Globalization Weakens Nationalism

Running Head: GLOBALIZATION WEAKENS NATIONALISM
Globalization Weakens Nationalism
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GLOBALIZATION WEAKENS NATIONALISM
Generations of observers in political and diplomacy studies have been puzzled with the
link between nationalism and Globalization. The arguments on the topic are as debatable as they
are inconclusive. The essay singles to two different approaches to address the topic: one that
views nationalism and nations as losers of historical time, a long surpassed stage in mankind’s
development which would soon disappear to make space for new structures which are suited
better for increasing the global interconnectedness of the world. The other approach considers
nationalism to be the most enduring and potent political force which is perpetual and will only be
strengthened with the spread of globalization.
The question boils down to a simple conjecture: does globalization in the contemporary
world weaken nationalism, or does it strengthen the nationalist ethos with the aid of extended
networks and mass reach out? The development of new media and the growth of technology
have made it almost impossible to stay hidden within a nation’s boundaries. Companies use this
accessibility to share everything with the world to secure a foothold and initiate expansion to
foreign networks. Several national icons have gained the status of international icons due to the
demand of their products in foreign countries; Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty are notable
examples. People are bound to imbibe in the flavors of multiculturalism with the expansion of
the companies’ networks through media centers and marketing. Universal multimedia like
Youtube as given people the opportunity to extend their horizons and knowledge of other
cultures, of people who are more privileged or unfortunate. Globalization makes it easier for
people to reach out and communicate with each other across the globe. As individual worlds
expand with the knowledge of other worlds, the concept of nation becomes elusive, since people
are getting to know that they have more in common than differences. The understanding of and

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GLOBALIZATION WEAKENS NATIONALISM
the empathy towards other cultures therefore weakens the idea of nationalism. The contemporary
world with the extensive reach of globalization makes it difficult for nationalism to survive.
Globalization eliminates the barriers to communication, trade, cultural exchanges. It is
because of globalization that the world is remarkably different from what it used to be in earlier
days (Conversi, 2014). The world has becomes DE territorialized with the advances in
communications and technology. Some experts are of the opinion that globalization tends is
responsible for destroying the culture and heritage of different ethnic and indigenous
communications in the world. Globalization for them is a nightmare that will continue to destroy
generations of ethnicity and indigenous cultures. Some impacts that Globalization has on people
of particular nations can be observed in specific examples: eating at McDonalds, wearing Adidas
clothes, drinking Starbucks and watching television series of the western world have become
dominant attributes of regular life in Asian countries (Croucher, 2018). These examples are a
concrete representation of the cultural dominion of the West over the West and it has been earlier
noted in diplomatic studies that cultural imperialism is one of the dominant political forces of the
west, a crucial weapon they used for colonization in the past.
According to Evans “Products and ideas developed in rich countries shape the value and
ideas of citizens of poor countries”. Some national groups have felt compelled to fight
globalization and its towering influence on nationalism due to this dominance. Robertson has
elaborated the concept of globalization as a world that is compressed into a single consciousness
with interdependent nations that have blurred the boundaries of cultural differences and
eliminated individual identities (Roberts et al., 2014). In other words, the world has shrunk down
to one place and all the localities are connected to each other in one way or the other.
Globalization is also identified as the amplification of social relations worldwide linking the