Cultural Diffusion

Cultural diffusion is the process through which the idea of a particular cultural are spread through an area beyond the culture who came up with the idea. 

One of the most common kind of Cultural diffusion today is the increasing number of fast food chains. The biggest fast food chain, McDonald's, helped spread consumerism through the cultural diffusion. It uses the concept of Glocalization to blend in with the culture of the country that they settle in to. Glocalization according to wikipedia is the adaptation of a product or service specifically to each locality or culture in which it is sold. McDonald's menu is different per country in an attempt to appeal to the taste of the people in that specific country. They transform their menu in order to meet the needs of the local consumers and to stay competitive. For example, the menu here in the Philippines is sweeter to adapt to the taste buds of the Filipinos. And there are also items that are being sold here in the Philippines that are not sold in the US.

If you look at the menus per country you can see that it is different to each other and this is to adapt to the country's culture.

Pros and Cons of Globalization

Pros::
Communication became easier

• Through technology (internet) we can now talk to people even though they are half way around the world.

Traveling became very easy

•  With better transportation we can now travel the world easier and faster 
• Countries also started to open their doors for tourists and foreigners

Increase job opportunities

• Many jobs are created by the multinational companies

Access to foreign goods

• People have an access to goods that are produced from different countries
• There is a wide range of goods that can be ordered online and be delivered at your doorstep

Sharing of cultures

• People from all walks of life can now post their ideas and traditions online and share to everyone around the world (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

Cons:
Increased gap between the rich and the poor
Loss of culture
Illegal trade
People became less social

Typhoon Haiyan Disaster Reflection:
Last week the biggest Typhoon ever recorded hit the central part of the Philippines that causes unbearable destruction and left an estimate of 10,000 casualties. It was very heart-breaking for me to watch the news a day or two after the incident and to think about all the people that were helpless during the destruction of Typhoon Haiyan. When the typhoon was hitting the Visayas region I lost contact with my friends and relatives living in the area and it got me really scared.