Globalization is a global issue

Much of this semester we have discussed the way globalization has affected numerous areas of the world. For the most part, we have discovered that globalization takes effect, at some level, every where in the world. There are places that globalization has “taken over” and other countries who have fought against it, places such as North Korea.

Globalization has a negative connotation much of the time but through this class I learned that it isn’t always bad. Many countries adapt the customs of the United States but to the surprise of many, we inherit customs from other places as well. The US is a very diverse community of people with different beliefs and customs. I think this provides a wider array of knowledge and helps the global community be better informed about other countries around the world, which is a great thing.

A great example of globalization is Bollywood. My first exposure to an Indian movie was Slumdog Millionaire. This is a great example because although it is a foreign film, it was shot to appeal to large audiences across all cultures, particularly in the US. Bollywood movies are appearing more and more often in American movie theaters and some people don’t even recognize that they are from India.

Bollywood movies are much cheaper than American produced movies, much for the price American film production has to pay to above-the-line workers. Bollywood is picking up speed, rapidly, throughout the globe and gaining a lot of respect for the films. Their style of long, dramatic stories with music and dancing has stayed true and the rest of the world accepts it and spends their money on it. The globalization in this instance is a two-way street. Bollywood movies are being adapted for the rest of the world by dubbing them in numerous languages and changing their style slightly to cater to the expensive American taste. However, Bollywood also has an effect on American culture because their movies are increasingly popular. Slumdog Millionaire won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and that screams acceptance into our culture.

Overall, I have learned that globalization has affects all around the world and most countries contribute to the globalization of the world.