Globalization can be seen by some as an important force while others see it as a

destructive one. Globalization is the increasing interdependence and interconnectedness of the

world economically, politically, and socially. Source 1, a cartoon by Bill Watterson, shows a
negative view of globalization. Calvin, in a plain shirt with no logo, is complaining to his friend
Hobbes about not having logos on his shirt. Calvin states that his identity is “wrapped up” in
what he buys and that he pays “the company to advertise its product.” This suggests that the
cartoonist believes that American consumers have lost their individual identity, and instead
resort to using brands as a form of expression. Calvin sarcastically points out that logos are now
“the American way to express individuality.” Another example of the loss of individuality is the
story of a new American immigrant from Dubai, Rawand Hammoud. She realized that to fit in,
she would need to change everything about herself and be part of the monoculture of America,
following pop culture. Globalization forced her to discard her true individual identity so she could
fit in with the American identity. Clearly, in both Calvin and Rowand’s cases, globalization is
negative.

On the other hand, source 2, a quote by Indian philosopher and statesman Mahatma
Gandhi, shows a cautiously positive view of globalization. Gandhi clearly is open to the
experience of globalization as he states “I want the culture of all the lands to be blown about my
house.” However, Gandhi is guarding against assimilation as he states he “refuses to be blown
off his feet” by other cultures. Gandhi is committed to enjoying all the positives globalization has
to offer, while guarding his own. An example of allowing other cultures but still keeping ones
own is the Peru weavers. They changed their design to be more open to other cultures and
allowed for North American culture to allow more income and interest globally. However, they
kept their cultural clothing. Both, Gandhi and the Peru women, use and allow globalization to
some extent while still keeping their own culture and identity. Therefore, Gandhi and the Peru
women both see globalization as a good thing but will not allow it to overtake their culture.

Whereas source 3, a quote by columnist and filmmaker Gwynne Dyer, has a negative
perspective on globalization. He states that cultures are “all being fed into an industrial-strength
blender” and “we all come out changed”. No matter what language we speak, we all seem to
“talk about the same things from the same perspective.” This suggests that globalization is
merging all our cultures and making them one. Our opinions do not seem to be our own. An
example is social media. There are 4.65 billion active users of social media globally in April
2022. Social media spreads popular culture. The same beliefs, fashion, and trends are being
absorbed by 58.7% of the global population and influencing their identity and culture. Most of
them are young adults between the ages of 20-29. They are going to be the one the future
generation