Globalization has been the common expression in process of analyzing social, cultural, political and also economical events in recent decades. However, there is no clear-cut and unique definition for this term because of the different aspects and capacities of individulals but what is more important than the definition, if we have a look at the cross-section of globalization and psychology, it is not hard to note that the consequences are extremely similar in terms of identitiy development of the youth.
I will try to explain the affects of the globalization in context of identity. Turkey as the test case for handling the situation of the adolescents in society is a really good example due to its cultural diversity and “have and have-not regions”.
First of all, it is clear that influences of globalization is multi-dimensional and for this reason, inter-regional differences in terms of development has to be taken into consideration. For instance, as in the eastern provinces of Turkey, premarital sex can be a reason of honour killing, it is becoming normal in more developed western regions .The patterns of consumption are also reflecting the level of exposure of global fashion, music and also nutrition habits of adolescents from different socio-economical classes. Although there are some rapid changes both in the East and the West, the more developed western region is more vulnerable to impact of the globalization.
As mentioned in the article of Jeffrey Jensen Arnett and my first paragraph above, the cross-sectional field of globalization and the psychology is the identity issue. “As a consequence of globalization, identity has to be created on a more active basis than before.” In Turkey case, this have resulted in an equal combination of the global and the local identity(bicultural identities), in a dominance of one over other or in identity confusion. Last generations have born into a global world and now grow up with a global consciousness besides the local one. Thanks to the technological developments, there are various opportunities for the exchange of information and chance to access to information even about the tropical rainforest or the size of Madonna. At the same time the local identities remain to use in every day life or to communicate well with the old generation, family etc. The adolescents in Turkey listen to 50 Cent, watcing the Simpsons, go to McDonald’s, drinking Coca-Cola and wear to the latest fashion and at the same time they like belly dance, traditional songs, to eat homemade “mantı” and to watch the Yeşilçam movies as well. The problem occurs at the point that the components and the changing values could not be accepted by the adolescent at the local level. The distance between the local value system and the new global values cause a conflict in personal life and in the process of creating an identity. For example the Turk-originated residents in Germany has a huge dilemma of cultural identity. They do not feel to belong neither German nor the Turkish culture, when they come back to their homeland, the locals do not accept them as a real Turkish citizen and at the global view