Cocacolonization
is a term for globalization or cultural colonization. It is a portmanteau of the name of the multinational soft drink maker Coca-Cola and the word colonization. (source)

Cocacolonization has negative connotations and is often used to describe the erosion of traditional non-Western values by Western culture. It has also been used to describe the importation of Western, particularly American goods, hence the use of 'Coca-Cola' in the word especially since Coca-Cola and America are typically identified with one another. Cocacolonization represented the fears many had of monoculturalism.

However, one must not be so narrow-minded to use globalization and cocacolonization synonymously. In globalization, the ideas flow both ways, in fact, this exchange of ideas has been around since the beginning of time. (source)

As the article rightly points out, we are currently in the third stage of globalization where developing countries, who were not included in the rapid industrialisation that followed the industrial revolution for one reason or another, are catching up. And rapidly at that.

Yet many decry this phenomenon to be the supplanting of Western culture in other countries at the expense of indigenous cultures, traditions and practices. However this is simply not true as many of the advances in technology, science and other aspects of society were either directly or indirectly derived from the "cross-fertilization" between Eastern cultures (e.g. India and China) and Europe. This has been called the first round of globalization by Ashutosh Sheshabalaya, author of the article.

It seems that globalisation has come full circle, and the world might be moving towards global equity after centuries of global inequity. Additionally, such a free exchange in ideas could also result in cultural homogenization or the rise of monoculturalism. Whether these claims are just and accurate will be further explored in subsequent posts.


Clare the cultural expert!

Labels: cultural globalization

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