Critically Evaluate the Value of Academic and Applied Psychology in Facing the Challenges of Life in the Twenty-First Century

In the 21st Century, many problems face the people of today with academic and applied psychology facing those problems. One of the main problems that people face today is the idea of Globalisation.

Globalisation is an ever growing process around the world, which has been an ever-lasting process throughout time and into the 21st century. Globalisation is described as “a process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of culture” (Al-Rodhan 2006). Throughout time, Golbalisation has impacted everyone, from the changing face of work (Occupational Psychology) through the Industrial Revolution to the more current Globalisation of hand held devices, such as mobile phones. Even though Globalisation can be seen as a positive movement which advances the human race, it can also be seen negatively in the sense that cultural boundaries are disappearing, and can be seen through global chain of McDonalds.

McDonalds is a globally known fast food restaurant, which caters up to 69 million people a day in 119 different countries, one prime example of Globalisation, more so cultural Globalisation. However, this type of Globalisation can be seen negatively as the fast food chain has be perceived to have forced Westernized culture upon other cultures, mainly those Eastern to America. Ritzer (2009) described the phenomenon of a McDonald restaurant in majority of countries over the world as McDonaldisation. Through Ritzer’s term, McDonaldisation can be seen as one of the many ways in which cultural barriers are fading and becoming more uniform or homogenized (everything becoming one). This is one of the problems faced in life in the 21st century.

Through Social Psychology (ac...

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