Philippine E-Journals

Cultural Globalization: Beyond the Homogenization Thesis

Dominador Bombongan Jr.

Discipline: Social Science

 

Abstract:

Interest in globalization began in the middle of the 1980s. It is only recently, however, that globalization has taken on a very prominentrole. A buzzword since the 1990s, globalization has become, according to Roland Robertson, "an intellectual play zone, a site forthe expression of residual social theoretical interests, interpretativeindulgence or the display of world-ideological preferences" (1998:49). This article seeks to contribute to an understanding of theglobalization process, particularly its cultural dimension. Cultural globalization, as argued in this article, is not simply the imposition ofone dominant culture in the global village. Rather, it involvesintricate/complex cultural interactions and exchanges among culturalentrepreneurs (whether local or foreign).