CBSE Class 12 · Globalisation

Cultural Consequences of Globalisation and Resistance to It (Class 12 Political Science)

Updated 16 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Globalisation's cultural effect raises the fear of cultural homogenisation: what passes for a global culture is often the imposition of Western, especially American, culture, called McDonaldisation. Yet cultures absorb outside influences, enlarge choices and create new mixes such as a khadi kurta over jeans, so globalisation also produces cultural heterogenisation. It has met resistance from both left and right.

Globalisation can flatten cultures into one Western look, or mix them into new forms like a kurta over jeans; both left and right resist it.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Cultural Consequences of Globalisation

Why this topic matters. The cultural and resistance sections close Chapter 7 and supply 1-mark statement items, 2-mark 'reasons for resistance in India', 4-mark 'effects on Indian culture' and debate questions on homogenisation. NCERT sections: 'Cultural consequences', 'Resistance to globalisation' and 'India and resistance to globalisation'.

1. Why culture is affected. Globalisation reaches into our homes: what we eat, drink, wear and even think, and it shapes what we believe our preferences are.

2. The fear: cultural homogenisation.

The fear is the rise of a uniform culture, called cultural homogenisation.
NCERT's key distinction: a uniform culture is not a global culture. What is labelled 'global culture' is really Western culture imposed on other societies.
This is described as the soft power of US hegemony: the popularity of the burger or blue jeans reflects the powerful influence of the American way of life.
The culture of the dominant society leaves its imprint on less powerful ones, and the world begins to look as the dominant power wishes: the 'McDonaldisation' of the world, as cultures buy into the American dream.
This is dangerous for all humanity, not only poor countries, because it shrinks the rich cultural heritage of the globe.

3. The other side: enlarging choices.

Effect	NCERT's example
Cultures are not static; all accept outside influences	General principle
Some influences reduce our choices (negative)	The homogenisation fear
Some simply enlarge our choices	The burger is no substitute for a masala dosa; it is added to our food choices
Some modify culture without overwhelming tradition	Blue jeans with a homespun khadi kurta: a unique new combination, even exported back to the USA

4. Cultural heterogenisation. The same process makes each culture more different and distinctive. Differences in power remain when cultures meet, but cultural exchange is rarely one way.

5. Resistance to globalisation: who objects and why.

Critics	Arguments
Left	Today's globalisation is a stage of global capitalism in which the rich grow richer (and fewer) and the poor poorer; a weaker state cannot protect the poor
Right	Political: fear of a weakened state; economic: want self-reliance and protectionism in some areas; cultural: fear that traditional culture and age-old values will be lost

Anti-globalisation movements also use global networks, allying with like-minded groups abroad.
Many do not oppose globalisation as such, but a specific programme of it, which they see as imperialism.

6. Global protests.

Event	Details
Seattle, 1999	Widespread protests at the WTO Ministerial Meeting against unfair trading practices by powerful states; the developing world's interests were said to be neglected
World Social Forum (WSF)	A coalition of human rights activists, environmentalists, labour, youth and women activists opposed to neo-liberal globalisation
WSF meetings	First: Porto Alegre, Brazil, 2001; fourth: Mumbai, 2004; latest: Nepal, February 2024

7. Resistance in India.

Source	Form
Left wing	Protests against economic liberalisation through political parties and the Indian Social Forum
Trade unions and farmers' groups	Protests against the entry of multinationals
Patents	Opposition to the patenting of plants such as Neem by American and European firms
Political right	Objection to cultural influences: foreign TV channels via cable, Valentine's Day, and the westernisation of dress of girl students

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

not the emergence of a global culture
NCERT, Contemporary World Politics, Chapter 7: Explaining cultural homogenisation.
The key distinction examiners reward.
This phenomenon is known as the soft power of US hegemony
NCERT, Chapter 7: On the imposition of Western culture.
Links culture to power.
cultural exchange is rarely one way
NCERT, Chapter 7: Conclusion on cultural heterogenisation.
The closing line for a balanced answer.

