Globalization, which causes the countries involved to become more interconnected, clearly has tremendous social and political implications. It also has a cultural dimension to it, due to worldwide communications that facilitate the global connections. Cultural globalization may lead to a more civic global society with a greater consensus on civic values. It may also diminish the rich diversity of human civilization, as the Asian, Islamic, South American, and other non-Western values become increasingly generic. For many, the preservation of distinct cultural traditions is a very serious matter. Is globalization a form of Western imperialism that may homogenize non-Western values? Why or why not? Can homogenization be avoided or mitigated?