Mentors Comment:
The question wants to elicit an understanding of multiple responses of globalization from homogenization/standardization to Hybridization/Globalization.
Introduce the answer by discussing the process of globalization and how it aids in spreading cultural uniformity or homogeneity.
Then discuss specifically how this process has elicited multiple responses i.e. i) Homogenization ii) Glocalization iii) Spreading of Indian culture in the West.
In the end also discuss briefly that how Globalization has negatively impacted Indian culture.(because the question is critically examine) and then conclude the answer.
Answer:
Due to economic liberalization and globalization, the world has become a “global village”. As social relations expand globally through the creation of global networks and communities, as technologies of communication and transportation make a wide range of standardized products available to global audiences, societies become more homogenous, more alike.
Cultural homogeneity due to globalization in India can be seen at 2 levels:
i. Socio-cultural level: Certain common values of Globalization like modernization, promotion of democracy, promotion of English, food habits (macdonaldization, pizza culture) consumerism (mall culture, inroads of various international brands in India ) etc. have led to the uniformity and imposed American culture and way of life everywhere. Use of ‘English’ as a global language has been rapidly increasing Many Indian restaurants are keeping cuisines belong to different parts of the world.
ii. Economic level: The spread of MNCs, corporate culture has made inroads in the economic life and work culture in India. The opportunities opened up by the information technology revolution has created in the metropolitan cities in India class of upwardly mobile professionals working in software firms, multinational banks, stock markets, and other allied fields.
Globalization has not only led to imposing of Western and modern ideas in India but also led to Glocalization (refers to the mixing of the global with the local). In India, we find that all the foreign television channels like Star, MTV, Channel V and Cartoon Network use Indian languages. Even McDonald sells only vegetarian and chicken products in India and not its beef products, which are popular abroad.
McDonald’s goes vegetarian during the Navaratri festival. In the field of music, one can see the growth of popularity of ‘Bhangra pop’, ‘Indi pop’, fusion music and even remixes. Many English movies being dubbed in Hindi to increase the marketability and to cater to large number of audiences.
Also, due to the process of Globalization ,there has been an impulse towards understanding the local cultures and preserving them which help in spreading Indian culture in the West. Global tourism is spurring cultural revival as well as homogeneity in response to touristic demands, and also helping in preserving diversity. Indian’s spiritual and cultural power like YOGA, AYURVEDA, Meditation, spirituality, etc. has spread and become global.eg. Sri Sri Ravishankar, Ramdev have become ‘global-gurus’ and are aiding in exchange of spiritual ideas, naturopathy, yoga, etc. which are increasingly becoming popular and are also being adapted by the people all across the world.
However, the Indian society and its culture is drastically changing as a result of globalization due to following reasons-Contemporary changes are taking place like from Joint families , more number of nuclear families are becoming a norm ; youth are increasingly becoming westernized and consumerist in their thinking , clash of values among the elders leading to ‘generation-gap’; many marriages are breaking up for many reasons like modern lifestyles, professional ambitions and unrealistic expectations; TV channels or Mass Media, Internet , ‘FTV MTV’ culture etc. have often been accused of leading to ‘cultural degeneration’ of Indian society esp. among youths.
Thus, despite the negative fallout of globalization on Indian culture, we can say that culture cannot be
seen as an unchanging fixed entity that can either collapse or remain the same when faced with social
change. What is more likely even today is that globalization will lead to the creation of not just new local
traditions but global ones too.
