Cultural standardization: the effect of globalization on culture

The transformation of the world into a global village has consequences for all aspects of people's lives. Of course, culture is no stranger to these changes.

through these lines We will see what is known as cultural standardization, we will broaden the perspective about the mechanisms that affect local cultures and cause them to experience alterations and sometimes radical changes due to the globalization process.

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What is cultural standardization?

Cultural standardization refers to the mixture that all cultures suffer between them when they connect, due to the permeability of the borders of the territories. In a world that is increasingly connected, both physically and digitally, it is increasingly difficult to establish cultural boundaries. The uses and customs quickly spread through a multitude of territories, sometimes very far from the place where they originated.

One of the factors that has had the most to do with cultural standardization is the mobility of people. On the one hand, through migratory processes, which historically have developed in waves and towards very specific places, but which in recent decades have occurred in diffused way but in all directions, have encouraged people with a certain culture to mix with others of different customs, experiencing an exchange between they.

It is not only the migratory processes, but also the ease of travel, the interconnection of all parts of the world, being able to cross the ocean in just a few hours and return shortly after. Although of course the nations with their borders continue to exist, today they are much more permeable than in the past. Also, going a step further, it is not even necessary to leave home to mix with cultures from far away places and it is thanks to the Internet and global connection.

It is easy to talk to people from different countries through our digital devices, another factor that has facilitated cultural standardization. We can play online against opponents that are thousands of kilometers away, we can participate in forums or social networks and exchange opinions with individuals from very different nations. Even through cinema, literature or music, we can soak up the culture of remote and exotic places.

The effect produced results in a homogenization of all cultures, as a result of the mixture of all of them, giving rise to the cultural standardization of which we spoke. Logically, the majority will achieve that most of their features prevail over other less widespread ones, although on certain occasions some traits of a minor culture (in the sense that fewer people share it) can become popular for various reasons and be absorbed into a culture elderly.

Pathways to cultural standardization

We have mentioned some of the ways that can favor cultural standardization. Now let's dig into a few more.

1. Gastronomy

Indeed, gastronomy is an essential part of culture. Each territory, each country, and even practically each region or town, has its typical dishes. Some of them become so famous that they go up levels until they become part of the gastronomic culture of the country. But sometimes this phenomenon goes further, crossing borders and even reaching extremely remote places.

All you have to do is take a walk down any central street in a big city to be able to choose between typical menus from truly diverse and distant countries. Without leaving cities like Madrid or Barcelona we can taste Italian pizza or pasta, Mexican tacos, Japanese sushi, American hamburgers, Turkish kebabs, etc. Some of these dishes are so assimilated that it is common for them to be part of the regular diet of many people.

Of course, The big brands and multinationals have a lot to say about this, especially fast food, which have extended their domains to practically the entire globe. This example shows that cultural standardization has its advantages, such as the possibility of trying foods from far away places, but at the same time it has a risk.

And it is that sometimes these new gastronomic options can become so powerful that they can gradually weaken some of the local culinary traditions. Likewise, by exporting new fast food options, eating habits that can be very appetizing but are not especially healthy, which can trigger imbalances nutritional.

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2. audiovisual entertainment

We previously mentioned that one of the most powerful means of cultural standardization has to do with movies, music, or books, among others. All this encompasses audiovisual entertainment. Regarding the cinema, traditionally the predominant culture has been that of Hollywood, in the United States, which year after year provided the world with blockbusters that viewers around the globe eagerly awaited.

Although they are still the kings of the box office, more and more countries are exporting high-quality feature films, even ousting the local productions at the Academy Awards, the popular Oscars, as was the recent case of the film Parasites, from South Korea, which won the statuette that gave it the award for the best foreign-language film, but also the best film, the category major. An example of cultural standardization.

It's not just about the movies This phenomenon is also observed with television series, which are increasingly abundant thanks to on-demand television content platforms.. To this day, the chapters of the most important series are released at the same time in almost the entire world, becoming a global phenomenon that keeps viewers of all ages glued to the screen. continent.

Literature is another catalyst for the mixture of customs and also one of the oldest, because since the printing press was invented, in the fifteenth century, the expansion of the works was facilitated, both in the original language and in its version translated into any other language, thus opening the way for anyone to access the knowledge but also the cultural traditions that each page housed.

The case of music is also another form of expansion and mixing of customs that can favor cultural standardization. Big groups and superstars have fans all over the world, so they represent a link between them all., who have assimilated that certain musical style as part of their culture. That is why in the big tours the repercussions of the concerts are always the same, regardless of the specific place where the group plays each time.

3. Sports

Sport is another part of culture that has managed to cross all borders and expand globally. Sports like football, basketball, tennis or formula-1, are a spectacle with hundreds of millions of followers around the world. A championship final can keep half the planet in suspense, as is the case with the Olympic Games or the World Cups.

The case of this sport in particular is especially important in cultural standardization, since soccer players acquire the category of idols for many children around the world, who proudly wear their shirt, comb their hair like them and are their benchmark in many ways, for better or for worse.

4. Fashion

Everything related to fashion could not be missing from this list. The way of dressing is also an axis of the culture that is becoming more and more globalized. As with restaurants, it is easy to find stores of any international brand near our homes. What's more, with the rise of sales through the Internet, we don't even need that closeness, since the products of our favorite brands arrive directly at our homes.

Due to this form of cultural standardization, it is common for people from opposite regions of the globe to wear the same clothes, since the offer is practically similar in many countries, so it does not matter if we enter the store in Paris, Shanghai or New York, since we will be able to find products identical.

The dangers of cultural standardization

We have reviewed the characteristics of cultural standardization and the various ways in which it can take place. Thanks to this mechanism, cultures change, grow and mix, but this also has its risks. Mainly, the greatest danger that we find ourselves with the advance of this phenomenon is loss of local customs and traditions, which can be buried by others from more predominant cultures.

It happens at all levels: typical gastronomy dishes, as we have already seen, more localized forms of art, or even festivities that are relegated to much more powerful ones thanks to the commercial interest they have behind. Therefore, although cultural standardization is a way to learn about other lifestyles, it is advisable to never forget the roots of each place, as they are equally enriching.

Bibliographic references:

• Hopper, P. (2007). Understanding cultural globalization. Polity Press.
• Jensen, L.A., Arnett, J.J., McKenzie, J. (2011). Globalization and cultural identity. Handbook of identity theory and Research. Springer.
• Mirlees, T. (2013). Global entertainment media: Between cultural imperialism and cultural globalization. Routledge.
• Tomlinson, J. (2012). Cultural globalization. The Wiley‐Blackwell Encyclopedia of Globalization. Wiley Online Library.