Cultural Consequences of Globalisation: key facts

Cultural effects: Homogenisation uniform culture = imposition of Western culture; soft power of US hegemony; McDonaldisation
Enlarged choices burger beside masala dosa
Modified culture khadi kurta over jeans
Heterogenisation cultures more distinctive; Exchange is rarely one way.
Critics: Left: global capitalism, rich richer and fewer, poor poorer, weak state | Right: weak state; self-reliance and protectionism; traditional culture harmed; Movements oppose a specific programme, seen as imperialism.
Global resistance: Seattle 1999: WTO Ministerial protests | WSF: Porto Alegre 2001, Mumbai 2004 (fourth), Nepal February 2024 (latest); WSF opposes neo-liberal globalisation.
Resistance in India: Left parties and Indian Social Forum
Trade unions and farmers vs MNCs
Neem patents
Right: foreign TV channels, Valentine's Day, western dress; Both left and right resist, for different reasons.

Homogenisation	uniform culture = imposition of Western culture; soft power of US hegemony; McDonaldisation
Enlarged choices	burger beside masala dosa
Modified culture	khadi kurta over jeans
Heterogenisation	cultures more distinctive

How to answer Cultural Consequences of Globalisation questions

Cultural questions reward both sides: homogenisation and heterogenisation, with NCERT's examples. Resistance questions want the left and right positions, the global events and India's examples. Judgement questions need a balanced conclusion.

1State that globalisation shapes what we eat, wear and think.
2Explain homogenisation with the global-culture distinction and McDonaldisation.
3Counter with enlarged choices and heterogenisation, using burger-dosa and jeans-kurta.
4For resistance, separate left and right, then add Seattle and the WSF.
5For India, list four sources: left, trade unions and farmers, Neem patents, right on culture.
6Conclude with 'exchange is rarely one way' or with movements opposing a specific programme, not globalisation itself.

Cultural Consequences of Globalisation in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Cultural heterogenisation

Suppose a café in Kolkata sells a 'mishti doi cheesecake' and a pizza topped with paneer tikka, and tourists from Italy queue to try them.

What does this show about the direction of cultural exchange under globalisation?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Pizza and cheesecake are outside influences.
Local tastes reshape them into something new rather than being replaced.
Visitors from the country of origin come to try the new mix, so influence also flows back.

Answer: Cultural exchange is rarely one way: outside influences are remixed locally and the new combination travels back, like the khadi kurta over jeans now worn by young Americans.

Memory hook: Mix, don't erase.

Homogenisation

Imagine a hill town where every new shop sells the same branded fast food and clothes seen in any big city abroad, and local snacks and weaves slowly disappear from the market.

Which fear about globalisation does this illustrate?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Global brands replace local products rather than adding to them.
Choices narrow to what the dominant culture offers.
Local heritage shrinks.

Answer: It illustrates cultural homogenisation, or McDonaldisation: a uniform culture spreading through the soft power of the dominant society.

Memory hook: Same shops, shrinking heritage.

Tricks to remember Cultural Consequences of Globalisation

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

Homo = same, Hetero = different
Homogenisation makes cultures the same; heterogenisation makes them more different.
Use it when: Defining the two effects.
Burger beside dosa, jeans under kurta
Burger enlarges choice; jeans plus kurta is a new mix.
Use it when: Examples of positive cultural effects.
01-04-24
WSF: Porto Alegre 2001, Mumbai 2004, Nepal 2024.
Use it when: World Social Forum dates.

Cultural Consequences of Globalisation: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Burgers and blue jeans · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

According to NCERT, some argue that the popularity of a burger or blue jeans has a lot to do with:
(a) cultural heterogenisation in Asia
(b) the powerful influence of the American way of life
(c) the protests of the World Social Forum
(d) the policy of protectionism

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT links these to the powerful influence of the American way of life, the soft power of US hegemony (1 mark).

Answer: (b) the powerful influence of the American way of life

Example 2: Why homogenisation threatens everyone · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

Why does NCERT consider the spread of a uniform culture dangerous not only for poor countries but for the whole of humanity? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The dominant culture leaves its imprint on less powerful societies (1 mark).
The rich cultural heritage of the entire globe shrinks (1 mark).

Answer: The culture of the politically and economically dominant society leaves its imprint on less powerful societies, so the world begins to look more like the dominant power wishes. Because cultures everywhere buy into the same dominant dream, the rich cultural heritage of the entire globe shrinks, and that is a loss for all of humanity, rich and poor alike.

