CULTURAL GLOBALISATION IN INDIA AND THE WORLD: ITS PROS AND CONS

If we look around us, we will find a lot of similarities in our daily functioning and that of people from different countries across the globe. Globalisation is the umbrella term for the increasing interdependence of the economies, cultures, and inhabitants of the world as a result of technology, cross-border trade in commodities and services, and flows of capital, labor, and information. For many years, nations have developed economic alliances to support these movements. Nonetheless, the phrase became more common after the Cold War in the early 1990s because of how these cooperative arrangements influenced contemporary daily life. It is the process of world shrinkage; it has had a profound impact on the lifestyles all across the world. Globalisation came into action after 1991. It constitutes the nature of economic, ideological, political, technological, social and cultural changes that took place in the world. In today’s world, we use the term globalisation to describe the post-cold war era. Globalisation has brought about massive changes in the world.

When we address globalisation, we claim that the globe has gotten more interconnected. These interconnections have benefited from technological advancements. For instance, for taking admission to any college or university abroad, online applications can be submitted. Similar to this, one can call or message their friends and family on WhatsApp from anywhere in the world. Trade and economy have undergone changes. Indian fruits, flowers and spices are exported to Europe and America, and the Indian market also sells a variety of consumer items made in China, Europe, and America. We have become economically and culturally united in a way.

Now people have access to a vast amount of information, technology, and ideas, which has significantly impacted their lifestyles. The changing lifestyle of people around the world has had a significant impact on culture, and it has led to the emergence of a globalised culture. With the advent of globalisation, the world has become a global village, and the exchange of goods, services, and culture has become more frequent. This exchange has a profound impact on lifestyle, which is reflected in cultural change. In this blog, we will explore the impact of changing lifestyles on culture in a globalised world.

Impact on Culture

Globalisation of culture refers to the integration of countries and sharing of their cultures. Countries have become highly connected with each other. There is a long reach of globalisation economically, but it has even more relevance culturally in reality. Cultural globalisation is the process of ideas, values, beliefs, customs, and relics spreading and integrating on a global scale beyond national and cultural boundaries. Modern transportation, communication, and trade developments make it possible for people to communicate, trade, and consume cultural goods from around the world, which facilitates this process. People are now more aware of what is occurring internationally thanks to the revolution in international media and the accessibility of the internet. This has influenced society and culture, as well as the migration of individuals inside the nation and beyond the globe. What is referred to as "global cosmopolitan culture" is beginning to emerge.

Globalisation has a significant impact on people's lifestyles, cultures, interests, fashions, preferences, etc. It has both produced positive and negative outcomes. Around the world, globalisation has both beneficial and detrimental impacts. There is no industry that has been left out of the reach of globalisation, whether it is business, commerce, and employment exposure or the financial and economic health of the country. Any country's culture and way of life reflect not only the geographical and dialect of the area, but also the attitudes and mindsets of its citizens. Our Indian culture is incredibly rich due to its history, resources, and the kind nature of its people. India is a collection of flowers made up of many religions, languages, food, cuisine, and other consumables as well as convention, custom, music, handicraft, and architecture, among other things, all packed into a single entity representing patriotism and unity. But there have been western influences in many aspects as a result of globalisation. There has been an impact on all the aspects culturally.

• Food habits: A very common example for food habits across the world would be the growth of McDonald's outlets all over the world. In India, burgers have become a staple favorite of kids who seemingly prefer it along with native fast food like vadapav. Pizza eateries are observed in every neighborhood. Similarly, there is an increase in consumption of fast food in the Western countries and people enjoy it due to the spiciness it offers in contradiction to their home food. Tacos, burritos, waffles, etc. are gaining more and more popularity day by day. In spite of the fact that each of the diverse international cuisines brings a distinctive flavour to the table, the most frequently consumed meal ingredients are those found in unhealthy fast-food restaurants.

• Language: A lot of us find pride in speaking in our own mother tongues and national language i.e., Hindi. English is one of the official languages of India, which although not originally was spoken in India has become one of the most crucial means of verbal communication in education, corporates and legality. Since it's the most spoken language in the world it gives us an edge as we can easily communicate with people all over the world and subsequently find job opportunities globally. But still, we see a number of Indians especially youngsters who prefer giving ultimate importance to English over their regional languages as the wrongly believe that it indicates a higher standard of class. On the other hand, in a culture-friendly frame, many German educational institutions have incorporated the recital of Sanskrit shlokas in their students' curriculum and also have added Sanskrit as a subject in some places.

• Festivals: There hasn't been any major change in the manner in which Indian holidays are observed, although there have been some influences. Outside of India, the Indian Diaspora observes a number of holidays, including Navratri, Diwali, Dussehra and Ganesh Chaturthi. This has contributed to the globalisation of numerous festivals. Due to the large number of locals of those countries that attend these festivals, one may learn about traditional Indian practices.  The way that traditional festivals like Diwali and Christmas are commemorated in India has become more westernized. New concepts have emerged, such as celebrating "Valentine's Day", "Mother's Day," "Father's Day," "Friendship Day," etc.

