Definition, Causes and Effects of Cultural Erosion
Historically throughout the world, in past centuries, "cultural erosion" as Helena Norberg-Hodge refers to it ("The March of the Monoculture") was forced upon "traditional peoples" by world conquerors (at different times in world history, the British; French; Spanish, etc.). According to Goulet, "traditional peoples must be shocked into the realization that they are living in abnormal, inhuman conditions as psychological preparation for modernization". Today, however, as Norberg-Hodge suggests, Western influences, including advertising, television, the internet, and other technologies bring about cultural erosion on their own, by introducing, through those media, a westernized way of life that seems (erroneously) more luxurious, more glamorous, and relatively effortless, especially compared to their own jobs, looks, and lifestyles. Moreover, as D. Varan suggests, the imposition, by media and trans-globalization, of western values and influences, creates:
, resulting from friction between the contrasting values Norberg Hodge gives the example of the Ladakh of Kashmir, one of the most beautiful places on earth, who were perfectly contented, before Western influence was introduced, with their lifestyles as farmers. In most cases, the Ladahkis lived well, "only really worked for four months of the year, and poverty, pollution, and unemployment were alien concepts" (Norberg Hodge). However, "modernization" (meaning pressure to adopt more westernized values and a more western outlook and lifestyle) has given the Ladakhis a "cultural inferiority complex". What has happened to the Ladakhis has also happened elsewhere, and will continue to do so. Cultural erosion of the kind that happened to the Ladahki's is quite often helped along, moreover, and increasingly, by leaders in non-western countries themselves. For example, when Daniel Yergin points, in his essay in support of trade globalization, that according to Singapore's own senior min
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 671
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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