Globalization is an expansive phenomenon that is changing the relationships between nations, and due to its very nature, is strengthening the connections between nations that would not have otherwise had a significant impact on each other (US and India). There are many reasons why globalization has occurred/is occurring, and an equal numbers of effects, both positive and negative. That is the biggest topic of discussion: whether globalization is a good thing or a bad thing. This is one question that is impossible to answer for so many reasons.
Years ago, world powers such as the United States and Great Britain were understandably much further ahead in terms of economics and technology than those supposed "third-world countries". However, due to globalization, not only are countries that were never in the spotlight putting themselves on the map, so to say, but are also blurring the line between what it means to be a world power and a "third-world country". The rise of new communications technology, compressing time and space and transcending national frontiers, is bringing into being a "global village" [1]. New ways of creating, sending, receiving, changing information/media are granting access to information that many authorities would have otherwise suppressed.
Defining the key elements of globalization as the availability of the same or similar information on a global scale leaves out crucial components: communication and culture. Due to globalization, people and entities that would never have crossed paths are being intertwined through social media, business, and the surrounding politics. A person in China has access to the same blog post as an American citizen. A student walking around campus is is facebooking, tweeting, youtubing, and who knows what else, since there is an ever-increasing number of such websites being made.
Furthermore, since information concerning the economy and communications within a nation also reflect its cultural identity, culture is being transferred from the original country to many others. For example, with the current trends, music from Europe is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Websites like YouTube and Facebook allow easy access to new media, as well as easy access to related media, which opens the door to new experiences.
However, as mentioned earlier, globalization is a two-faced coin. On one hand, the availability to so much information allows one to gain more knowledge and be update with global happenings, faster and more effectively. On the other hand, if one falls behind with current trends in the global market, they risk falling behind with the world moving faster and faster. One economist summarizes globalization by saying, "The poor complain. They always do, but that's just idle chatter. Our system brings rewards to all, at least to all who matter" [2]. Paradoxically, while there is an increasing availability to global information, there is also an increasing gap in the people who HAVE access to that information and those who DON'T. Unfortunately, this has implications for the future.
[1] Curran, J., & Park, M.-J. (2000). Beyond Globalization. In De-Westernizing Media Studies (p 7-11). New York: Routledge.
[2] Chomsky, Noam. "What is Globalization?" YouTube. 26 March. 2007. Web. 06 January. 2011.
Nimit Patel
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Nimit,
ReplyDeleteJust out of curiosity, what do you think a solution might be to this paradox? I understand how those who fall behind end up being the reason they drag behind in the long run, but there should be a way to remedy this, no? Although those who are behind seem to stay behind, could there possibly be a way to introduce a sort of catalyst to speed up progression so that we can avoid one society sending hologram messages, while the other blows smoke signals? Just some food for thought.
Thanks!
-Alex
You bring up some great questions. I, of course, don't know how these issues can be fixed since it is a global issue. However, I think that one major step in the right direction would be to directly increase awareness. By awareness, I do not necessarily mean through news and information, but rather ways for people to decrease the magnitude of the information gap and digital divide. Merely knowing and believing this is a serious issue in the worlds we live in is not enough - action must be taken by the public, not the governments only.
ReplyDeleteNimit-
ReplyDeleteHow big of a role do you think government plays in a country's ability to embrace and benefit from globalization, and do you think that encouraging globalization should be at the top of a government's to-do list? As an example, you mentioned a person in China being able to read the same blog post as a person in America, but that not be the case thanks to the Chinese government's censoring of material it finds unfavorable. Should governments like China re-evaluate their goals?
I believe the governments can have a significant impact in advocating the positives of globalization and spreading these positives to those who do not presently have access to so much. However, concerning China, I do not think censorship could ever have a positive effect on a society. It creates nothing but more resentment and distaste towards the government.
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