These days, with the progress of the modern world, mass communication and transport continue to grow, societies are becoming more and more alike, leading to a phenomenon known as globalisation. Some people fear that globalisation will inevitably lead to the total loss of cultural identity. I completely disagree with that statement and will prove my point of view in this essay.
Firstly, looking at our modern world, a lot of people say that cultural identity was lost a long time ago. We dress pretty similarly, have global trends, food chains, fashion shops, and a lot of things that can be found nearly everywhere. But what is culture? Is it just what we wear and eat?
Cultural identity is not defined by such simple things as clothes and food; it is something far deeper. It is how we think, our values, beliefs, and who we think we are. These things differentiate from culture to culture, and even globalization can’t beat them.
One of the best proofs of my idea is the way international business works. Every country is different and has its own culture, thus entrepreneurs have to take this into account, or they will face failure. For example, Walmart, a big American retail corporation, tried to open it s hypermarkets in Germany and attempted to apply the American business model directly into Germany, ignoring local habits and culture, thinking that they didn’t need to localize. In the end, it had to exit the German market after losing a lot of money due to being unprofitable. Workers at Walmart were required by the policy to smile, greet, and bag groceries; as a result, Germans found it invasive and uncomfortable. Moreover, the shops were placed outside of the city, nevertheless, it was a flaw because Germans, unlike Americans, prefer to go shopping by foot.
Overall, I think that cultural identity won’t be lost due to globalization because culture is still superior to globality.