The Interactive Logic of Globalization and Local Culture: A Multidisciplinary Theoretical Perspective and Its Application in The Dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism

Abstract

The accelerating global interconnectedness has sparked debates over whether globalization is the harbinger of cultural homogenization or cultural diversification. This paper explores the complex interplay between global and local cultures through multidisciplinary perspectives including anthropology, communication and media studies, economic ecology, and methodological approaches, with a case study of Tibetan Buddhism culture. Anthropological insights reveal the fluidity of cultural landscapes and local cultures’ adaptation to globalization at a macro-level, while communication and media studies propose the context-specific negotiated interpretations of global messages at a micro-level. An economic–ecological perspective further concludes that global capitalism depends exactly on local materials and cultural distinctiveness, and a comparison of big data analysis and digital ethnography clearly demonstrates the subtle interaction between cultural flows. Taking the transnational dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism as an example, this article redefines globalization as the process that thrives on hybridity and friction while acknowledging risks of cultural appropriation and misrepresentation. This paper challenges deterministic models and highlights the mutual constitution of global and local dynamics, providing theoretical and practical significance for deconstructing the “global-local” binary opposition narrative.