GlobalizationGlobalization

CMN 2168CMN 2168

Presentations…Presentations… Recap: technology and globalizationRecap: technology and globalization Lecture: globalization, space and Lecture: globalization, space and

knowledgeknowledge ChomskyChomsky

Recap - Technology and Recap - Technology and globalizationglobalization

According to many, contemporary According to many, contemporary society is no longer organized on the society is no longer organized on the basis of material goods. basis of material goods.

Everything is supposedly organized Everything is supposedly organized on the basis of information and on the basis of information and knowledge.knowledge.

This is the This is the global information societyglobal information society, , also called also called post-industrialpost-industrial or or service service societysociety..

Central claims about the Central claims about the information information societysociety::

- A A social revolutionsocial revolution

- Transformation ofTransformation of economic relationseconomic relations

- Transformation of Transformation of political practices and political practices and communities involvedcommunities involved

- Decline of the stateDecline of the state

Recap - Technology, informationalism Recap - Technology, informationalism and space / timeand space / time

The development of new technologies has The development of new technologies has led to the reduction of the effects of space led to the reduction of the effects of space and time on everyday life and on trade.and time on everyday life and on trade.

The speed of transmission, and the The speed of transmission, and the mobility of capital, mean that both space mobility of capital, mean that both space and time seem to have been collapsed and time seem to have been collapsed entirely (46).entirely (46).

As for globalization, there have different As for globalization, there have different ways of understanding the place and the ways of understanding the place and the effects of technology on contemporary effects of technology on contemporary society.society.

For Jean-François Lyotard, the ideology of For Jean-François Lyotard, the ideology of communication transparency and the communication transparency and the roles / responsabilities / functions of the roles / responsabilities / functions of the state are bound to clash. state are bound to clash.

For Jacques Ellul, technologies have a For Jacques Ellul, technologies have a powerful impact on social relations, powerful impact on social relations, the latter being mostly reduced to the latter being mostly reduced to the interactions provided by the the interactions provided by the technologies in question.technologies in question.

Beware of Beware of technological technological determinismdeterminism! !

Globalizing technologiesGlobalizing technologies

‘‘Digitalization is probably the most Digitalization is probably the most important technological advance in the important technological advance in the area of communications. The term area of communications. The term refers to the process whereby refers to the process whereby information is produced as a universal information is produced as a universal binary code, and is thus able to binary code, and is thus able to circulate more freely and at greater circulate more freely and at greater speed across communication speed across communication technologies, and not just within them’ technologies, and not just within them’ (59).(59).

Digitalization brings together Digitalization brings together different media (telephone, different media (telephone, television, computers) and texts television, computers) and texts (pictures, sounds, words).(pictures, sounds, words).

Greater flexibility.Greater flexibility. Greater speed.Greater speed.

According to Manuel Castells, these According to Manuel Castells, these technological developments have technological developments have changed society and part of the changed society and part of the everyday life.everyday life.

……But whose everyday life?But whose everyday life?

Only a small number of people have Only a small number of people have access to new technologies.access to new technologies.

‘…‘…the inequities of worldwide access the inequities of worldwide access to computers, the internet and to computers, the internet and cyberspace… are culturally racially, cyberspace… are culturally racially, demographically, class- and gender-demographically, class- and gender-specific’ (60).specific’ (60).

See Eisenstein’s quotes p.60-1.See Eisenstein’s quotes p.60-1.

However, Castells argues that However, Castells argues that technological innovations have changed technological innovations have changed the nature of everyday life.the nature of everyday life.

New technologies have a powerful and New technologies have a powerful and irreversible impact on our ways of irreversible impact on our ways of perceiving time and space (and by perceiving time and space (and by extension the main spheres of human extension the main spheres of human activities).activities).

‘‘what Castells and other analysts see what Castells and other analysts see as primary issues are the ways in which as primary issues are the ways in which the speed and mass of information the speed and mass of information flows, tied in with computerized flows, tied in with computerized regimes of investment in say, world regimes of investment in say, world currency markets, can have currency markets, can have unforeseen, chaotic and devastating unforeseen, chaotic and devastating effects across the world – culturally, effects across the world – culturally, politically and socially’ (62). politically and socially’ (62).

