Globalization And Culture: Three Paradigms By Jan Nederveen Pieterse

Introduction

Throughout the course of human history, technological advancements have brought about the restructuring of roles and responsibilities within and between societies, these shifts have often brought with them major challenges to the status quo. Advancements in the current century have been more rapid than ever before, and the impact it has on the societal and political structure of the world is becoming more acute. Since the turn of the century, we have seen European and North American states that dominated the world for the last few centuries struggle to maintain their internal stability and international interests against smaller non-state actors that have been presented with new capabilities that decrease the gap in power between the entities. The internet has allowed for rapid spread of information and instant communication across the globe, which has allowed individuals to reach beyond the confines of their

In his book entitled, Globalization and Culture: Three Paradigms, Pieterse discusses culture as a fragile element of international relations due to the strong connection it has to identities of individuals and the strong connection that has to human nature (Pieterse, 2015). Just as many other political science scholars have asserted, human nature is to be self-interested and by extension self-serving (Pieterse, 2015). Therefore political and social structures exist out of the overwhelming human desire to enhance and protect quality of life (Pieterse, 2015). When these interests are threatened, humans will act aggressively to rid themselves of potential threats, which with the increased exposure to foreign cultures and societal norms that globalization provides leads to the potential for conflict across cultural