Cultural homogenization

Cultural homogenization is an aspect of cultural globalization,^[1][2] listed as one of its main characteristics,^[3] and refers to the reduction in cultural diversity^[4] through the popularization and diffusion of a wide array of cultural symbols—not only physical objects but customs, ideas and values.^[3] David E. O'Connor defines it as "the process by which local cultures are transformed or absorbed by a dominant outside culture".^[5] Cultural homogenization has been called "perhaps the most widely discussed hallmark of global culture".^[3] In theory, homogenization could work in the breakdown of cultural barriers and the global adoption of a single culture.^[3]

Cultural homogenization can impact national identity and culture, which would be "eroded by the impact of global cultural industries and multinational media".^[6] The term is usually used in the context of Western culture dominating and destroying other cultures.^[7] The process of cultural homogenization in the context of the domination of the Western (American), capitalist culture is also known as McDonaldization,^[3] coca-colonization,^[8] Americanization^[9] or Westernization^[10] and criticized as a form of cultural imperialism^[4] and neo-colonialism.^[11][12] This process has been resented by many indigenous cultures.^[13] However, while some scholars, critical of this process, stress the dominance of American culture and corporate capitalism in modern cultural homogenization, others note that the process of cultural homogenization is not one-way, and in fact involves a number of cultures exchanging various elements.^[3][4] Critics of cultural homogenization theory point out that as different cultures mix, homogenization is less about the spread of a single culture as about the mixture of different cultures, as people become aware of other cultures and adopt their elements.^{[3][4][11][12]} Examples of non-American culture affecting the West include world music and the popularization of non-American television (Latin American telenovelas, Japanese anime, Indian Bollywood), religion (Islam, Buddhism), food, and clothing in the West, though in most cases insignificant in comparison to the Western influence in other countries.^[4][12][14] The process of adoption of elements of global culture to local cultures is known as glocalization^[4][6] or cultural heterogenization.^[15]

Some scholars like Arjun Appadurai note that "the central problem of today's global interaction [is] the tension between cultural homogenization and cultural heterogenization".^[8] The Arab's World was found to be uncomfortable with the former as many of them perceived it as either a real or potential threat to their political, economic, and cultural independence.^[16]