Impact of Globalization on Selected Non-Western Cultures

Globalization is defined as the “worldwide interconnectedness, evidenced in global movements of natural resources, human labor, finance capital, information, infectious diseases, and trade goods” (Haviland, Prins, Walrath, & McBride, 2008, p. 19). Globalization has or is occurring across the world but it has especially effected the non-Western cultures in dramatic and significant ways.
Two Examples of Globalization
South Korea The Korean War ended in 1953 and from that time until 1963 the southern Korean peninsula, or South Korea, changed very little. The country was lacking in industry and basic infrastructure due to the ravages of the war (Lee & Kim, 2010). The per capita income in 1960 was $35.85 / month (in US dollar equivalent), making South Koreans poorer at the time than people in Bolivia (Kim, 1997, p. 206; Noland, 2014). Today, South Korea is an economically thriving society with advanced technology companies like Samsung, Hyundai and LG. The per capita income in 2012 was $2903 / month (in US dollar equivalent), this puts South Korea 10th highest in the world and above Germany, France and Japan (BBC News, 2012). Modern infrastructure is abundant with South Korea named the world’s “most-wired country” ("The big winner of the year / South Korea", 2012, p. 32) with high speed internet available for free, even on the subway.
Tunisia
Tunisia is a relatively small North African nation that has a large coast line connected to the Mediterranean Sea and it is sandwiched between northern Algeria and northern Libya. This unique geographic location makes it a bridge between three different cultures; the Arabs, Africa and Europe (Versi, 2003). Versi (2003) goes on to say in his article that this location “predisposed its citizens to be receptive to new ideas and to be able to quickly