ABSTRACT
The cultural dimensions of globalization continue to pose challenging and complex questions for social analysts. It is useful at the outset to clarify some pressing conceptual issues. Amongst most economists, many political activists, and social observers, globalization is taken as a primarily economic phenomena associated with market deregulation, free trade, foreign direct investment and corporate power. One theme of growing importance in the analysis of global connectivities, is that of media and culture in the global order, embracing issues of communications technology and digitally mediated social media. The concept of homogenization in culture is closely linked with that of cultural convergence, where all countries, regions, and locations subject to processes of globalization are seen as entering similar developmental pathways to common institutions, identities and ways of life. Just as globalization is not, in some simple sense irreversible, it is not inconceivable that the relationship between the three major cultural trends may change, and one trend may become dominant over others.
