Outside Reading-Global Village -- Jessica Schwier

In the book Gods of the Blood by Mattias Gardell, the author introduces a new term he calls "global village." While reading, this term jumped out at me. It is very interesting to look into. By global village, the author is trying to show how the world is becoming a smaller place and people know much more about other cultures than we have previously. It goes along with the term globalization, saying how the world is becoming increasingly similar over time. The author uses examples of McDonald's being everywhere you go, in different countries, in every town. Global village supports that this globalization is helping us to understand different cultures and beliefs. However, I disagree. I believe that globalization is harming other cultures. It is making other cultures more similar, but who says these other cultures want to be more like us. For example, in Japan they value meals as a time to relax. Lunch orders take a long time, and they are able to hang out and talk with friends, which is valued in their culture. But, with McDonald's they are served much quicker and the atmosphere is not much of a hang-out. They want customers in and out so they cna make as much money as possible. Also, this does not teach us anything about other cultures. When we visit foreign places, we can still have McDonald's. I'd much rather prefer eating native foods and actually experiencing the real culture of new countries.