Blog 1:What is globalization?——SHI JINGJI

Globalization Does Not Mean Becoming the Same

1. What I Understood from the Reading and Class

Before reading “What Is Globalization?”, I had my own idea of globalization.

I did not think globalization meant that every country would become the same. I thought every country would still have its own culture, traditions, food, music, language, and way of life. What changes is that countries have more chances to show these things to people outside their own borders.

Today, especially because of the internet and social media, people can introduce their country and culture much more easily. A person in one country can watch videos, listen to music, see food, fashion, festivals, or everyday life from another country without actually going there.

For example, when one country becomes strongly connected with a certain cultural image, people may immediately think of that image when they hear the name of the country. When people talk about Korea, some may think about K-pop, Korean dramas, beauty products, or Korean food. When people talk about Japan, many people may think about anime or manga. Different countries become known for different cultural things.

Before this class, this was close to my idea of globalization: not everyone becoming the same, but more people around the world knowing and understanding what is special about other countries.

After the reading and class, I realized that this idea is connected to a bigger understanding of globalization. Globalization is not only about trade or products moving between countries. It is also about people becoming more aware of other societies and understanding that their own country is only one part of a much more connected world.

This made me think that globalization is not only about connection. It is also about recognition and awareness.

2. What I Found Interesting

One thing I found interesting in the reading was the relationship between global and local culture.

Before, I already believed that globalization did not mean every country would lose its own culture. But the reading helped me understand more clearly why global and local culture can exist at the same time.

A culture can travel to another country, but it does not always stay exactly the same. People may understand it in their own way, change it, or connect it with their own culture.

I think I can see this more clearly because I am a Chinese student living in Korea.

After coming to Korea, I started to notice how countries show their culture to other people. Korea has been very successful in making many parts of Korean culture visible internationally. Even people who have never visited Korea may already know something about Korean music, dramas, food, fashion, or beauty culture.

At the same time, Korea is also influenced by other countries. I can find Chinese food, Japanese cultural products, American brands, and many other foreign influences in everyday life here.

So I do not think globalization means one culture replacing another.

For me, a better image is that different cultures become more visible to each other.

People can still have their own culture, but they also know more about other people's cultures.

This is probably the positive side of globalization that I personally value the most.

If people know more about other countries, they may have more chances to understand them instead of only seeing them as something strange or foreign. Ideally, this can lead to more curiosity, respect, and even appreciation.

For me, globalization should not mean that everyone eats the same food, listens to the same music, or thinks in the same way.

It means we can be different, but still know something about each other.

3. Does Knowing a Culture Mean Understanding It?

However, this also made me think about one problem.

If we know a few famous things about another country, does that really mean we understand its culture?

For example, if someone hears “Korea” and only thinks about K-pop, is that cultural understanding?

If someone hears “Japan” and only thinks about anime, is that enough?

The fact that these cultural products are known globally is definitely a result of globalization. But I think there is a difference between recognizing a culture and understanding a culture.

Sometimes globalization may actually make a country's image simpler.

A country has many different people, regions, generations, lifestyles, and opinions, but international audiences may only remember one or two famous cultural symbols.

Social media may make this problem stronger. Short videos and popular trends can spread cultural images very quickly, but they do not always show the complicated parts of a society.

This is why I think globalization should not stop at “I know this country.”

It should move toward “I want to understand why people in this country think or live this way.”

My personal idea of globalization is still quite positive. I like the idea that different countries can keep their own cultures while sharing them with the world.

I do not want globalization to mean cultural unification.

I think the best kind of globalization would be one where people can understand each other, respect differences, and appreciate cultures without needing them to become the same.

After this reading, I would describe globalization in a slightly different way than before.

For me, globalization is a process where different cultures become visible and understandable to people outside their own countries. It creates more chances for cultures to meet, influence each other, and be appreciated.

But my question is:

How can we make sure that globalization leads to real cultural understanding, rather than simply turning each country into a few easy stereotypes?

That is the part of globalization I would like to think about more.