Globalization is the process wherein disparate cultures are able to congeal and merge to form a larger whole. Globalization is made possible because of recent advances in technology, allowing instantaneous and easy communication around the globe. In addition to merely facilitating communication, globalization also represents the unification of various cultures, such as the appearance of McDonald's in the middle of China, or the usage of Sony products in Brazil.
One of the drawbacks of globalization is supposed "cultural imperialism," or the continual imposition of Western, and particularly American ideas upon the wider world. America, and the West in general, features a capitalistic set of values, which are often in direct conflict with ideologies of the east. Yet, such is the force of Western influence, that these cultures are often obliged to shift to a Western mindset, as Western companies and products begin to saturate and control the market. Indeed, globalization allows for specific companies to influence not just a particular part of the world, but the entire globe.
An example of cultural imperialism is the transplantation of western beauty ideals, such as blond hair, to the world at large. This New York Times article (New York Times) outlines how poor women in Russia sell their hair so that wealthier individuals can buy them for use as wigs or extensions. The article shows that the Western beauty concept of blond hair has saturated even the vehemently anti-west former Soviet Union, with the hair being quite valuable. The hair not only services those wealthy Russians who wish to appeal to western sensibilities, but they are also shipped around the world, thus illustrating how far the American concept of beauty has spread.
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