Week 1 - Understanding Globalization

1/1/2016

Where globalization means, as it so often does, that the rich and powerful now have new means to further enrich and empower themselves at the cost of the poorer and weaker, we have a responsibility to protest in the name of universal freedom. - Nelson Mandela

NAFTA recognizes the reality of today's economy - globalization and technology. Our future is not in competing at the low-level wage job; it is in creating high-wage, new technology jobs based on our skills and our productivity. - John F. Kerry

Watch the videos above. Write a summary and analysis about the videos on globalization. What subtopics of globalization interest you the most? Name three and explain why. Name two current events that relate to your interests. Use two quotes from the videos or textbook.

Original Posts 250 words (minimum). Respond to three other students 50 words (minimum). Original post due Thursday @ midnight. Responses due Sunday @ midnight.

79 Comments

Anteo Swenson

1/6/2016 06:58:54 pm

Globalization is a process in which humans become more connected. It began with the rise of civilizations, but it has increased (and is still increasing) in a drastic way that would’ve been unimaginable back then. It has become a cultural phenomenon that is driven by political, and ultimately, economical interests. Trade between nations has increased dramatically over the past century, which has increased the power the multinational corporations have; most of the time, leading them to have more power than the governments!
This worldwide phenomenon has brought a variety of benefits to humanity. It has increased the amount of knowledge and information we have access to; primarily by a World Wide Web we call Internet. It has given the possibility to a lot of people to rise from poverty, in China, for example, many people have risen from poverty by moving to the urban areas. We now know about a variety of cultures and can stay in contact with people in the other side of the globe. We have facilitated the sharing of knowledge, something that has led us to great advancements in every academic discipline: from science to humanities.
However, such progress has been accompanied by massive repercussions. Primarily, the negative effects on our natural environment; effects that are due to the massive production and exploitation led by globalization’s ambition and its capitalism. Globalization has also distorted culture, specifically, communal culture. It has enforced individualism as the guiding light of the consumerist culture. It is also decreasing the cultural diversity of our planet, since it’s trying to homogenize cultures. Something that is imperatively important; we need diversity, ideas, thoughts, knowledge, the come from different realities and circumstances; they come from diverse backgrounds.
Whether globalization is more helpful or harmful is for us to decide. There’s certainly plenty of evidence to support both sides, we just have to decide what to do about it. We all play an important role, and as John Green said: “Every human is a historical force”.

Michael Stevens

1/7/2016 09:37:21 am

Xiaoguo Zhang

1/10/2016 02:25:47 pm

As you said, “globalization is a process”, and it just a beginning, not an end. In this case, we don’t need a negative way to treat globalization. We still and always have opportunity to solve problems that we get.

Mark De Martini link

1/6/2016 07:57:16 pm

Three sub-topics on globalization that interest me are immigration, unsustainable growth, and environment. These are three negative aspects of globalization that create a challenge. Immigration is a big problem for developed nations. Due to globalization borders and immigration policies are relaxed. The European Union lifted all borders and work requirements so free travel and work opportunities were possible trans-nationally. An unintended consequence of open borders is the tremendous influx of immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East who travel north on improved means of transportation and find no resistance once on European soil. Much of the illegal immigration from Mexico into the United States took place after the NAFTA agreement. The cross-border business into Mexico made border enforcement impractical when a free flow of goods is expected north. Conversely, the back and forth traffic creates a larger demographic footprint that paves the way for more uncontrolled immigration. It can be argued recent Chinese immigration into the U.S. is a byproduct of this economic condition. Immigration can be a positive as well as a negative, but regardless, globalization is the cause of much of it. A recent story in the news relating to immigration is the current immigration into Germany from Syria. Although the reason for the displaced persons is primarily violent conflict, the flow of immigrants could not have taken place if Germany and other EU nations had not dismantled their border controls and already possessed sizable Muslim populations providing a supportive footprint. Unsustainable growth is of great concern to me. For globalization to be successful, it is assumed the economy must always continue to grow. This is at the heart of modern consumerism. An internationally traded company must show a profit every year to its shareholders. Profit means growth. Growth leads to the depletion of resources and the exploitation of disadvantaged people. Companies and industry are not interested in sustainable, static, models. The elites who support globalization quietly support unsustainable growth of populations. More people equals more consumers. There is no real desire to rein in overpopulation until comes the time when unsustainability is an undeniable reality. Then it is too late. Unsustainability is related to environment. Globalization is a cause of global warming due to the industry that drives it. Weather patterns are changing and the environment is being stressed. in the near future, lush, fertile lands may become desert. Rain forests will be destroyed. Agriculture will be negatively impacted. The rise in water levels due to the melting of polar ice will flood population seaboards. The Amazon Basin is referred to as "the lungs of the world" because a great percentage of oxygen is produced by the vast vegetation. once lost the ecological effects may be too grim to contemplate. Currently, much of the air pollution in California originated in China. The irony is that U.S. globalists thought by outsourcing production to China the U.S. wouldn't have to deal with the pollution caused by overseas factories. Globalization is responsible for great environmental damage due to its economic drivers. Recent news related to global environment is the Paris talks on Global Warming where President Obama pledged U.S. support in curbing global emissions last November. I am concerned with many of the negative sub-topics of globalization because I believe if left unchecked, the world may become inhabitable for humans at worst, and a meteoric decline of a reasonable standard of living for everyone at best.

