Kwame Anthony Apiah The Case For Contamination Analysis

Improved Essays
Every major city is inhabited by all kinds of people. Nearly in every corner of this planet, there is demand for goods from all over the world. If your favorite kind of food is from a culture other than your own, then you too are unconsciously a part of globalization. The influence of other cultures is so engrained and present in all of our lives that we are almost numb to it. Your car can be Korean, your phone American, and even if you shop at a local supermarket, most of your groceries are from all over the country or world. Today, due to the amazingly efficient transportation system, we can consume fresh produce from halfway around the world. This is something that was technologically impossible hundreds of years ago. This has created a …show more content…
And yet, the “hybridization of culture through travel, trade, or conquest is hardly a recent development.” (Appiah). This is why it is not unusual when people wear their forms of native dress at formal ceremonies, whether it be a suit, kilt or kente cloth. Kwame Anthony Apiah makes this argument in his article “The Case for Contamination.” He elaborates on the fact that globalization implies a change for the better. He also discusses how the loss of original culture may lead to improvement of civil rights, economics or quality of life and he relates it to his own native city in Ghana. Intuitively, it is impossible to promote both the progress of a society and the preservation of its culture. Is has been change that has brought about more successful and fair …show more content…
Throughout history, almost every aspect of human culture has evolved. Religions have shifted and split into different forms of belief, entire systems of government have changed and new codes of ethic have deliberately been adopted. We can look at the history of the world to see that most changes have not been meaningless but a natural component of progress. In the present, globalization is often justified by its importance in the global economy. Jeffrey A. Frankel, a professor at Harvard says that the benefits of globalization “come from a number of sources” such as “greater market size … enhanced competition [and] … technological improvements through increased contact with foreigners.”
Globalization has existed for as long as the human race. The spread of people, knowledge, and commodities brings the human race together. With this spread of knowledge and information comes new train of thought and new technologies. This knowledge ultimately provides the opportunity for more peace and

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Globalization is an ongoing process where individuals, businesses, and governments move beyond their domestic markets to worldwide markets. Technology and policies, both domestic and international, are the driving forces behind globalization. A more interconnected world is inevitable with continuous technological advances. Technological advances have certainly made international trade possible for developing countries thus the potential for improving quality of lives. Globalization also depends on both good domestic and good international policies.…

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In the last few decades, globalization has increased at an exponential level. This has resulted in worldwide economical, social, political, and cultural integration, largely due to the advancements in technology made within the past few decades. Globalization has affected human lives in both positive and negative manners, but regardless of its contrasting effects, it has been a major positive contributor to economies worldwide. In America, the effects of globalization are seen through the economic growth and system of trade that allows many products to be made in other countries but sold in America. At the time, America was coming out of an economic depression that nearly destroyed the economy and left American consumers with little spending…

    • 361 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    Cavanaugh refers to a number of definitions of globalization, one of which is that globalization is a view of the world that usually ignores the interests and concerns of the local and the individual. According to this view, different cultures are disappearing and relationships have become emotionless for more efficient and profitable economic deals. An individual is able to travel from one area to another and still eat the same food, buy the same clothes, or even stay in the same hotel. Cavanaugh argues that the movement of large corporations into other cultures has had an effect on that culture by absorbing it into the universal. These cultures are losing their own individual differences and are becoming one universal culture created by the corporations.…

    • 1349 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Globalization refers to the worldwide scope of economic growth through integration of the global economy created by free trade, capital and labour markets. Globalization has subsisted from the commencement of humanity in practices such as the spread of religion and ideas, however its very nature has significantly altered its process and means of distribution. Globalization now nurtures interconnectedness, democracy and strength between nations. On the other hand, with such forces between countries, globalization conjectures the possibility of political, social and economic differences.…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Globalization is the gasoline on the fire of development and global connections. The connections that have been made both physically and structurally between many countries, corporations and individuals have created our current cross-national world. The United states is a perfect example of cultural imperialists and investors of many global networks and governments. Those alliances and transactions have built our markets and supplied our lifestyles. I believe that globalization will change how instrument a ‘free market’ and in turn will drive the future of America's influence on global markets.…

