Globalization Alex Wiles

Purpose

The purpose of this presentation is to enlighten the audience on the presence of global warming and its effect on our daily lives. The influence of globalization will be explored and explained through visual examples, text, and credible and scholarly sources.

Education This is an iBook G4. These laptops became hated and resented a valuable tool at SLA. Along with internet access, they can greatly expand the activities and projects that can be done in school. Laptops of many models, especially those from Apple, are in heavy use at SLA by everyone, and the school would not function in the same way without them.

These computers might not have been so easy to buy and use if it were not for globalization. Even though the laptops are designed in California by engineers from Apple, the company utilizes resources Chine to mass-produce them. These laptops are made relatively cheaply in China. It is globalization that allows America’s economy, Apple, and China’s economy to be interconnected in a way that makes it far more simple and convenient to use these laptops. Not to mention that this relationship allows for more than one economy to be stimulated. Because of this connection, laptops programs can continue to expand in America’s public schools, improving education throughout the country.

Human rights

Globalization helps us be more aware of the world. When you communicate with and learn about the societies outside your own, you learn about how other societies function. There are places like Zimbabwe, Albania, China, and Tibet where oppression and segregation are served like meals of the day. Globalization is a powerful tool that, if used correctly, could help solve these problems.

These photos come from the SLA history room on the 5th floor. These are posters displaying the various rights that we, as humans, are entitled to- the right to work, to marry freely, to speak out against any and all oppressions. As Americans, we enjoy these rights everyday. Not knowing anything else about the world, one would take these rights for granted.

Society & Culture This is a box of Jasmine Rice. This fully-cooked, ready-to-microwave box was in Trader Joe’s amongst many other Asian foods. Globalization improves the availability of foods from other countries and cultures, allowing us to take part in a culture completely separate from our own.

Jasmine Rice is the staple food in Thailand, and is a major part of the culture there. Globalization has allowed different parts of culture throughout the world to bleed and blend into our own. Globalization is important because it can encourage international cultural relationships, allowing to cultures to intersect regardless of the distance between them.

Environment & Energy This is a BigBelly brand solar-powered trash compactor. These devices are a major part of Philadelphia’s (and much of the worlds’) ongoing recycling and anti-littering campaign. This trash compactor makes it much more easy to compact recyclable. What’s better is that this compactor does its job using only renewable energy. While this may just seem like a good way to save energy, it is part of something much larger.

One of the most important issues in the world, along with human rights and war, is that of Global Climate Change. This solar compactor is a part of a much larger movement: one against the destruction of our environment. Globalization teaches us that we, as a worldwide society, must be more responsible for our actions.

Society & CultureThis is a picture of the Friendship Arch in Chinatown (the gate is at 10th and Arch). The area is full of culture and businesses. The Friendship Arch is actually the first one that was built in America by artists and contractors from China. The gate is a symbol of cultural exchange and friendship between Philly, and its sister city- Tianjin, China.

The reason that Chinatown is being brought up in this presentation is because this area in Philly is a clear example of globalization in action. Last year, in for another project, I had to do research for a short documentary on Chinatown an the casino that was planned for the area. I learned much about a culture and area of Philadelphia that I had never even thought about. Here, an entire culture from the other side of the world is encapsulated; western and eastern cultures intersect and intermingle.

Society & Culture This is a photograph of Philadelphia’s Italian market, located in South Philly at 9th and Washington streets. It is the oldest and largest working outdoor market in the entire country. Despite it’s age, it is still predominantly Italian, and the cuisine and recipes still maintain and embody Italian traditions.

Like Chinatown, Philadelphia’s Italian Market embodies globalization. It is a place where Italian culture can be experienced. The Italian Market also influences the area around it, which is why aspects of Italian culture can be observed throughout south Philly.

Society & CultureThis is a collage I found in the 3rd floor English room (Dunn). I’m not sure which student made it. On this collage are several elements of popular culture, with Britney Spears appearing with the largest picture by far. I imagine that this collage is much like Wordle, with the things appearing most in life or the media being highlighted.

Since the start of her career in 1993, Britney Spears has become a full-blown cultural icon. With her influence as a singer, songwriter, and performer spreading across the entire globe. In latin America, her latest album Circus was #1 the “50 Best Albums of the Year”. Despite being rooted in western culture, she is licensed to the record company, Jive. Jive is owned by Sony Music. Which, is in turn, a subsidiary of Japan’s Sony Corporation. Britney Spears exists as an international cultural phenomenon and a manifestation of globalization: she is rooted in America, has influence on people throughout the world, has fans of many different cultures, and she works for the profit of people from another culture.

Society & CultureThis is a screenshot of a facebook page that I created to do my capstone project. With facebook, I can connect with- and coordinate my friends to carry out a large project, even though we’re physically nowhere near each other. The reason that facebook is

brought up in this presentation is because facebook is yet another symbol of globalization. It is a place where people all over the world, regardless of their location can connect, discuss, blog, and share all kinds of content. The creators and managers of facebook do almost everything possible to connect with as many poeple as possible, making dozens of apps for several phones. Facebook is also available in 70 languages. 70% of facebook’s users are outside the United States, and there are over 400 million active users. By connecting people all over the world and encouraging massive cultural exchange, Facebook has completely absorbed the concept of globalization.

ReflectionGlobalization allows us to explore cultures that are far removed from our own, and encourages cultural exchange in our daily lives. Globalization connects people throughout the world, in the same way that it happens in Chinatown, the Italian Market and our schools. Hopefully, this exchange of culture will keep people aware of global issues and encourage tolerance and understanding.

Bibliography a-z

Facebook Information "How Many Languages Does Facebook Have? - Blurtit." Ask Questions, Get Free Answers - Blurtit. Blurt It. Web. 18 May 2010. <http://www.blurtit.com/q6072750.html>.

PCDC (Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation) "Chinatown History." PCDC - Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation. PCDC. Web. 18 May 2010. <http://www.chinatown-pcdc.org/about_history.htm>.

Italian Market Philadelphia's 9th Street Italian Market Everything from Seafood, Cheeses, Meats, Poultry to Fresh and Frozen Pasta. Web. 18 May 2010. <http://www.phillyitalianmarket.com/>.

Segregation in Albanian Schools (Human Rights) "School Segregation Sparks Macedonia Debate :: BalkanInsight.com." News, Analysis, Business Trends and Lifestyle in the Balkans :: Balkaninsight.com. Web. 18 May 2010. <http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/16573/>.

Sony Information "Corporate Fact Sheet." Sony USA. SONY. Web. 18 May 2010. <http://www.sony.com/SCA/corporate.shtml>.