Michael Stevens

1/7/2016 09:19:50 am

I enjoyed your post. I think it is interesting how people need to shift their thinking to how growth is bad for the environment. Anytime you hear that the economy is shrinking, it is taken as a cause for concern and alarm; however, a shrinking economy is good because it means that less resources from the planet are being used. It would appear to be extremely difficult to change people’s thinking that a shrinking economy is good, and I think that something drastic would have to happen for that shift to take place.

Citlalli Flores

1/10/2016 08:00:49 pm

I never really thought of globalization as something that can potentially harm the environment, much less a factor of global warming. I really enjoyed reading your post, and I can see now that globalization can be harmful to our environment, especially the Amazon Basin. I think if we could somehow manage the impact globalization causes on the environment, then we wouldn’t have to worry as much.

Xiaoguo Zhang

1/6/2016 10:54:17 pm

Everything has two sides, especially for globalization. Even though globalization has many disadvantages and problems to many countries, it still is one of the inevitabilities of history. As the video said, “travel and shipping are cheap and safe.” Developing of technology, especially technology of transportation made this world closer, and easier to connect, trade, and transfer. Of course, the world of unbalanced distribution of resources also is the reason to drive globalization. In this world, some countries have an abundance of natural resources, but poor population and the other countries have abundant human resources. In this case, the trade between human resources and natural resources became necessary. However, the final winner always is the country who has an abundance of everything.
In my opinion. The key word of globalization is share. We “share” (trade) natural and human resources to each other; we share economic system, political theory, and culture to each other. Of course, we also share pollution, disease, and weapon to each other. During globalization, most of the countries share opportunity and challenge, and they share success and disaster.
The three subtopics of globalization are cultural globalization, technological globalization, and political globalization. I am an international student with a political science major, so I am a symbol of cultural and political globalization. Today, the situation of culture shock happens almost everywhere. In my opinion, United States of America is the greatest motivation of political globalization. American trust their political system is democratic, and America has a responsibility to help other countries to build democracy. America sells her political theory to the world through culture invasion, business, and even war.

Mary Rasooli

1/7/2016 11:27:55 pm

Hi! I absolutely agree that we "share" trade and resources AS WELL as the negatives; pollution, disease, disasters of all sorts. Globalization is quite the double-edged sword!

Anteo Swenson

1/10/2016 10:58:20 pm

Nice post. I agree with what you said about how globalization has been beneficial to humanity, as well as it has been harmful. However, I don't believe that the fact that some of the undeveloped countries that have a lot of natural resources led other developed countries (rich in human resources?), to exploit them. This is just an activity that has persisted since the colonization period, one that has brought negative consequences to nature and human lives.
Also, we do share ideas and knowledge all aournd the world, but there are certain things that are not exactly, what you called "shared", there are imposed. Clear examples of this are political and economic systems that have been imposed, in Cuba, for example.
Finally, I don't believe that the US has a responsibility to help other countries "build their democracy". Even though the US does seem to think so.

