Globalization and American Culture Wars

If you Google the word “globalization” you can find this definition: a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. But what does that definition mean exactly? In Franklin Foer’s book, “How Soccer Explains the World,” one can find a more simple way to understand globalization – through soccer.

I found the last chapter of Foer’s book, titled “How Soccer Explains the American Culture Wars,” particularly interesting. I found it easy to understand how globalization can explain American culture wars when Foer explained it through soccer. Feelings regarding the sport of soccer in America can almost be separated into two categories: those who love soccer and those who despise it. In this chapter, Foer uses soccer in America to argue that the American culture wars are a result of globalization.

I agree with Foer in that globalization is the strongest explanation for the American culture wars. Other explanations for American culture wars include social class or political ideology. However, people in different social classes, who then tend to have varying political ideologies, can still both agree on protecting American culture from globalization or the opposite. A wealthy Republican business owner and a lower-class Democratic mechanic may not see the same way politically, but the two could see the same on how globalization could destroy American identity or shape it.

Though globalization has helped spur economic development, the worldwide expansion of different values also has the ability to deteriorate a country’s identity. The most common culture war in America is the conflict between those values considered traditionalist or progressive.  Or put differently, a culture war between those who believe globalization is ruining American cultural values and those who believe globalization is opening America up to new ideas and bettering the nation.

Foer accurately used soccer as a way to persuade readers that globalization is the cause of American culture wars. Those who accept soccer as a sport and play it, are on the progressive side of the American culture war. Despite soccer having originated in Europe, these people are able to accept soccer as a sport for Americans as well. They do not see soccer as a threat to American culture. On the other hand, those who dislike soccer do not accept because it is not a ‘traditional’ American sport. These people believe football, basketball, and baseball are the true American sports. The group who likes soccer is more open to the affects of globalization, while the second group believes globalization could be destroying traditional American culture and trying to preserve it.

Soccer is not the only American culture war that can be explaining by globalization. However, this particular culture war does help explain the larger picture. Many culture wars are not a result of varying social classes and political ideologies, but instead are results of those trying to embrace the affects of globalization and those trying to prevent them.

http://www.academia.edu/1210302/Globalization_Culture_Wars_and_Attitudes_toward_Soccer_in_America_An_Empirical_Assessment_of_How_Soccer_Explains_the_World