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U2, Globalization, and the Identity Trade

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U2, Globalization, and the Identity Trade

 

Summary and Conclusion

 

One might argue that U2’s loss of Irish identity is not necessarily a negative thing because, after all, these are only four of millions of Irish people living in the world today.  The fact that U2 has become more "Americanized" might also be interpreted as a positive development that echoes the overall shift of local cultures and developing countries toward Ritzer's "McDonaldization" (see Ritzer 1995 for a discussion of globalization and Americanization using McDonalds as exemplar).  If worldwide success, power, and charity have become the main goals of the band members, then one should find it hard to criticize the band for trading their Irish identity because every pop culture consumer must agree they have achieved those goals.  It is also very difficult to study the extent to which the band consciously modified their music and identity because it is not clear what part of their international success resulted from their modifications or which of their modifications resulted from their desire to reproduce past successes. In all, to answer the question posed at the beginning of this discussion, “Ireland” only belongs in the same group as “U2” if the binding factor is physical birthplace. 

When applied to a single four-man band, the loss of local culture for acceptance into the global cultural market does not create any major social problems, but if this same process is allowed to continue unchecked in the developing countries of the world, then the globalization phenomenon will succeed in increasing international homogeneity. The failure to preserve important aspects of unique local and traditional qualities would result in a regrettable worldwide loss of culture and diversity.  Therefore, the story of U2's identity trade should serve as a microcosmic cautionary tale to other developing countries of how not to ascend the global capitalist ladder if they wish to maintain some form of unique, cultural identity separate from the homogeneous ambiguity of international “pop.”