Gabriel Alcantara

1/10/2016 11:11:11 pm

I agree with you that the improvements in transportation are one of the biggest aspects of globalization. The ability to to drive from one city to another, fly from one country to another, sail somewhere or even just import and export goods is an incredible feat made possible by globalization.

Thu-Thao Ho

1/7/2016 03:37:57 am

Globalization is the system by which the government can regulate the necessities in order to help provide for the needs of the people. The balances of globalization is unsettled, and may constitute to limitations as well as harmful effects to the environment. However without the implement of globalization, humanity would not have the benefits essential for life such as good childcare, fertilized soil to produce food resources, and women would not have access to birth control. In addition globalization promotes cooperation in the international community in order to preserve security of civilians. Underdeveloped countries such as Vietnam strongly support the United Nations and its Program of Action (POA) in order to promote world peace and security as well as to decrease violence due to the illegal arms trade. According to the UN, nearly 4 billion US dollars annually and only half of these alone were reported. For or many unstable countries mass production of weaponry poses a great threat. Illegally imported arms is a crisis that can fuel violence that potentially causes deadly conflicts. Countries such as Vietnam, Brazil, Australia, and Finland, cooperate in the efforts to eliminate the illegal trade of small arms in order to provide the world with security from the threat of warfare. Such cooperation would not be possible without globalization. Countries are given the opportunities to stress concerns, and states implement resolutions that can provide aid to civilians as well as increasing transparency. Globalization's ability to give humanity the sense of security, government rights to regulate the economy, and increase cultural diversity is a necessity of today's society. John Green states that "The world makes us feel powerful and invincible", and this grants humans the sense of security from foreign attacks. In the United States of America it is said in the preamble to "provide for common defense" which means that in times of conflict the state shall protect the people. John Green also states a significant point when he explains that "global capitalization moves jobs to the foreign market". Due to the integration of cultural differences there are people with differentiated viewpoints who integrate their ideas to increase productivity of businesses around the world.
In the international world empowering women and the illegal use of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are two current international issues that pertain greatly to my interests. Women's rights must not be undermined. Nations such as Croatia empower women through allowing them to have access to modern technology in order to maximize the economy's growing tech capacity, and furthermore encourage access for agricultural resources which can decrease poverty by 17%. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) a rebel group overran Goma, the regional capital of the DRC. Originally UAV's were originally deployed to improve awareness for peacekeeping operations, however due to the advancement of this technology terrorists have obliterated the drone's peaceful usage. Drones such as UAV's must be regulated in order to provide for a safer world and a better future.

Michael Stevens

1/7/2016 09:29:14 am

You bring up an interesting point that I do not hear often on the news: the international trade of illegal weapons. There would not be so much illegal trade if there wasn’t a demand for it; so people around the world are in demand for guns which means that people want to either protect themselves or hurt others. This could be a very dangerous and deadly ordeal if weapons with the capacity to kill multiple people ended up in the wrong hands.

Mark demaritni

1/8/2016 10:50:31 am

Thu,
I agree with your statements on how globalization has improved the lot of many developing, and at risk nations. When economic globalization took on a primary political policy that superseded the old "Cold War" containment postwar policies, positive effects became so much easier to obtain. Many countries to include Viet Nam were, or still are communist. A willingness on the part of rich nations like the United States to engage those countries for economic benefit instead of undermining them has proven positive. As communist countries accept aid, trade and jobs in new factories, those receiving countries become more inclined to liberalize many of their national polices to support globalization. The lives of citizens are improved, as are conditions that inspire growth and education from new found wealth. It is encouraging to see the progress in Viet Nam and many Eastern European counties due in no small part to globalization. Your example is a good argument for the positive effects of globalization.

