The Global Implications of the Internet on Cultural Convergence

• In Event: Communication, Social Networks, and Changes in Attitude Structures: Paths towards Belief Convergence, Divergence, and Equilibrium

Abstract

This paper describes the global implications of the Internet, which links the members of the international community, on cultural convergence. Through the examination of the strength of the connections among the nations of the world, it predicts the Internet’s impact on national culture and the process leading to cultural convergence and the formation of a global culture. This paper begins by explicating systems and network perspectives, and the structural model of intercultural communication, which may be operationalized using network analysis. Next, it reviews the results of a network analysis of international Internet flows. Based upon these findings, it draws inferences from cultural convergence theory to make a series of prognoses about the short-term and long-term impact of the Internet on global culture and national identity.

Authors

• Devan Rosen, Univ of Hawaii, Manoa

• George Barnett, University of California - Davis