Globalization: The Grey Area that Lies Beyond the Black and White Lines.

As a teenage girl growing up in the age of social media and short-form content, the main genre of content we consume is the latest fashion trends. With the rapid growth in fast fashion brands like Shein, Zara, etc, culture and tradition are getting lost in the western fashion world in the name of globalization. One such example of cultural appropriation due to ill effects of globalization is the infamous ‘Scandinavian Scarf’, a long flowy garment worn over traditional clothes, originally known as the Dupatta, originates from Southern Asia and holds deep traditional significance.

In 2023, European brands sold a fashion garment called the ‘Scandinavian Scarf’, priced at $600. The design was unmistakably that of the Dupatta. The brands gave no credit to its origin sparking global outrage from South Asian influencers across the globe over social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter). Such instances make us question things like: Is Globalization helping countries connect and share cultures with each other or allowing powerful industries rebrand and resell identity without accountability?

Globalization has contributed to economic growth and increased access to goods, services, and technologies, benefiting many countries - but at what cost? It’s complex, multidimensional and contested, running on ideological capitalism. Globalization was meant to empower developing countries, but instead, they feel exploited, and the trust between the domestic governments and global institutions has been eroded. It was mishandled by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the World Bank. However, if done properly, it has the potential to uplift nations and bring them together, like it was intended to do in the first place.

Cultural Appreciation VS Cultural Appropriation

At what point does cultural appreciation become cultural appropriation? An honest understanding, respect and admiration for elements of another culture is culture appreciation but on the complete opposite of the spectrum is culture appropriation which is adoption of elements from one culture by individuals or groups from another culture without permission of use or understanding. Globalization has created a complex relationship between appreciation and appropriation by drawing a fine line between the two, inevitably blurring it. The ‘Scandinavian Scarf’, ‘Boho’ trend, Native American headdresses being used in high fashion, etc., are the big companies trying to commercialize marginalized communities’ cultures and traditions without any credit or representation given to them. These big companies profiting on other cultures by capitalizing them creates inequality. Higher executive pay doesn’t always mean better performance, Fast fashion brands don’t pay much attention to the quality of the garments they sell, they just prioritize profit while the original artists of the product are being commodified, creating power imbalances within the economic sphere of the world.

As a result of globalization, Fast Fashion grew rapidly. Brands like Shein, Zara, H&M mass produce their garments and ship them across the world and sell them for a much cheaper rate, catching the buyer’s attention. In today’s world we can order a piece of clothing and have them in our hands by the next day. In the insane mass productions, cultures are getting lost in translation and on top of that, most of them don’t use sustainable materials causing harm to the environment. The transport burning up fuels, the burden of labour falling on communities within the developing countries are just some of the adverse effects of fast fashion in the world. The labourers’ wages aren’t being handled properly causing inequality and the big companies are profiting while the marginalized are being neocolonialized.

The Interlacing of Globalization and Capitalism.

The big companies and corporations are the main contributors of capital in the name of globalization at the expense of local artisans and cultural designers. While mass production of clothes might seem more accessible to the people regarding the cultures of the world, they are doing it without representation and credit to the local art and capitalizing it for their own profit. The Global North nations neocolonialize Global South traditions without return, this system has got to change. Commodifying marginalized communities for the purpose of profiting off their culture is morally wrong. The global fashion industry creates power imbalances between the Global North and South. Western companies are reaping their profits while the workers in the South are bearing the burden of labour. The fast fashion industry works under a system of the developing countries competing to make the products fast and cheap often sacrificing labour rights and environmental standards.

The Role of Social Media in Globalization.

With the rate of growth in fast fashion, influencers across global social media platforms amplify trends without any awareness to the original art and cultural roots. With the case of the ‘Scandinavian Scarf’ many influencers followed the trend and never mentioned any credit to the Indian garment Dupatta. This created an outrage against the influencers while south Asian influencers used hashtags and slogans like “My culture is not your costume” and many more, reclaiming their traditional clothing on global platforms by spreading awareness.

The different aesthetics like ‘Indie’, ‘Boho’ are being pulled from cultures of marginalized communities but never mention any credit to them. In the world of social media, everyone tries to fit in by following the aesthetic and end up buying from these fast fashion brands as they are more accessible to them.

Gen-Z is pushing for ethical fashion by crediting origins and supporting local economies.

Cultural Hybridity: The Positive Side of Globalization:

While there have been cases of cultural appropriation as a result of globalization, it has also helped expanding the cultures across the world in a respectful manner. The recent Met Gala 2025 had the theme of ‘Superfine Tailoring Black Style’ paying homage to black fashion by spreading awareness about black culture and fashion through respectful and ethical ways of Globalization. Designers from across the world collaborated and showed how fashion transcends borders and reflected interconnectedness. Millions of people across the world watch the Met Gala, showing how cultural milestones are being shared globally.

In such cases we see globalization work but it has been mismanaged by Global institutions like the IMF and World Bank by using a one size fits all approach. This pushed austerity, rapid liberalization, and capital market deregulation on poor nations.

The Role of Global Institutions

The policies of The IMF and World Bank backfired causing recessions, growth of poverty and collapsing of economies. These institutions often reflect in western interests and not in those of developing nations. So, the developing nations feel exploited, not empowered.

After several peoples’ and organizations’ take on globalization, the main observation is that globalization as an idea isn’t bad but the way it was designed was flawed. Trade helps everyone but the policies must ensure fair distribution. However, IMF policies favoured corporations and not people. IMF and World Bank ignored cultural exploitation, making their policies flawed

As Joseph Stiglitz mentions in his book Globalization and Its Discontents Revisited: Anti-Globalization in the Era of Trump “The benefits of globalization were privatized; the costs were socialized.”

Trump’s trade wars and isolationism made things worse by increasing inequality and job loss which in turn created rage and nationalism.

Globalization failed people as it was designed for profit, not justice. If we want equality and prosperity in our world, we must make globalization fair, inclusive and democratic.

My Suggestions for ethical Globalization

Globalization has the potential to uplift and unify nations but only if governed fairly, democratically and with the primary aim to benefit the people. The global rules that benefit rich nations need to be replaced with fairer representation for developing countries. Democracy should be more important in the making of policies instead of technocrats and elitists as growth without equity isn’t growth at all, we need to make sure that we are growing with social protection and justice.

In the fashion industry, to make sure cultural appropriation don’t occur, companies should credit the local artisans and collaborate with them to ensure proper appreciation. Within the fast fashion industry, the labour rights and environmental protections must be enforced as environmental harm should not be a by product of fashion or globalization.

The main goal of Globalization should not be to ensure profit for large corporations as more capitalism doesn’t mean more prosperity but unchecked capitalism creates instability and inequality.

Whether it is fashion borrowed without acknowledgement, repackaged as a trend or marginalized communities being commodified, Globalization mirrors powerful structures that define our world. To move forward and grow together as people we must make sure that the main purpose of Globalization is to understand diversities across the world and spread awareness about the cultures around the world and demand a Globalization that values justice over aesthetics.