Example 3: Assertion and reason: anti-globalisation networks · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): Many anti-globalisation movements build alliances with similar groups in other countries.
Reason (R): Most anti-globalisation movements oppose a particular programme of globalisation, which they regard as imperialism, rather than globalisation as such.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Both are NCERT statements; opposing a specific programme does not by itself explain why movements form alliances abroad (1 mark).

Answer: (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Example 4: Resistance in India · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Explain any four forms of resistance to globalisation in India. (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Four forms, one line of explanation each (4 x 1 mark).

Answer: (i) Left-wing protests against economic liberalisation, voiced through political parties and forums such as the Indian Social Forum. (ii) Trade unions of industrial workers and organisations of farmers have protested against the entry of multinational companies. (iii) The patenting of plants such as Neem by American and European firms provoked strong opposition. (iv) From the political right, objections to cultural influences such as foreign TV channels on cable networks, the celebration of Valentine's Day and the westernisation of the dress of girl students in schools and colleges.

Example 5: Source-based: a wedding menu · 4 marks · Source-basedHarder board level

Read the passage (written for this page) and choose the most appropriate answer for each question.

At a wedding in Lucknow, the groom wore a sherwani with sneakers, the menu had both biryani and pasta, and the DJ mixed Bollywood songs with Western beats. An elderly guest grumbled that 'our culture is disappearing', while a cousin from New York said she wanted to copy the sneaker-and-sherwani look back home.

(i) The elderly guest's worry is closest to the fear of:
(A) cultural heterogenisation (B) cultural homogenisation (C) protectionism (D) re-colonisation of trade
(ii) Pasta served alongside biryani is an example of an outside influence that:
(A) reduces our choices (B) enlarges our choices (C) replaces tradition (D) has no effect
(iii) The cousin's wish to copy the look in New York shows that:
(A) cultural exchange is rarely one way (B) Western culture always dominates (C) globalisation is only economic (D) cultures are static
(iv) Which NCERT example is closest to the sherwani worn with sneakers?
(A) The burger beside the masala dosa (B) A khadi kurta worn over blue jeans (C) Neem patents (D) Foreign TV channels on cable

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) (B): the fear that a uniform culture will replace local traditions (1 mark).
(ii) (B): pasta is added to the menu, not substituted for biryani (1 mark).
(iii) (A): the new mix travels back to the West (1 mark).
(iv) (B): an outside item combined with a traditional one to make something new (1 mark).

Answer: (i) (B) cultural homogenisation; (ii) (B) enlarges our choices; (iii) (A) cultural exchange is rarely one way; (iv) (B) a khadi kurta worn over blue jeans.

Example 6: Long answer: culture and power · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

"The fear of McDonaldisation is really a fear about power, not about culture." Examine this statement with reference to NCERT's discussion of cultural homogenisation and heterogenisation and the cultural resistance seen in India. (6 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Homogenisation as the imprint of a dominant society: soft power of US hegemony (2 marks).
Heterogenisation: cultures absorb and remix outside influences; exchange rarely one way (2 marks).
Cultural resistance in India from the political right (1 mark).
Judgement (1 mark).

Answer: The statement has real force. NCERT explains that what passes for a global culture is often the imposition of Western culture on the rest of the world, which it calls the soft power of US hegemony. The culture of the politically and economically dominant society leaves its imprint on less powerful societies, and the world begins to look as the dominant power wishes: the McDonaldisation of the world. The fear here is about unequal power, and it matters to all humanity because it shrinks the rich cultural heritage of the globe.

Yet NCERT also shows that culture is not simply overpowered. Cultures are not static and accept outside influences all the time. Some influences reduce our choices, but many simply enlarge them: the burger is no substitute for a masala dosa and is just added to our food choices. Others modify culture without overwhelming tradition: a khadi kurta worn over blue jeans is a new combination, now even seen on young Americans. This is cultural heterogenisation, and it shows that cultural exchange is rarely one way.

In India, resistance from the political right has objected to foreign TV channels on cable networks, Valentine's Day and the westernisation of girl students' dress. Such objections are framed as defending culture, but they are driven by fear of a powerful outside influence.

