Globalization has propagated economic opportunity, elevated human rights and imp roved access to information, technology and

goods to people all over the world. Critics argue that these benefits of globalization have come at a steep price, h owever, as local and regional cultural identity has been sacrificed to make way for Western ideals and values. While there's no question that globalization brin gs cultural change, there is endless debate as to what form these changes take, and whether they are to be embraced or avoided at all costs. Globalization can be seen as affecting culture in three basic ways. One interpre tation would be that it simply disperses any and every culture throughout the wo rld, making the planet more heterogeneous and forging deeper conections and unde rstanding between different groups. For example, teens in the United States gain an understanding of Japanese culture through animation, comic books and video g ames, while teens throughout Asia learn about the American way of life by watchi ng TV shows and movies from the United States. This type of change is generally positive, and brings greater choice for people everywhere to get a taste of diff erent cultures while still maintaining a strong, native cultural identity. Others argue that globalization actually makes culture more homogenous, leading to a unified world culture that consists of watered down versions of regional cu ltural trends. Food is often cited as an example of this. For example, Japanese sushi can now be consumed in virtually any country in the world, and regional fa vorites from French pastries to "American" fried chicken can be found everywhere from Florida to Hong Kong. Proponents of globalization argue that this impact o ccurs only at a superficial level, affecting things like consumer goods and the media, while critics worry that it degrades or weakens traditional culture, wate ring it down for the masses. While this may be true in some areas, there will li kely always be demand for the authentic and the original. Even though a hungry s ushi-lover can find spicy tuna rolls in New York, he may still be driven to seek out a native version of this dish when he visits Japan. The impact of globalization on culture may also be seen as a blend of the hetero geneous an homogenous, or a "glocalization" of sorts. Glocalization can be under stood as the development of hybrid cultures at the local level, as foreign cultu res reach local soil, such as the creation of fusion cuisine or music. In the 21 st century, this impact has been felt in the American film industry, as studios remake major foreign films like The Departed and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo for the U.S. market. Another example of this phenomenom can be seen as fast fo od chains from the U.S. adapt their menus to suit local tastes in foreign market s, such as adding beer in Germany or wine in France. One of the most common arguments against globalization is not that it produces s imply a homogenous culture, but that it forces American culture onto the world a s a whole, leading to a Westernization of other nations. Will every single perso n in the world one day end up wearing blue jeans and eating McDonald's? We don't know the answer, but even the question itself reveals that globalization is an ongoing process that works both ways: Dig a little deeper, and you'll find that even something as classically American as a pair of blue jeans is itself a hybri d forged from different cultures. American blue jeans were developed by a German immigrant, and the denim material for these pants comes from the name of the Fr ench town where it originated -- de Nimes. Meanwhile, the nickname "jeans" comes from "Genes," a name used to describe this style of pants, which was inspired b y the pants worn by sailors from Genoa [source: Legraine].