    • 1157 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kwame Anthony Appiah’s article “The Case for Contamination” focuses on the interconnected issues involving cultural diversity, ethical obligations, and increased globalization. Appiah is a compelling advocate for Cosmopolitanism, an ethical principle that aims to institute universality and collective values across individuals to form a single community. Unlike his book “Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers,” the article focuses less on the ideology of Cosmopolitanism and more about the increased occurrence of globalization. Appiah constructed an argument that religion can be utilized as a safeguard for culture during times of globalization. Religion assists individuals in preserving their unique cultural customs while being subjected…

    • 1321 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Globalization can have a large effect on our world especially the United States. Globalization is able to keep our world linked closer together. Globalization can be a broad category as it can involve economy, politics, culture, and law. One concept that we may be most familiar with when speaking of globalization is the trade between countries. One country manufactures a product and or materials and another country buys of trades the product or materials.…

    • 238 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Spread Of Ideas

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Globalization is the spread and growth of businesses or organizations ideas for an international influence. Globalization is beneficial because it allows countries all over to financially benefit through trade and influences from other countries. It also gives people the opportunity to connect with any individual across the globe. The spread of ideas, connecting individuals, and economic efficiency and trade are just a few of the particular reasons globalization is an important benefit to the world. The spread of ideas is when concepts from a particular country or culture are spread around the world and adopted by other countries.…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Globalization 101 states that “globalization is 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”1. The definition of globalization sounds like sunshine and rainbows because no one can ever go wrong with uniting the countries together, but the reality is that with globalization in the twenty-first century it is taking one step forward, and two steps back because of the drawbacks that is behind with globalization. The drawbacks of globalization outweigh the benefits because globalization has affected the world on an economic, social, and environmental scale. Ultimately, these factors have hurt the…

    • 1258 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Analysis of an Article by Anthony Appiah The article by Appiah “The Case for Contamination” gives an extended view of globalization and cultural changes. In the context of the article, globalization brings positive changes to the traditional ways of life. Specifically, the author demonstrates various forms of cultural interactions, which are an outcome of globalization (Appiah 6). At the beginning, the story gives a picture of the Ghanaians enjoying their traditional festivals that incorporate some elements of the modern way of life.…

    • 1437 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Globalization is an economic, technological, social and cultural planetary scale process of increasing communication and interdependence among countries of the world uniting their markets, societies and cultures, through a series of social, economic change and policies that give them global perspective. Globalization is often identified as a dynamic process mainly caused by the societies living under democratic capitalism and liberal democracy, and have opened their doors to the information revolution, reaching a significant level of liberalization and democratization in political culture in its legal and economic national law, and international relations. It is important to note that among the supporters of economic and social development,…

    • 1015 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Research Paper Globalization Economic globalization has escalated over the years more rapidly than anyone ever expected. The invention of new technological improvements, services and businesses is creating a major impact for the increasing trade of good and services amongst other countries. Globalization is the worldwide movement toward goods, services, technology and capital, it is countries trading internationally, establishing business between other countries for financial or specific resources. Debate.org states globalization is likewise a major importance of the exchange of ideas and ideologies throughout worldwide cultures. There are various advantages and disadvantages that come with international trade and by the end of the essay…

    • 815 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The article under consideration, The Case for Contamination, focuses on three interconnected matters, cosmopolitism, cultural assimilation and globalization. Appiah interprets religions as the common ground that brings people together, however that may be. My approach is similar to his in that I too feel that cultural assimilation is not supposed be viewed through religion, but instead supposed to be broken down to the smallest form and viewed through each person that makes up said culture, religion, group, etc. Most notably in this analysis is Appiahs view of cultural assimilation in his own culture. He examines first his country of origin, Asante, Ghana.…

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Globalization definitions differ depending on what part of the world you’re from. Looking at globalization from a historic standpoint shows us how we’ve developed as people. Before technological advancements and the whole concept of globalization came about, societies were very much by themselves, they all had their own set of values, beliefs and ways of life. As human beings we have developed due to globalization. Human rights are an original product of…

    • 1135 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Globalization and its impacts on Culture Globalization is the interaction between people, companies and government of different nations. Globalization focuses on changes which occurred in economic and political affairs. Globalization also have significant impact on local cultures and values. The effects of globalization on local cultures have received less intention due to the fact that the issue of local culture is more confusing and sensitive.…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics