, and values. Improvement in trade, increased labor, capital mobility, and increased technology cause loss of identity due to globalization. Globalization and identity is a very controversial and political topic, causing many artists to share their opinion in comic form. This essay begins by discussing what our identity is, and how it’s effected by globalization. It then talks about 3 sources, which talk about ones opinion on globalization. Subsequently, it will talk about globalizations impact on identity BASED on the sources.

Let’s talk about identity. Identity is what's used to describe a person's beliefs, values, culture, how we dress, and how we act, and is definitively recognizable on that person. To create our identity, we take things from around us and the world that are appealing to us, and apply them to our own view of ourself. Traditional identity is based on ethnic foods that they eat, certain cultural clothing, and certain traditions (like hanukkuh). Language is how a person speaks, or the language they speak that shows how they view the world. For example, slang may have someone believe they are part of a pop culture group. Collective identity is when you express the identity of groups your a part of. For example, Gen Z, Baby Boomers, Boomers, etc. Think of it as how you may act differently online instead of at the dinner table with family.

As we can see among 3 sources, each source expresses their opinion on globalizations impact on identity. Let’s talk about these sources.

In source 1, we can see 2 people in a boxing match. One is clearly bigger than the other, already telling us this boxing match is uneven, despite the reff wanting a “regular match”. The smaller guy looks nervous, and is named localism, He is clearly overpowered by his opponent, a bigger man called globalization, who has a belt labeled “BIZ”, short for business. The weight class appears to be very unfair, and the bigger man overpowers the smaller one. The artist who drew this is most likely an anti-globalist, based on their beliefs on preserving localism.  The message is that transnational companies (TNC’S) overpower localism through globalization, hurting the businesses and local communities. It boosts global integration, causing people to have more access to products and different brands around the world due to increased trade. This communicates to me about how globalization affects identity by TNC’s creating demands for newer, cheaper products, causing consumers to shop at global companies instead of local ones. When TNC’s destroy localism, they destroy identity by causing people to rely on TNC products instead of local products. It shows how global businesses destroy local ones and overpower them, having an “advantage” in a way, causing loss of cultural and traditional identity, causing acculturation.

Source 2 talks about pros (benefits) of globalization. The individual talks about how great it is that they can buy a phone online, and have parts of it shipped from around the world, saying globalization connects the world together. The person in the source is most likely a pro-globalist, since they don’t “enforce” or push it onto other people. The author believes that since he could order the phone online and have it made in china, he could connect with all his friends and family, and be safe if there is ever an emergency, creating interconnectedness. The main message of this source is that globalization allows people to be connected in the world. This however, can effect our identities. Our identities can be effected by the people around us (like friends), and how we act online. The phone gives him a reason to stop buying other products, changing lifestyles, since the products bought can act as “signals” of identity. Need a flashlight? A phone has one. Calculator? Phone. Need a map? Don’t worry, you have a phone. This source tells me that a phone makes many things possible that connect people together, due to a product that can be bought because of globalization. Most people we speak to online only speak 3 main languages, which may encourage other consumers to learn those languages, and forget their original ones, since there is no need for them, causing homogenization. The source believes that globalization and the digital divide is no problem.

Source 3 is ironic in a way, as it shows a couple walking out of Walmart, a TNC, while complaining about how different Canadian companies are being bought my non-Canadian brands. They talk about losing their cultural identity, even after shopping at Walmart, making them a part of the problem. Although integration allows access to more choices and international brands, it causes us to not even realize we are losing our culture. By purchasing international brands, we hybridize new culture into our previous ones, homogenizing it as one. This comic speaks to me about how most people are naive and clueless about transnational companies impacting our identities, and how people believe shopping at nearby stores means they’re local. We don’t realize that 90% products we buy in TNC’s come from all around the world, destroying localism and local brands or products.

In conclusion, globalization can effect our identities in many ways with their own pros and cons,  and things can change when we don’t even realize it. The more we support international trade, the more culture, tradition, language, and identity diversity we lose. There are many political cartoons and sources supporting or rejecting the topic, allowing opinions to be shared and talked about, bringing attention to it. Globalization has very positive and negative impacts among different topics, but for its impact on identity, I believe that globalization has very negative impacts on our identities, individual and collective, as it connects our world together, forcing us to lose our diversity among the world. Making cultures homogenize together and become one makes us less unique.