1.5 Case Studies in Globalization

Does globalization threaten or enrich your identity?


Emily's story shows the effect of globalization on individuals.

Is this story similar to your own?


Emily Chan's family moved to Canada after World War I. Canada provided them with many opportunities by allowing them to buy and sell goods from Asia. Although leaving China meant her family left their relatives behind, it has given Emily the chance to learn English and to meet people from other cultures while maintaining her Chinese roots.

Reflect


 Emily and her family have been influenced by globalization. Her family had to change to fit in with changes in their world. They had to give up some aspects of their identity, but they were enriched by these changes, too.

Globalization sometimes enriches you and sometimes threatens your identity. You will learn more about the key concepts of
accommodation
When one culture modifies itself in order to fit in with the dominant culture.
accommodation,
assimilation
Where an ethnic group loses its distinctiveness in terms of language and culture and becomes absorbed into a majority culture. For example, First Nations tribes were assimilated into the dominant white European culture of Canada in imperialist times. In Canada today, visible minorities have experienced slower assimilation than in many other countries because of Canada's official government policy of multiculturalism. Immigrants often choose to assimilate in order to fit in, while groups like the Aboriginal people were forced to assimilate.
assimilation,
marginalization
Marginalization occurs when a less dominant group picks up some of the habits and customs of the more dominant society, becoming incompletely assimilated and no longer belonging to any cultural group. A marginalized group of people are pushed out of the mainstream to the fringes of society.
marginalization,
acculturation
How one culture changes when it is affected by another. As societies interact, they absorb some of the aspects of other cultures and change as a result. Individuals are acculturated when their roles and behaviour change due to the influence of another culture.
acculturation,
hybridization
When cultures change due to influences of other cultures, and a new culture results.
hybridization,
homogenization
The process by which all cultures gradually lose their distinctive features and one blended culture results.
homogenization, and
cultural revitalization
When a culture experiences a rebirth or newfound interest and growth.
cultural revitalization on the next few pages.