So the statement is largely valid: the anxiety is about differences in power when cultures interact. But NCERT's evidence suggests that power does not decide everything, because local cultures adapt, mix and even send influences back.

Where students lose marks in Cultural Consequences of Globalisation

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Only the negative side of culture
Writing that globalisation destroys Indian culture.
Wrong working
Globalisation is destroying Indian culture through Western influence.
Right working
Homogenisation is a fear, but heterogenisation and enlarged choices are also outcomes.
Do this: Always add burger-dosa or jeans-kurta.
Usually costs: 2 marks in 4- or 6-mark answers.
Mistake: Calling homogenisation a 'global culture'
Missing NCERT's distinction.
Wrong working
Homogenisation means the emergence of a global culture shared by all.
Right working
A uniform culture is not a global culture; it is the imposition of Western culture.
Do this: Learn the distinction word for word.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Wrong WSF facts
Mixing the first and fourth meetings.
Wrong working
The first WSF meeting was held in Mumbai in 2004.
Right working
First: Porto Alegre, Brazil, 2001; fourth: Mumbai, 2004; latest: Nepal, February 2024.
Do this: 01-04-24.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Resistance from one side only
Mentioning only the left.
Wrong working
Only communists oppose globalisation in India.
Right working
Left parties, trade unions, farmers, Neem patent opponents and the political right.
Do this: Cover both left and right.
Usually costs: 1-2 marks.

Exam tips

Asked in: 2023 board paper 59/3/1 Q23 (4 marks, four effects of globalisation on Indian culture); 2026 board paper 59/5/1 Q15 (2 marks, two reasons for resistance to globalisation in India); 2025 board paper 59/7/1 Q5 (1 mark, statements on multi-dimensionality and homogenisation) and Q6 (1 mark, from where resistance in India has not come); 2025 board paper 59/5/1 Q6 (1 mark, country of the first WSF meeting); 2025 board paper 59/4/1 Q5 (1 mark, assertion-reason on trade unions and resistance). Answers here are our own.
Pair every homogenisation point with a heterogenisation example.
Learn the WSF trio of dates and places.
Resistance in India: left, unions and farmers, Neem, right.
End cultural answers with 'cultural exchange is rarely one way'.

