Globalization

Cultures and societies have grown together a great deal over the last few decades. Through technological advancements and developments in education and language, this has become made possible. One of the main reasons for this unification is globalization. A good definition for this is the development of stronger ties between people across further areas, cultures, and societies. These bonds come from technological advancements which allow people to reach one another more easily. This induces the spread of cultures and ways of life that ordinarily would be kept isolated from society.

One concept which has been enhanced by globalization is cultural imperialism. This is the name for a specific culture having a sweeping effect and influence on the rest of the world. Before technology made globalization possible, cultures had to be spread by mouth or personal contact. The only way a European could show an American how he lived was to sail across the Atlantic and meet face to face. Now, one can just turn on the TV to see what is going all the way across the world. With this easy access to information, people in different cultures can see how others do certain things. This makes it possible for one influential society to "rule the world" in a sense. If this society provides a more appealing and attractive way of life, others will adopt the lifestyle. This means that the culture will spread and will have a stronger effect and hold on the rest of the world. As people have seen the way Americans lived over the past few years, the United States has developed a very strong identity as an "imperialist culture" which citizens across the world admire, enjoy, and aspire to.

One of the aspects of U.S. culture that has spread through ll societies is Disney. By its entertainment value and attractiveness to kids, it has become an icon of American life which everyone takes part in. It generates billions of dollars in revenue and has a hold on consumers that will not soon disappear. In this way it enhances the American cultural imperialism.

Because human nature causes people to seek entertainment, things like Disney are necessary to society. People can sit down with their family and watch a Disney movie and be sufficiently entertained for hours. Then, as if that were not enough, families from all over the world take vacations to Disney World or Disney Land all the time. Disney became famous and well-known because of TV. People could watch Mickey Mouse at home on the screen and we have all fallen in love with him, for lack of a better term. On Halloween you will see plenty of "mice" running around and on Christmas morning, boxes of Disney presents will be opened everywhere. When people think of icons of U.S. culture many things come to mind. At the top, however, are things like McDonald's, freedom, and this: . As Disney becomes more popular and more people take part in the craze, more money is spent. In this way, an aspect of American culture has gripped the world so tightly that it can effect even the global economy. This could be good or it could be bad. It all depends on individuals themselves and how they want to live their own lives.