• Clothing:  The market is seeing an increase in the demand for "western wear" in clothing. Although individuals younger age groups resort to western clothing to a high extent, most of the older citizens can be observed still wearing traditional attire. There is a healthy balance of both sides as one can see that both kinds of clothing are being worn in the country and we have not lost our touch with our roots. For festivities and rituals people come back to wearing the traditional garments. Similarly in the global fashion scene there has been a hike in the usage of Indian designs and clothes. 

• Family Structure: Traditional Indian families used to be built around the joint family, but things have changed significantly since then. The emergence of individualism in society is one consequence of this global culture. The disintegration of traditional family system was mostly due to urbanisation. The idea of individualism has helped to strengthen this even further. The phrases "This is my personal space" or "I want my privacy" are frequently heard from school-age children to the elderly. There have been advents of nuclear families across the countries, and nuclear family small culture heavily practiced in metropolitan cities.

• Cultural trends: Local cultures have been impacted by interactions and mobility on a scale that has never been witnessed before. The expansion of cultures around the world as a result of globalisation will eventually give rise to a single, unified world culture. This is taking place as a result of widespread migration and a global workforce. Here India is definitely not an exception. There was a time when Indians would say "Namaste" or something very similar in their various regional dialects to greet one another. However nowadays, a significant section of the population uses the greetings "Hello" and "Hey". People used to look for marriages in their local communities and were often caste-conscious when choosing a partner. Nowadays, it is extremely common for people from different castes to be married. Due to social media, teenagers are following western pop culture to a large extent.

Around the world, globalisation has both positive and negative effects. As we examine our rich culture from the standpoint of globalisation, we may find numerous indications of westernisation and the merging of various traits and societies into our beautifully knitted cover. Globalisation has both beneficial and negative effects, just like the two sides of every coin.

The Pros of a Globalised Lifestyle

Cultural globalisation encourages cultural diversity, fosters intercultural communication, and opens up new opportunities for creative expression and cultural innovation. For example, it has led to the birth of new cultural forms and genres, such as hip-hop, anime, and K-pop, that have achieved global popularity and influence. A kid or adult in every other house of India knows well about or listens to K-pop or watches some or the other anime. Turkish dramas have become a family favorite for some. The rise of hip-hop culture has given rise to a new generation of artists, musicians, and fashion designers. Similarly, the rise of veganism has given rise to a new subculture of people who value sustainability and animal rights. Traditional cultures have been preserved and promoted, and new ones have emerged as a result of globalisation. For example, the popularity of Indian movies, music, and cuisine has increased throughout the world, spreading Indian culture. Technological developments brought about by globalisation have also made it simpler for people to access and share cultural content. New art forms and creative expressions, such as digital art, music, and literature, have emerged as a result of this. Healthcare has significantly improved in many developing nations as a result of the adoption of Western medical techniques and technology. This has helped in improving the quality of lifestyle of people.

Globalised lifestyle has enhanced quality of life, increased diversity, and cultural exchange, which have all had a good effect on culture in India and around the world.

The Cons of a Globalised Lifestyle

On the other hand, due to cultural globalisation, local cultures are absorbed into or completely replaced by a dominating global culture. Cultural stereotypes, commercialism, and consumerism may spread as a result, along with the loss of traditional cultural practices, languages, and identities. However, when many cultural groups try to preserve their uniqueness and oppose assimilation, cultural globalisation may also result in conflicts and tensions amongst them. It has led to dominance of Western culture and values. Traditional cultures are frequently marginalized by the development of Western culture, which results in a loss of cultural identity. This may lead to a loss of diversity and an assimilation of cultures. The influence of Western art forms has led to the decline of traditional Indian art forms, such as folk art and classical dance forms. Some individuals find our classical music to be a bit 'boring' and 'not trendy' and thus resort to streaming only Western sorts of music. The rise of Western fast-food chains, fashion, music, and movies has led to the homogenization of Indian culture. This has resulted in the loss of diversity and uniqueness of Indian culture. The fall of regional languages and dialects is a result of English becoming the language of choice for communication in many fields.

Although globalisation has benefited India and the world greatly, it still has also had detrimental effects on Indian culture that need to be addressed in order to protect India's rich cultural history.

Keeping in touch with our Culture while being Globalised

The growth of human society has been significantly impacted by globalisation. The countermeasures to globalisation are insufficient to cause a paradigm shift within the anti-globalization movement. How has the globalisation of our culture affected it? In all honesty, that is a question that should get us all thinking. The Indian culture has succeeded the least well in terms of retaining its status compared to other cultures, much as how the Indian economy has performed in comparison to other dominant economies. The country's cultural identity is not about to be destroyed by the cultural influences of the west, even as India becomes a more active player in this more borderless world. 

We have seen the positive as well as negative impacts of a globalised lifestyle. One question that comes to mind is - "What can be done to make sure that our younger generation doesn't forget the many advantages of being Indian?". Even if having a broad awareness of global culture and the events and incidents that happen internationally may be viewed as having some positive aspects, the predominant negative impacts are fairly concerning for our nation. Because of this, we must proceed with the globalisation process with much more care in order to maintain the prestige of our country and our cultural standing. In my view, we should not stop integrating with other cultures of the world, but we should indeed keep in mind to not lose touch with our own.