ABSTRACT
Because the processes of globalization are so complex and their effects so widely dispersed, they have required new multidisciplinary concepts to analyze them. In the realm of culture, an increased pace of cross-cultural encounter and transnational exposure to foreign media, styles, and ideas has raised many questions about the impact of globalizing or Westernizing forces on local, or “traditional,” societies. These forces include a wide range of phenomena, from the increasing dominance of the English language as the language of air traffic control, the Internet, and much transnational business to the global popularity of Latin American telenovelas and the spread of McDonald’s and Thai food around the world.
