Globalization

     Globalization is a process of interconnection across the world; it is a way of bringing together various nations and cultures by adding common elements between them, as to reduce social differences and encourage united progress.
     An increase of communal elements can be seen in the process of 'cultural imperialism.' This term refers to the process of one nation using media to control or influence members of another nation. By acting as 'cultural imperialists,' media seeks to unite members of a separate nation under a single mode of communication and world awareness. If one nation spreads the use of its media upon another, the two nations are intertwined in a common network of information. This allows the nations to be in closer contact with one another, and perhaps, in some instances, to have less differences in their understanding of the outside world. Thus, as globalization is meant to achieve, the concept of 'cultural imperialism' is capable of uniting two separate areas under a common banner of influence.
     Our recent screening of Slumdog Millionaire provides a good example of globalization, in that this film shows us an Indian airing of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' Originally a game show in the United Kingdom, this television program was rapidly exported to many other countries, becoming a popular media icon in places all over the world. Although Slumdog Millionaire is set in a country very distant from our own, the game show's sounds, rules, and musical cues are largely familiar to an American audience, and likewise countless audiences across the globe. This demonstrates how the culturally popular elements of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' have transcended into various cultures and become common elements between different nations. Despite the vast cultural differences between India and the United States, the staples of this game show are clearly shared elements between the two countries.