Analysis of Two Articles that Explore Globalization

Two significant articles that explore how young people engage with global culture from different perspectives are the UN's 'Young People in Globalization World' (2003) and Arnett's 'The Psychology of Globalization' (2002). In its article the UN takes the socioeconomic approach to examine how young people engage with global culture. They claim that the level of young people participation is divergent and this depends on their financial resources and their location. This gives engagement priority to urban educated people and enhances social segregation between rich and poor. In contrast, Arnett's argues that the psychological aspect of globalization helps youth to form different kinds of identities namely bicultural identity, identity of confusion and self-selected culture. The bicultural identity is the main theme of the mainstream around the world where they can combine their local and global identities. For some people the global culture values weaken their local values and at the same time they can not access global culture, so they form identity confusion. However, the global culture values allow them to choose to build self-selected culture.

Despite the divergence in the two articles approach, there are still some similarities. The UN and Arnett concur that young people engage with global culture via the new technological media despite unequal access to this media (UN, 2003 par 17, 30; Arnett, 2002 par 4, 6). They agree that young people are the main participants on the global consumer culture. The UN and Arnett also argue that the identity formation is affected by global culture especially the hybrid identity (UN, 2003 par 24; Arnett, 2002 par 24). However, they interpret these issues in very divergent ways.

Although the UN...

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...t is relay on 'secular' values, but its flexibility allow young people to be religious in order to find meaning for their identity. So as shown above this is one of the main divergences between the UN and Arnett. While Arnett presents the homogenous engagement of young people with global culture, the UN seen this as paradoxical; young people have to included or excluded from global culture.

Although the UN and Arnett have different point of view, both articles play a significant role to explain how young people engage with global culture in relation to how they control and form their new identity.

Works Cited

Arnett, Jeffrey Jensen. 'The Psychology of Globalization' American Psychologist, Vol 57(10), Oct 2002, 774-783. 'Young People in Globalization World' United Nations publication - Sales No. E.03.IV.7 (2003)