Cultural standardization: the effect of globalization on culture

With cultural standardization, borders also become blurred in the transmission of ideas.

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.

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

What is cultural standardization?

Cultural standardization refers to the intermingling that all cultures suffer among them when they are connected, due to the permeability of the borders of the territories.. In an increasingly connected world, both physically and digitally, it is becoming more and more complicated to establish cultural boundaries. Usages and customs quickly spread across a multitude of territories, sometimes 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 to very specific places, but which in recent decades have occurred in a more diffuse way but in all directions, have encouraged people with a particular culture to mix with others with different customs, experiencing an exchange between them.

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

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 thousands of miles away, we can participate in forums or social networks and exchange opinions with individuals from very different nations. Even through movies, 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 we were talking about. Logically, the majority ones will achieve that most of their traits prevail over other less widespread ones, although on certain occasions some traits of a minor culture (in the sense that fewer people share it) may become popular for various reasons and be absorbed by a major culture.

Pathways to cultural standardization

We have mentioned some of the ways that can favor cultural standardization. We will now delve into a few more.

1. Gastronomy

Indeed, gastronomy is a primordial part of the culture of a country.. Every territory, every country, and even practically every region or town, has its typical dishes. Some of them become so famous that they rise to become part of the gastronomic culture of the country. But sometimes this phenomenon goes beyond, crossing borders and even reaching extremely remote places.

You only have to take a walk through any downtown street of a big city to choose from menus typical of really 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 well assimilated that it is common for them to form part of the regular diet of many people.

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

Sometimes these new gastronomic options can become so powerful that they can progressively weaken some of the local culinary traditions. Likewise, exporting new fast food options also encourages eating habits that may be very appetizing but are not particularly healthy, which can lead to nutritional imbalances.

2. Audiovisual entertainment

We mentioned earlier that one of the most powerful ways of cultural standardization has to do with cinema, music or books, among others. All of these encompass audiovisual entertainment. With respect to cinema, traditionally, the predominant culture has been that of Hollywood, in the United States, and in the United States, in the United States, in the United States, in the United States and in the United States.which year after year provided the world with blockbusters that viewers around the globe eagerly awaited.

Although they continue to be the kings of the box office, more and more countries are exporting feature films of great quality, and even overtaking 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 for best foreign language film, but also for best film, the main category. This is a prime example of cultural standardization.

It is not only in the cinema, as this phenomenon can also be this phenomenon can also be seen in television series, which are becoming increasingly abundant thanks to on-demand television content platforms.. Today, episodes of the most important series are released at the same time in almost every corner of the world, becoming a global phenomenon that keeps viewers from every continent glued to the screen.

Literature is another catalyst for the mixing of customs and also one of the oldest, because since the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, it facilitated the spread of works, both in the original language and in its translated version 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. The big groups and superstars have followers all over the world, so they represent a nexus between all of them.The band has assimilated that particular musical style as part of their culture. That's why in the big tours the repercussions of the concerts are always the same, independently of the concrete place where the group plays each time.

3. Sports

Sports is another part of the culture that has managed to jump all borders and expand globally. Sports such as soccer, basketball, tennis or formula 1, are a spectacle with hundreds of millions of followers around the world. A championship final can keep half of the planet on tenterhooks.The case of that particular sport is particularly interesting.

The case of this particular sport is especially important in terms of cultural standardization, because soccer players acquire the status of idols for many children around the world.who proudly wear their jerseys, wear their hairstyles and are their reference point in many ways, for better or worse.

4. Fashion

We could not miss in this list everything related to fashion. The way of dressing is also an axis of the culture that is becoming more and more globalized. As it happens with restaurants, it is easy to find stores of any international brand close to our homes.. What's more, with the rise of Internet sales, we don't even need that proximity, since the products of our favorite brands are delivered directly to 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 doesn't matter if we go to a store in Paris, Shanghai or New York, since we can find identical products.

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 with the advance of this phenomenon, is the loss of local customs and traditionswhich can be buried by other more predominant cultures.

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

Bibliographical 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.
• Mirrlees, 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.