Culture in the context of the contradictions of the globalization process

The article analyzes the differences in the definition of the subjects and driving forces of globalization, characterizes the concept of westernization, the hidden meaning of which is the strategic course for approving the dictates of a single “Center” represented by the United States and, therefore, a model of a unipolar world. The author focuses on the cultural dimension of historical development, on the difference of culture and value positions of supporters and opponents of the policy of westernization, their assessment of the role and significance of various types of civilizations in the dynamics of the historical process. Addressing the ideas of N. Y. Danilevsky, P. A. Sorokin, I. Wallerstein and comparing them with the findings of modern researchers of social development, first of all, in scientific understanding of globalization perspectives, the author emphasizes the special significance of those trends and strategies in the implementation of the globalization process, which provide awareness and transition to the stage of modernization development that is vital for the fate of mankind - a humanistic civilization in a multipolar world.