Morely and Globalization {Volpe, Week 11, Substantive}

In David Morely’s chapter Boarders and Belongings he addresses the notion held by several scholars that “globalization is seen to threaten the integrity of authentic and indigenous cultures and thus to weaken the sense of cultural unity that holds a group together” (207). In my opinion, this aspect, that it has the ability to weaken cultures and ethnic groups, as at the forefront of the globalization debate today. This argument resonates strongly with Islamic fundamentalists who believe the West is polluting their culture. For a more specific example, we can look to Bin Laden’s declaration of jihad against the US due to their occupation of Saudi Arabia in 1996. It can also be seen in the way many in France have reacted to North African immigration to Paris- they view this as an indirect attack on what I would call “Frenchness” or what it means to be a French citizen.

The attack on globalization for its ability to weaken the culture ultimately highlights an underlying problem, in which globalization causes the deterioration of power and influence of the nation-state. I wish Morely had developed this argument in more detail, as I feel that this assertion really needs to be picked apart in greater detail.