Thanks to globalization societies are becoming more and more alike. Some people fear that globalization will inevitably lead to the total loss of cultural identity. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

There is no denying the fact that societies are becoming more and more alike. People all over the world now eat the same

kind

of food, watch the same TV shows and wear the same

kind

of clothes. Part of the reason behind

this

phenomenon is the growth of multinational companies. What are the advantages and disadvantages of

this

trend? Let’s

first

look at the positive sides. While globalization can be blamed for making people wear the same

kind

of clothes and eat the same

kind

of food, it is

also

responsible for creating more job opportunities and wealth. It has considerably reduced poverty in the undeveloped world. Globalization has

also

led to better understanding among countries. When people from across the world get to know each other, it is good for global harmony. Does

this

mean that cultural identities are being lost? Well, not really. You cannot understand the culture of a society by looking at the way its people look or dress. The foundation of any culture is its value system which is passed from one generation to the

next

. In my opinion it is these values that distinguish an Indian from an American. They might wear the same

kind

of clothes or even speak the same language, but their value systems are going to be different in many aspects.

For example

, family ties are extremely important for an Indian. Even after sons and daughters get married it is quite common for them to continue to stay with their parents. Indians are

also

taught to obey and respect their parents.

Although

I am not all that familiar with the American culture, I think there the emphasis is on self-reliance. In my opinion, these traits and beliefs are the cultural identity of a person and a society. It is unaffected by the way they look or talk. To summarize, I do not think that globalization will lead to the total loss of cultural identity. It might make people speak the same language or look the same, but it will have no real impact on deep seated cultural values.