Michael Stevens

1/7/2016 09:12:55 am

The videos explained the impact of globalization on the world. Globalization has resulted in the rise of multinational corporations, more efficient travel, decreased trade regulation, and communication with anyone around the world. It simultaneously decreases and increases diversity. It lowers diversity because globalization makes the world more homogeneous – for example, the video claimed that the number of spoken languages around the world has been decreasing – but it also raises diversity by allowing different cultures to interact and create something new (video). These changes also fueled the rise of the service economy; since materials were being produced outside of the country, the United States can focus more on servicing its citizens than creating things (video). However, globalization is not without flaw. It has perpetuated the polarization of wealth, emphasized sexual freedom at the cost of families, allows viruses to rapidly spread around the world, and is taking an irreversible toll on the environment.
Some of the subtopics that interest me the most are the effects and impact of diasporas since globalization has allowed vast numbers of people to leave a country due to efficient world travel. Another is the impact on the environment because I would like to know what steps are being taken to combat the elimination of resources and raw materials. And finally, what are the unintended consequences of cheaper cargo travel?
Two current events that relate to my interests are solutions to global warming in terms of globalization and the solutions to issues in the Middle East, particularly what to do in regards to ISIL. Should the United States become more heavily involved? Should we ignore them? Why are they so successful and how can we counteract those reasons? These are questions that interest me in the topic.

Anteo Swenson

1/10/2016 11:07:36 pm

Hi. I really enjoyed your post. Particularly, your statement that globalization simultaneously increases and decreases diversity. Which is completely true, since new ideas have appeared because of our increased interdependence.
You had a really good understanding of the video. Regarding your interest in the exploitation of natural resources and the measures that are being taken, there are a lot of counteractions at an international level. If you're interested, you could see the UN action plan for this.
Finally, I'm also interested in the contemporary issues that relate to your topics of interest.

Gabriel Alcantara

1/10/2016 11:15:23 pm

I agree that the expansion of large multi-nationals and their presence around the globe have impacted the lives of many people, whether for the better or the worst. The more positive impacts would be the creation of jobs, and improve the local economy, while negatively affecting the environment with pollution and overuse of resources.

JeeSoo Lee

1/17/2016 06:48:49 pm

Hi Michael,

Your thoughts on the rise of sexual freedom being detrimental to families got me thinking – we have learned that because of globalization, which lead to increased wealth of information, which lead to advancements in health care and technology, has driven up population exponentially and doubled the lifespan of the average human being very recently in the timespan of human life.

I don’t think that humanity is immune to natural cycles of evolution, so perhaps the rise of popularity of birth control is actually a strange evolutionary way of reacting to overpopulation. Many species have thrived and become extinct, and humans are no different—maybe the cycle of human life has run its course and is now stabilizing.

Steven Pham

1/7/2016 04:28:46 pm

Ah crash course, it remind me of physics back in high school. In the video by CrashCourse, he described globalization as a phenomenon in which international corporations' influences skyrocketed, travels and shipping of merchandises are more cost-effective and secured, communication from country to another are more substantial, and lastly, the goverments control and levies are lowered for foreign trade. These seem great right? Yes, these are positive results of globalization but they are not the whole story of globalization. The cons of globalization is that contagious disease from other country can easily be spread around the world. Individualism are more rampant since the orgin of globalization. As CrashCourse stated in the video, "...parents and children spend increasing time alone in front of their individual screen, sharing fewer experiences". Also "free trade" isn't really free due to still existing barricade such as VAT which is value added taxes on imports that still happens in many other countries including the UK. Globalization is also a huge factor in the environmental mess we are in now, owed to huge quantity of cars and planes being used constantly. Also the cutting down of environmental habitats to make way for corporation and more globalization. An example of this is when CrashCourse, in his video, said, "Growth so far has been dependant upon unsustainable use of the planet resources" Finally, the last issue of globalization is that it makes the wealthy richer and the underprivileged poorer. This is because the rich don't need to worry much about what happen, just as long as they get paid. While the poors, need to work as hard as possible to support their family or themselves. These are merely the foundation of what the positive and negative effects of globalization are and is still undergoing and changing in the future.
The subtopics that intrigued me the most about globalization is the environmental repercussion, immigration, and the so called "free trade". Globalization might have just "screwed" the environment but worry not, it is not screwed too tightly just yet. It was reported by 2014 that the carbon emission became constant for the first time, then in 2015 the carbon emission actually decreased without the sacrifice of the global economy. This is a great stepping stone toward ending the environmental disaster, thanks to solar panel, and maybe in the future we can use nuclear which would be a much more environmental-friendly energy alternatives which is unlimited. Immigration was not considered a huge threat before the first act of foreign terrorism. Then the birth of ISIS just added much more "salt to the wound" for immigration. Also, Mexico's inhabitant trying to go into the US, trying anything, even if it means illegally. In honesty, I have no definite solution to this immigration issue but I heard of solutions such as building a wall around the US or just attacking the main core of the terrorismatic groups. These in my opinions will not dissipate the problem, but probably grow to a much greater dilemma. It is like a pimple, if you squeeze it, thinking you will eliminate it, well you thought wrong. Squeezing it will cause a scar which will stay forever with is much worse than a pimple. My last concern is the "free trade" because lots of countries break this rule such as China. China simply ignores the "free trade" and they are able to place fees on anything they feel they want and place up barriers to any countries. I am not only pointing fingers at China but is just a mere example of the unequity of "free trade". Many countries abused the "free trade" and the solution to this, I believe is to actually enforced the law. There should some sort of punishment for not abiding by the law of "free trade" Every country should follow this at all time, not just the occasionals.
The two currents events that catch my attention and are related to my sense of intrigue is the COP 21 in Paris and the ISIS terror. The COP 21 in Paris catches my eye because it shows that the countries are clearly trying to clear the mess that globalization has caused for the environment and are trying to fix it. The ISIS terror on the otherhand, is still ongoing and I just wonder how they are going to erase it. Everyday in most area, especially in the US and Europe, there is always a fear that there can be a terrorist attack at any moment without any notice, but a mere vague warning that they will attack certain areas. These are ongoing events, but I trust that in the future, we will find a way to eradicate these troubles and put an end to them, once and for all.

