Globalization

     Globalization, as discussed in class, essentially refers to the process of interconnecting various cultures and regions from around the world. On a large scale, one may think of the Westernization of vastly different cultures like Japan as a result of the Internet and other Western-dominated media sources. However, globalization also encompasses the processes that happen on a local level across the world, as ideas and concepts are introduced and then adapted to fit that locality.
     This local aspect is known as glocalization. While a local region may borrow the general idea of another culture, it does not merely assimilate to fit that idea. Instead, it adopts the format but changes the content, thereby customizing it to fit the new culture's value system, sense of humor, and other particular attributes. This can be an argument against cultural imperialism, which does not take into account the interpretive and adaptive aspects of globalization.
     One example of this which is actually counter intuitive given our preexisting notions of Western cultural imperialism is the 1954 Japanese film Seven Samurai. This film, notable for its innovative structure of gathering an elite team to achieve a common goal, was so globally popular that it actually inspired emulation in Hollywood. One of its most notable followers, The Magnificent Seven, however, completely changes the setting of the film into the American West and in many ways modifies the feeling of the film to fit American sensibilities.