Some people think the increasing business and cultural contact between countries brings many positive effects. Others say it causes the loss of national identities. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
The debate surrounding globalization is one of the most charged from time immemorial. In response to this epoch-making change, there is an army of people convinced that commercial and cultural exchanges among nations procure numerous advantages while a host of antagonists protest that national identities owes their precarious existence to this trend. This essay will elaborate on both viewpoints before a reasoned conclusion can be drawn.
In the realm of business, a panoply of tangible benefits can be derived from international exchanges. To commence, outsourcing offshore can contribute to expanding the business market worldwide. By allocating labor abroad, a company could receive extra merits of media exposure and at the same time provide employment opportunities for thousands of people. When Samsung was committed to opening more factories and then creating more than 2,000 jobs for Vietnamese workers, it was widely announced on the news. That action may, in turn, affect Vietnamese locals’ future purchasing choice were they to buy a phone, and also establishes a polished reputation for the brand itself. In addition, business exchange abroad helps institute diplomatic relations between countries. ASEAN is a testament to this case in that it was founded with a view to accelerating economic growth of its members. Gradually, their objective has been broadened beyond, promoting regional peace and stability and helping one another when in dire straits or in disarray.
In terms of cross-cultural activities, their positive outcomes are immense. Firstly, by virtue of quantum leaps in digital technology, netizens now have ready access to intellectual property of other cultures. Given that global citizens can learn about these, they are more likely to not only broaden their breadth of knowledge, but also learn about new perspectives thereby forming a reciprocal relationship between two nations. Moreover, cultural contact is an ideal approach central to generating an influx of wealth into the region. Should the local communities seize the initiative, they can capitalize on local crafts and traditional delicacies to attract international audiences, thus bolstering up the economy. Nonetheless, this second position ought to be accompanied by certain restrictions as boundless exploitation menaces the ecosystem.
Notwithstanding the above-mentioned advantages, borderless commerce and cross-culture are liable to be accompanied by the execrable issue of losing national identities. Firstly, transnational trade could mean the disappearance of language minority groups as it requires a lingua franca to communicate in business. Likewise, ever since the term ‘global citizens’ started gaining momentum among many Asian countries, enabling children’s exposure to English and having good command of the language have become a syndrome for such parents and companies as those in Korea, China, and Vietnam. As a result, the demise of some languages is imminent. Secondly, the pervasive presence of a predominant culture may lead to the loss of traditions and customs in local communities. For instance, Vietnamese younger generations nowadays prefer Western and Korean pop music to Vietnamese folk songs thanks to integration. Many Vietnamese singers, namely Son Tung M-TP and Soobin Hoang Son, also adapted genres from foreign bands in lieu of bolero music — a traditional music genre in Vietnam.
From a personal standpoint, the advantages of international trade and intercultural interaction undeniably outshines the mounting concern of ethnic identity loss. Nevertheless, cultural assimilation is still of great import pertaining to stamping out dangerous depraved customs. Mauritania’s obesity tradition bears testimony to this point in the sense that it regards corpulent women as an epitome of beauty and wealth, thereby leading to deaths of them due to force-feeding. However, global influencers, namely American pop stars Shakira and Britney Spears, have disabused them of the hardwired traditions, aspiring to be lissom and lithe, which is healthier.
In the light of business and cultural expansion worldwide, an enormous array of benefits such as international acclaim, employment generation, and diplomatic relations would ensue, as well as broadening one’s horizon and breadth of vision, together with economic profit. Having said that, this fashion poses a threat to minority languages and traditional values. Yet, it has the potential to eliminate several barbaric malpractices.