Globalization and Localization Essay Example

Globalization has increased the interconnectedness between people in different parts of the world. Through this trend, various societies can share information, culture, and education, political and economic ideologies. Globalization has led to the development of a new culture as well as the erosion of some cultures (Chan, Walls and Hayward). Localization can be described as the initial step before globalization. In localization, the process of sharing of socio-economic, cultural and political is confined at the societal or grassroots level. Localization plays a vital role in the development of a culture, socio-economic and political ideologies. Axford (2013) explains that localization can be compared to indigenization where a society shapes depending on its customs and needs. After, localization, globalization provides an avenue of sharing these internal ideologies with the rest of the world. Therefore, localization and globalization are hierarchical processes that shape and reshape societies.

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Effects of Globalization and Localization in Future

Benefits of Globalization and Localization have helped shape the education and elevate the need for literacy in different parts of the world. According to Chan et al., formal education has found its way into different parts of the world thus increasing the levels of civilization in these areas. Today, people move from one region or country to another in search of education. Through localization, specific societal needs have been integrated with formal education to make it practical. For instance, societies acquire new technologies from foreigners through globalization and tailor this knowledge to solve their immediate challenges.

Globalization has helped in the spreading of information technology to different parts of the world. First, localization created a need to develop efficient tools and techniques to facilitated communication. This led to the development of telephones. Globalization came in, and the technology spread to other parts of the world (Axford). Today, innovation in the information and technology sector easily spread out to the rest of the world through globalization. As a result, the world has been reduced to a global village through efficiency. Modern communication technologies such as the internet have made it easy to transfer text, audio, images, and videos instantly. This has had a huge impact on different elements in the society such as culture, education, politics, and economics.

Globalization and localization have played an important role in shaping and reshaping the cultures of communities in different parts of the globe. Some of the cultures that have been affected include economic and political cultures (Chan et al.). Politically, many countries have adopted the democratic system of politics where leaders are selected through voting. This came after decades of the campaign and struggled between the communist countries and the capitalists. Globalization has also had a major impact on the development of constitutions of different countries. This is evident in the types of a presidential system where specific terms are awarded to elected presidents. Globalization has also transformed the economic sphere. Today, companies strive to compete at a local level with the aim of growing to become multinational companies. At the local level, the main aim is to serve the local needs; at the international level, these companies aim to meet diverse demands.

Benefits of Globalization and Localization in Future

It is expected that globalization will continue to affect the cultures of different parts of the globe. Culture is a societal aspect that is always subjected to internal and external transformation. Internal changes refer to the elements within a society that gradually contribute to a shift in beliefs or ideologies. Axford explains that culture plays an important role in determining economic, social and political adjustment. For example, electronic commerce and business have gradually penetrated different economic sectors. This trend is expected to persist and grow with the help of localization and globalization. The current trend implies that some cultures and indigenous practices will become endangered or extinct. This comes as a result of the penetration of new ideas, beliefs, and systems into a society. The loss of culture is often accompanied by the loss of indigenous knowledge; for example, some languages will be lost.

The future of education is expected to experience tremendous changes (Chan et al.). The introduction of online learning approaches has transformed the learning environment from classroom to virtual. However, this is widely used for students pursuing tertiary education. A possibility exists that the other levels of education such as primary and secondary schools are likely to adopt similar approaches. This will have serious implications on the learners given that online learning system has both negative and positive impacts. Online learning increases exposure to new knowledge while at the same time it negatively affects social development of learners. It is also important to note that not all lessons can be delivered using online platforms.

Finally, there is a high possibility that the development and sharing of new technology are expected to grow in the future (Chan et al.). Well established technology is producing companies such as LG, Samsung and Apple are always research on the technological needs of the society. This helps in determining a new product that would satisfy a current or emerging need within a society such as communication. Most of these companies are multinational which implies that the research focuses on a global spectrum and not only a local spectrum. The growth of new technologies will automatically lead to the fading of indigenous or current technologies.

Importance of Awareness

Citizens should understand that localization has always played a crucial role in defining local needs and cultures. On the other hand, globalization presents another opportunity for sharing this local idea with the rest of the world through interaction. Globalization will also introduce citizens to the cultures and beliefs of people in different parts of the world. It is essential for the local society to be aware that interaction has negative and positive impacts. Some aspects of cultures can be gained while others are lost. Axford (2013) adds that globalization can help a society gain profitable ideologies or deleterious ideologies. For example, new behavior can emerge as a result of interaction which may be different from the preferences of a society. A society has to make an effort to adopt the advantages and disregard the disadvantages. This can be done by making localization stronger than globalization. Consciousness can also lead to hybridization (Chan et al.). This is a situation where localized beliefs are combined with selected inputs from globalization.

Conclusion

Both localization and globalization lead to a reshaping of culture and beliefs. The two can be viewed as hierarchical processes where localization operates at a societal level while globalization operates at international level. Today, globalization has proven to be strong and affects the economic, social and political ideologies of different countries. Education, civilization and technological evolution are other areas influenced by the two phenomena. As a result, a society should be conscious about the benefits and deleterious effects of the two forces. A community must develop a social system that only digests positive traits while ejecting the deleterious behaviors.

References

Axford, Barrie. Theories of globalization. Malden, MA: Polity, 2013.

Chan, Kwok B, Jan W Walls and David Hayward. East-West identities: Globalization, localization, and hybridization. Boston: Brill, 2007.