has especially produced disapproval in East Asian and Islamic cultures. English is the language of
commerce and of the Internet. The Western appreciation for science has been a hallmark of the global
age.
Sometimes reactions to globalization created changes in religious beliefs and practices. Beginning
in the 1960s, New Age religions, dependent on astrology, emerged. Fundamentalism , or the return to
traditional beliefs and practices, became the goal of many practitioners of major religions, especially
Christianity and Islam.
The new global culture placed more emphasis on monetary wealth, education, and professional
position rather than on land ownership or inherited position. At the same time, traditions continued. In
India, for example, remnants of the caste system caused some Indians to cling to caste restrictions
even though they had been outlawed. Laws of almost all nations allowed women’s suffrage. The
global culture continued to display regional traditions and characteristics, while national pride
surfaced in international athletic competitions such as the Olympic Games and World Cup Soccer, or
Federal International Football Association (FIFA).
Rapid Review
In the interim between the world wars and after World War II, labor-saving devices transformed
leisure time in Europe and the United States. Movies and television provided family entertainment,
whereas the automobile created a new lifestyle for Western teenagers. Governments instituted welfare
programs, and women’s political rights were broadened worldwide. Religion declined in popularity,
especially in Europe, and the Soviet Union denounced the importance of religion. Although women’s
rights were increased, women were expected to continue to carry out traditional roles. The new
global culture emphasized the importance of professional status and knowledge over family social
position. The dominance of Western culture and the English language met with disapproval in some
Eastern and Islamic cultures.
Review Questions
1 . By the twenty-first century, almost all women across the globe
(A) were freed from traditional homemaking roles
(B) were allowed to serve in combat in the armed forces
(C) were granted educational opportunities equal to men
(D) had been granted the right to vote
2 . In the twentieth century, a blend of African and Western cultures could be found most readily in
(A) architecture
(B) literature
(C) painting
(D) sculpture
3 . What did the Soviet Union, Japan, the United States, and Western Europe have in common in the
twentieth century?
(A) A program of social security for the aged