Practice questions on Cultural Consequences of Globalisation

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
NCERT mentions the Indian Social Forum as a channel for:
(a) right-wing objections to Valentine's Day
(b) left-wing protests against economic liberalisation
(c) multinational companies seeking entry into India
(d) the WTO Ministerial Meeting of 1999
Hint
Which side of the political spectrum used it?
Answer
(b) left-wing protests against economic liberalisation.
Q2 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
Distinguish between cultural homogenisation and cultural heterogenisation. (2 marks)
Hint
Same vs more distinctive.
Answer
Cultural homogenisation is the rise of a uniform culture, which in practice means Western culture being imposed on the rest of the world. Cultural heterogenisation is the opposite effect, in which outside influences make each culture more different and distinctive, producing new combinations.
Q3 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
How do the left and the right differ in their criticism of globalisation? (2 marks)
Hint
Capitalism vs culture and self-reliance.
Answer
The left sees globalisation as a stage of global capitalism in which the rich grow richer and fewer and the poor poorer, while weakening the state's ability to protect the poor. The right worries about a weakened state, wants self-reliance and protectionism in some areas, and fears the loss of traditional culture and values.
Q4 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): Protests at the 1999 WTO Ministerial Meeting in Seattle alleged unfair trading practices by economically powerful states.
Reason (R): Protesters felt the interests of the developing world were not given enough importance in the global economic system.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.
Hint
What drove the protests?
Answer
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q5 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Using NCERT, classify each of the following as an outside influence that reduces our choices, enlarges our choices or modifies our culture without overwhelming it, and justify each in one line: (i) the burger on Indian menus; (ii) a khadi kurta worn over blue jeans; (iii) local foods and clothes disappearing as one dominant culture spreads; (iv) the spread of a uniform culture that shrinks the world's cultural heritage. (4 marks)
Hint
Burger and dosa; jeans and kurta; homogenisation.
Answer
(i) Enlarges our choices: the burger is no substitute for a masala dosa; it is simply added to our food choices. (ii) Modifies our culture without overwhelming the traditional: it produces a new and unique combination, which has even been exported back to the USA. (iii) Reduces our choices: outside influence replaces rather than adds, which is the negative side NCERT warns of. (iv) Reduces our choices: this is cultural homogenisation, the imposition of a dominant culture, which NCERT calls dangerous for the whole of humanity.
Q6 · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose a group in your city calls for a ban on a foreign festival, saying it threatens Indian culture, while students say it is harmless fun. Using NCERT's ideas, assess both views. (4 marks)
Hint
Right-wing resistance; homogenisation; enlarged choice.
Answer
The group echoes resistance from the political right, which NCERT records in objections to Valentine's Day and other cultural influences; its fear is homogenisation, that the dominant Western culture will erode traditional values and shrink cultural heritage. The students' view reflects NCERT's point that cultures are not static and many outside influences simply enlarge our choices without overwhelming tradition, as the burger sits beside the masala dosa. A balanced assessment is that the fear of power imbalances is real, but cultural exchange is rarely one way, and a ban would reduce choice rather than protect culture.
Q7 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Compare resistance to globalisation at the global level with resistance to it in India. What do the two have in common? (6 marks)
Hint
Left and right; Seattle; WSF; Indian Social Forum, unions, farmers, Neem, cultural objections; specific programme.
Answer
Globalisation is a contentious subject and has drawn criticism from both left and right. The left sees it as a phase of global capitalism that enriches a few and impoverishes many while weakening the state that should protect the poor. The right fears a weakened state, wants self-reliance and protectionism in some areas, and worries about the loss of traditional culture.
Yet NCERT notes that many anti-globalisation movements are not opposed to globalisation as such, but to a specific programme of it, which they see as imperialism. Tellingly, they themselves participate in global networks and ally with like-minded groups in other countries. The Seattle protests at the 1999 WTO Ministerial Meeting attacked unfair trading practices of powerful states and the neglect of developing countries, not global contact itself. The World Social Forum, first held at Porto Alegre in 2001, then in Mumbai in 2004 and most recently in Nepal in February 2024, brings together human rights activists, environmentalists, labour, youth and women activists against neo-liberal globalisation.
In India, left parties and the Indian Social Forum protested economic liberalisation, trade unions and farmers' groups opposed the entry of MNCs, and the patenting of Neem by Western firms drew opposition. These targeted particular policies and corporate practices. Right-wing objections to foreign channels or Valentine's Day were more cultural.
What the two share: both draw criticism from left and right, and most movements at both levels target particular policies and practices, a specific programme of globalisation, rather than global contact itself; they even use globalisation's own networks to demand a fairer form of it. The difference is mainly one of focus: global protests centre on trading rules and neo-liberal policy, while Indian resistance adds local concerns over MNC entry, plant patents and cultural change.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.According to NCERT, the burger is no substitute for which Indian dish?Show answer
A masala dosa; the burger is simply added to our food choices.
2.What clothing combination illustrates cultural heterogenisation?Show answer
A khadi kurta worn over blue jeans.
3.What did the Seattle protesters say about the interests of the developing world?Show answer
That they were not given sufficient importance in the evolving global economic system.
4.What happens, according to NCERT, when the culture of a dominant society meets a less powerful one?Show answer
It leaves its imprint on the less powerful society, and the world begins to look more like the dominant power wishes.
5.Who in India organised protests against the entry of multinationals?Show answer
Trade unions of the industrial workforce and organisations representing farmer interests.
6.Where was the latest WSF meeting held, per NCERT?Show answer
Nepal, February 2024.

Cultural Consequences of Globalisation: frequently asked questions

What are the cultural consequences of globalisation?

A fear of homogenisation (a uniform, Western-led culture) alongside heterogenisation, enlarged choices and new cultural combinations.

What is cultural heterogenisation?

The process by which outside influences make each culture more distinctive, producing unique new mixes.

Does globalisation always reduce our cultural choices?

No. Some outside influences reduce choices, but others enlarge them (the burger beside the masala dosa) or modify culture without overwhelming tradition (a khadi kurta over jeans).

Who resists globalisation in India?

Left parties and the Indian Social Forum, trade unions, farmers' groups, opponents of Neem patents, and the political right on cultural grounds.