America\u27s Place in Globalization: A Retrospective

To say our world is shrinking might be the greatest understatement of the century. Virtually all corners of the word now have some evidence of a homogenized culture that can be linked back to western civilization. Chicago Bulls shirts worn by children in Africa, McDonalds available in China, and the wide spread popularity of musicians like Katy Perry do not just point to a shrinking world but also allude to a disintegration of cultures. Globalization is perhaps one of the greatest phenomenon to happen in the modern age. Living during this time is both terrifying and exciting because change seems to be waiting behind every proverbial corner. America has played a large role in both creating globalization and developing systems that rapidly accelerate the process. Globalization has the potential to be an incredibly destructive force and as human beings move forward careful measures must be made to ensure the preservation multiple value systems. To understand just how widespread globalization has become and to also understand America’s specific role in the matter, one can look to the following examples of how culture has intertwined with consumerism