Michelle Bounkousohn

1/7/2016 07:03:13 pm

Globalization refers to a process of socioeconomic interconnectedness, where nation-states engage in trade, communication, and other relations. These systems of cultural borrowing and international change are positive in the sense that they allow humanity to connect on a scale that has been previously unimaginable, but have proved unsustainable in how they have allowed "multinational corporations [to] have global reach and increasing power". The globalized economy has advanced to a point where corporate entities have managed to accumulate unprecedented power over individuals, and the globalized market has not proven itself to be an open market where individuals have the agency and power to engage in free and open trade. John Green's CrashCourse describes globalization as a deliberate series of choices in domestic and international policy, and analyzes our current global economy in terms of capitalistic theory and the effects of global productivity on individual human agency.

Globalization has changed the human experience, removing us from the levels of production behind the goods we consume, and altering the human perspective by shifting to a valuing of individuality and economic productivity. Green views the process of globalization through an intersectional lens, where he considers globalization's impact on the environment, on nation states in various levels of development, and in the "destabilizing effects on the family", as the increase in work and productivity often means less time with family and friends. Globalization is fascinating in its effects on human culture (especially indigenous and non-Western culture), in its ability to reshape human values, and in its environmental unsustainability. We can see the multilayered effects of globalization in the pollution of the Doce Basin in Brazil, where a toxic waste spill destroyed a river and the livelihoods of local fishing villages, as well as in the international debate around ISIS and how different nation-states and individuals have responded to this humanitarian crisis. The issue of globalization is paramount to international discourse and relations as it is an issue of human and environmental rights.

Yumi Okawara

1/10/2016 02:35:22 pm

Hi, Michelle! I enjoyed reading and like how you analyzed. I do think also that the globalized economy advanced to the point where company substance was was able to save dominance without the precedent for the individual somehow and was free for an individual. Moreover, itself did not prove the market where it was globalized: an engine and an opened market with the power which engaged in opened business.

Megan Fernandez

1/7/2016 07:13:24 pm

Globalization: The Good & The Bad

With a focus on trade and the global economy, John Green explains the cultural phenomenon of globalization. He gives credit of the rise of widespread economic interdependence to: the global reach and increasing power of multinationals, cheaper and safer travel and shipping, and the so-called “free trade” fueled by reduced tariffs and regulations on international trade. In large part, Green describes globalization as a positive asset to the global economy and global market, citing that 600 million people have emerged from poverty in the past 30 years and that moving more manufacturing jobs from high wage to lower wage countries has been beneficial for improving the home and living conditions of workers abroad such as in Vietnam. As a whole, worldwide economic output has increased.