‘‘Information and other technology Information and other technology exerts a considerable influence, at exerts a considerable influence, at least potentially, over the everyday least potentially, over the everyday activities and lives of people around activities and lives of people around the globe, regardless of whether or the globe, regardless of whether or not they are in affluent or developing not they are in affluent or developing countries, or have access to that countries, or have access to that technology’ (63). technology’ (63).

The relationship between the place The relationship between the place of technology in our lives and its of technology in our lives and its supposedly progressive dimension supposedly progressive dimension needs to be discussed in terms of the needs to be discussed in terms of the actual effects of these technologies actual effects of these technologies and and global convergenceglobal convergence..

Global convergence: ‘the tendency facilitated by Global convergence: ‘the tendency facilitated by communication technologies, to bring together communication technologies, to bring together different communities, institutions, media’ (217).different communities, institutions, media’ (217).

Castells argues that corporations both Castells argues that corporations both participate into and are dependent on participate into and are dependent on information networks.information networks.

As virtually all corporations are connected As virtually all corporations are connected to and reliant on information networks, to and reliant on information networks, they cannot place themselves or think they cannot place themselves or think outside these networks (partly because of outside these networks (partly because of the general interdependence on such the general interdependence on such communication systems).communication systems).

See example p.64-5.See example p.64-5.

Information technologies show that Information technologies show that we use information in specific ways. we use information in specific ways.

‘‘Information on its own is useless or Information on its own is useless or worse’;worse’;

‘‘Not all information is equal’ (66).Not all information is equal’ (66).

The exclusion of this kind of information in The exclusion of this kind of information in analysis is part of a much wider tendency analysis is part of a much wider tendency which Bourdieu refers to as the ‘editing which Bourdieu refers to as the ‘editing out of the human’.out of the human’.

‘‘Mathematization’ of human behaviours Mathematization’ of human behaviours (‘scientific’ authority associated with (‘scientific’ authority associated with statistically and mathematically based statistically and mathematically based information. 66-7).information. 66-7).

Some such as Maurice Blanchot have Some such as Maurice Blanchot have argued that knowledge itself derives argued that knowledge itself derives from specific social, historical from specific social, historical contexts. It is not neutral. contexts. It is not neutral.

‘‘Different objects of knowledge Different objects of knowledge appear and then disappear again as appear and then disappear again as social, cultural and political forces social, cultural and political forces are transformed by economics, are transformed by economics, politics and even fashion’ (68).politics and even fashion’ (68).

Space and timeSpace and time

Informationalism changes the way Informationalism changes the way we understand and experience time we understand and experience time and space.and space.

Wrong or right?Wrong or right?

Because of global communication Because of global communication networks, geographical borders are less networks, geographical borders are less relevant nowadays than they used to be.relevant nowadays than they used to be.

This has lead to the ‘disappearance’ of This has lead to the ‘disappearance’ of space. Consequently, a new ‘immediacy’ space. Consequently, a new ‘immediacy’ has emerged: ‘everything is now’ (68).has emerged: ‘everything is now’ (68).

However, it is suggested that However, it is suggested that communication networks can increase communication networks can increase the gap between the western world the gap between the western world and emerging countries (the latter and emerging countries (the latter being attached to time/space-based being attached to time/space-based factors, they cannot transcend their factors, they cannot transcend their geographical locations). geographical locations).

Moreover, not everybody within the Moreover, not everybody within the same country has or wants to have same country has or wants to have access to information technologies.access to information technologies.

According to Virilio, information According to Virilio, information networks contribute to the networks contribute to the development of development of endocolonialismendocolonialism (as (as opposed to exocolonialism).opposed to exocolonialism).

Endocolonialism: Paul Virilio’s term for the new form of Endocolonialism: Paul Virilio’s term for the new form of colonialism where social and economic inequalities are not colonialism where social and economic inequalities are not exported ‘to the colonies’ but are accentuated within exported ‘to the colonies’ but are accentuated within colonialist states such as the United States and the United colonialist states such as the United States and the United Kingdom (216).Kingdom (216).

There is now a network of flows across There is now a network of flows across the globe. The old imperial centre / the globe. The old imperial centre / periphery has disappeared into a periphery has disappeared into a confusing system of power relations confusing system of power relations and connections. What appear to be and connections. What appear to be free and interactive trade relations are free and interactive trade relations are in fact an utterly constricting set of in fact an utterly constricting set of obligations, tendencies and imperatives obligations, tendencies and imperatives (70).(70).