Globalization and Globalization and MulticulturalismMulticulturalism

By: Lexi Brewer, Katelyn Gentner, and Daniel VanDyke

iMovie

Communication

• Evolution of Communication– Hand delivered messages– Telegraph– Telephone– TV and Radio broadcasts– Internet

• Chilean Miners

The Global Village

• Marshall McLuhan– The globe has been contracted into a

village by electric technology and the instantaneous movement of information from every quarter to every point at the same time. In bringing all social and political functions together in a sudden implosion, electric speed heightened human awareness of responsibility to an intense degree

The Modern Global Village

• A metaphor to describe the Internet and World Wide Web. On the Internet, physical distance is even less of a hindrance to the real-time communicative activities of people, and therefore social spheres are greatly expanded by the openness of the web and the ease at which people can search for online communities and interact with others that share the same interests and concerns.

Technology in Underdeveloped Countries

Number of Internet users worldwide

Users in millions Users as percent Users as percent of

of total world users population

World total 407 100.0 6.8

Africa 3 0.7 0.4

Asia/Pacific 105 25.8 3.0

Europe 113 27.8 14.1

Middle East 2 0.5 1.1

Latin America 17 4.2 3.2

United States and 167 41.0 53.9

Canada

Sources: User estimates are for November 2000 from http://www.nua.ie/surveys/how_many_online/index.html. Population estimates are for 2001 and were drawn from http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbnew.html.

Technology Cont.

• Globalization of the World

• Percentage of people with internet access

Technology Cont.

Technology Cont.

Digital Divide

• Differences in information technology access and capabilities in different countries or regions of the world

Globalization and Capitalism

• Globalization is driven by capitalism • The communications technology which

brought about globalization was first a tool for international business

• Personal/media use followed• These are now mixed—allows

corporations to reach everyone (Menzies).

• Ebay.com and Amazon.com are perfect examples

• Globalization and communication allows materials to be mined in one place, products manufactured from them in another, and final assembly to take place somewhere else—all under the same company

• Each step is intended to maximize profits

Globalization and Capitalism

• This also means that international ‘super companies’ and brands like McDonalds, Microsoft, Sony, and Nike can dominate the entire world market

• Unfortunately this tends to cut down on competition, leading to monopolies (Barber 138).

Globalization and Capitalism

Globalization and Nations

“There is a basic disconnect between geographic space and cyberspace” (Kobrin

3).

• Modern Nations have a love-hate relationship with technological globalization

• Why Love?

– Nations need the economic power that modern technology and international trade bring

– Can allow Nations to ‘leapfrog’ ahead, skipping industrial era

Globalization and Nations

• Why Hate?– Very difficult to control or hold accountable a

corporation which exists in multiple nations in multiple ways

– Hard to determine which laws apply where (Korbin 9)

– Hard to enforce the rules• examples: China and Censorship()• China and Satellites (Barber 188).

Globalization and Nations

Globalization and Culture

• Multiculturalism – The idea that a society, notably one with a

high rate of immigration, is enriched by celebrating the separate contributions of its component cultures; The notion that all cultures are equal

(En.wikitionary.org/wiki/multiculturalism)

Globalization and Culture

• Possible benefits– Western Ideals of Equality, Democracy, and

Individual Liberty can sneak in the back door of media (Barber 188)

– May bring the world closer together

• Possible faults– Tends to homogenize other cultures, leaving

less diversity– Also, western vices (sex, drugs, and

rock’n’roll) may catch on better (Barber 189)

Globalization and Culture

• The internet represents a super multiculturalism in which cultures, languages, icons, discussions, organizations and events from anywhere in the world can come together instantly.

• Take, for instance, the Chilean miners and the global, international online coverage of their ordeal

Globalization and Culture

• What is Globalized Culture?– selling American products means selling

America: its popular culture, its putative prosperity, its ubiquitous imagery and software, and thus its very soul” (Barber 60)

• American Movies, Food, Fashion, Music, and Brands are incredibly popular overseas.

• English is the trade language of the World