Has Globalisation Simply Allowed More Powerful Countries to Culturally ‘Colonise’ Weaker Countries?

Has globalisation simply allowed more powerful countries to culturally ‘colonise’ weaker countries?

“The negative side to globalization is that it wipes out entire economic systems and in doing so wipes out the accompanying culture.”

Peter L. Berger[1]

There seem to be as many definitions for globalisation as there are writers on the subject but one that best captures its broad facets defines it as "the continual increase in transnational and worldwide economic, social and cultural interactions that transcend the boundaries of states,"[2] . The definition given by Viotti and Kauppi in itself divides globalisation into three categories, social, economic and cultural. The focus of this essay will however, be on the later; cultural globalisation. Anthony Giddens defines ‘culture’ as “the shared values, ceremonies and ways of life characteristic of a given group”[3]. ‘Cultural globalization' is therefore the transmission of culture on a global scale. Countless studies portray it as either a marvel to be embraced or an evil to guard against but some writers on the subject have argued that globalisation has simply allowed the more potent countries to culturally ‘colonise’ weaker countries. Because cultural globalisation is multifaceted, its various characteristics have advanced interaction between different cultures, leading, to a certain extent, to the advent of transnational societies and hybrid identities”[4]. Globalisation shapes culture and vice versa – the relationship between globalisation and culture is a mutualistic symbiotic one.[5] Although the ‘West’ and other powerful countries are key within cultural globalisation, this is not an exclusively one way street. Even the ‘weaker’ countries also contribute to global culture, including Western culture itself. An objective assessment will be given in this essay and an attempt to elaborate the reasons for this view will be given. The writer will also provide a counter-argument against this claim and examples...