Final answer:
Transnational culture refers to cultural traditions that extend beyond national boundaries, an attribute of the increasingly interconnected global culture influenced by communication, trade, and shared media. Globalization impacts both the spread and preservation of diverse local traditions, with sociologists studying its dynamics and social implications.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cultural traditions that extend beyond national boundaries are often referred to as transnational culture. With the advancements in communication, travel, and trade, the world has become interconnected, fostering a scenario where people from different geographical locations can partake in a global culture. This phenomenon is evident through shared media, international markets, and diffusion of material and nonmaterial cultural aspects. Aspects of culture such as movies, music, and fashion spread around the world, and multinational corporations play a significant role in this cultural exchange by disseminating cultural identifiers and, alongside, potentially influencing sociopolitical values of different regions.
Globalization also affects local cultures and contributes to a dynamic interaction between global dominance of certain cultural aspects and the retention of local traditions. Sociologists engage with various aspects of the emergence of a global culture, studying the dynamics and impacts like the increased kinship felt in online communities and the effect on social inequalities due to international outsourcing of labor.
Despite these global trends, specific variations in culture still remain in different regions, forming what we consider cultural universals. For example, the concept of a family unit is recognized worldwide, but the definition and functionality of a family can vary markedly from one culture to another. Through globalization, cultures may mix and integrate, but local traditions still hold significant value and relevance.