Don't Subject Our World to the Blender

Of the ideas expressed in the globalization reading, I found the idea of different parts of globalization or “scapes” to be very interesting.  Each scape represents an interesting piece of the puzzle of progress.  More than building blocks, they weave together a complex web of interconnected supports.  Technology and media help define each other by each spreading the control and power of the other.  Though that can be seen in a negative light, there are many positives to this.  Technology supports health, safety, food, and communication, which then supports media.  Media helps spread the word of technology and its positives which generates more funding from the finance “scape”.  The finance and media thus fuel the idea of the technology “scape”.  These three would be no where without the “ideascape” providing the very essence of progress for them.  The spread of ideas allows for the advancement of communications and technology.  None of these would be available if not for the “Ethnoscape” and the spread and intermingling of different people from different cultures.

            This “ethnoscape” is also the key to whether globalization is a good thing or bad thing.  Ethnoscape is about intermingling of people and their language, culture and ideas not the diluting of different people and cultures.  We must acknowledge that different cultures may approach progress differently as India has in the example at the beginning of the article.  It shows a different outlook on the meaning and relevance of technology in one’s culture.  If we must progress we, the human race, must do it while preserving culture and the diversity of our planet. Different cultures provide new outlooks and ideas that others may not be able to see as easily based on different ideals and cultural webs.   Americans often use the analogy of a melting pot to describe America.  Truthfully, the world is a melting pot.  We must not let it become universal mush however.  Each ingredient, each culture has a flavor of its own and the melting pot is only at its best when each ingredient is allowed to keep most its original flavor.  Just don’t stick us in a blender or we’ll be right back where we started.