Globalization

In the broadest sense, globalization refers to the ongoing process of increasing interconnectedness among countries, cultures, and people all across the globe. By far the biggest factor in globalization is technological advancement. Cell phones and the internet have allowed us to connect with our local friends at all times, while also connecting with strangers who could live in the same town as us, or live halfway across the world. However, while technology plays the biggest role in globalization, media plays an important role as well. The importing of foreign media can allow for cultural diffusion, and an increased connectedness to other cultures. In the United States, this is most visible with Japanese media, with products like manga, anime, and video games gaining huge followings and devoted audiences.

However, not all media products are imported directly. In some cases, in an attempt to appeal to a more mainstream audience, a process known as glocalization occurs. In glocalization, a successful concept from one country or place is lifted, adopted and altered in content and tone, and used in another place. To continue my blog's trend of repeating topics, The Office provides a great example of glocalization.

The original British version of The Office presented a mockumentary style look at a workplace, that thrived on awkward humor and a dry tone. Interestingly, the pilot for the American version of The Office is a word for word recreation of the British version. With the high quality of the British pilot, this would not seem to be a problem, but the pilot of the American series is widely regarded as one of the weakest episodes of the whole series. The reason for this is simple: the style that worked for the British version simply didn't work for the American show. The producers quickly realized this, and the show was adapted to become more successful in the United States. Only after The Office was glocalized did it become one of the most successful comedies on television, even now in its seventh season. Glocalization allows media to be successful in foreign countries, even in an altered form. In this sense, it greatly assists in the process of globalization.

The image used in this post can be found here:
http://bgavideo.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/top-five-current-tv-shows/