The social and political psychology of globalisation and global identities

Globalisation is a process by which cultures influence and change one another through trade, mobility and migration, and communication – both in terms of material goods and the exchange of people, information, worldviews and ideas. The speed and breadth of these processes have accelerated over the last decades, resulting in profound social, technological and informational change that is transforming the nature, reach, speed and loci of human influence. Hence, as globalisation seemingly intensifies, societies as we know them change constantly and there are mixed reactions to this. For some, globalisation is often perceived as a potential threat to the viability of local cultures, cultural identities and social cohesion. However, it can also be seen as a process that opens minds to new experiences, removes cultural barriers and accelerates cultural innovations. This tension between resisting and embracing globalisation will be focus of this chapter, and we argue that regardless of whether globalisation relates to desirable or undesirable consequences, it has a profound impact on everyday experiences influencing how people perceive themselves and others; thus it has profound effects on our collective identities