Globalization is a process of increasing interconnectedness among nations, cultures, and peoples; it is accelerated by technological developments. Globalization relates to cultural imperialism, which is when the cultural flow illustrates an imbalance in the global power structure. This occurs when the global media flow is neither equal in direction nor volume of material; the interconnectedness is controlled more by one group. The United States is a shining example of cultural imperialism with our ever expanding strife to “Americanize” the rest of the world. Aspects of the western world, therefore, are apparent in many other parts of the world now. Cultural imperialism is a threat to local and indigenous cultures because it has the potential to overpower and possibly exterminate them.
America’s Hollywood film industry exemplifies cultural imperialism because it is a source that has dominated not only in the United States, but all around the world. The number of American films that are exported to other countries vastly outweighs the foreign films that we bring here for viewing. One classic example of an American movie that blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon is the original Star Wars trilogy. The film’s extreme American success erupted into a worldwide success and is still widely known and referenced worldwide. This is just one of many instances in which American films have traversed our borders into overseas successes. The American film industry has maintained its dominance for many decades, and has yet to show any indication of relinquishing it.
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