However, as with many global issues, he analyzes globalization with regard to the effect and impact that the United States has on it. Countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa have no interest in pursuing “free trade,” however, have had their arms twisted into doing so in order to maintain trade with larger economies such as the US. This scenario that Green discusses reminds me of the example Prof. Crain discussed in class concerning Chiquita Bananas and the British-American squabble to outdo each other.

Outsourced from America: the American Disconnect & Individualism

In Part II of his episode on globalization, Green describes the shift in the American workforce from production and manufacturing to the service sector, the result of which has become a brain dead society that consumes and thrives off artificial stimuli. Furthermore, the concept of American individualism as ever continues to rise, and, to the detriment of the American family and household, has proliferated negative aspects of being cut off from everything, whether that be the food that we eat or simply engaging in interactions with our own family and others. Individualism today has derailed families with divorce rates skyrocketing in both here and in other countries. More than ever, today, people are spending more time alone on their electronic devices.

The Great American Melting Pot

However, the topic that I find the most interesting from the videos is the concept of cultural diversity and whether globalization has a positive or negative effect on it. In Part II, Green says that most emigrants when moving to other countries choose not to give up their own culture. In addition with improved communication and technology, individuals’ access to cultural diversity has never been greater. However, fewer languages are spoken today, and there is less cultural diversity. In all, it seems that the world has become a more simplified, but accessible network of culture trading. The ease of which has been made possible by the following factors, according to Green: affordable air travel and convenient methods of communication to stay in contact with family and friends back in one’s home country. Furthermore is the allure of immigration, where even with increased industrialization in the developing world, economic opportunities remain significantly better in wealthier countries such as the US and those who come here have the ability to send the earnings that they make here back home. Remittances (money sent back home to family) make up 35% of Tajikistan’s GDP.

America has for decades been described as the world’s melting pot. But, is that what we want to be? Like Pink Floyd’s music video for their song, “Another Brick in the Wall,” a melting pot is merely a euphemism for erasing individuality and character and replacing it with a pre-defined definition of ______, whether that be a student or a “citizen.” The concept of being melted and molded or reshaped into something else, sitting in a stew of something that was once solid and is now homogenized into a liquid is utterly despicable, completely devoid of any former sense of uniqueness or flaws.

Alas, this is a word of caution. Green mentions that there is concern that culture is increasingly becoming Americanized. Of which culture, he speaks? I am not so sure, perhaps, globalization has become so pervasive (or homogenized) that when he speaks of the culture of one nation, he can speak for dozens of others as well. During this segment, images of diet coke deep in the jungles of Madagascar are displayed on the screen, and Green says that the NBA is huge in China and that the American television show, “Friends,” is currently aired in over 100 countries. Similarly, American music and pop sensations top the charts all over the world and have huge fan followings. It seems that the world is becoming increasingly “American” on all fronts, and this great fondue of Kraft American cheese is not so appealing.

Mark demaritni

1/8/2016 11:47:44 am

Megan,
This is a very thoughtful piece that brings up some interesting points. Your observation that countries are "strong-armed" into accepting globalization deserves attention. The danger with globalization is that powerful trans-national powers are able to exert control over sovereign nations who may be in disagreement with global interests. An early example is when the United States sent in the U.S. Marines into Nicaragua, Haiti, Costa Rica and a host of other Central American and Caribbean countries on the request of De Monte Corp in the 1920s. These military operations were named the "Banana Wars" for good reason because the United States found it in the national interest to keep the importation of fresh fruit flowing. Today, resistant countries can be boycotted, bypassed, have aid refused along with other economic incentives withheld to bend their will to the knee of the Global Powers. In short, every nation is at risk of having their national identity threatened when approval is required from any international body. Globalization has many positive effects pointed out by Green. Globalization improved the economies of several developing nations. That's a good thing until free, humane nations are pressured into policy that is against their national interest.

The effects on national culture is interesting and very fluid. The world is changing because people are changing. Every generation is different from the last. The ability to hold on to traditions, language and cultural moors is difficult in a "melting pot", but the "salad bowl" model of peoples not willing to assimilate in their host nation leads to friction and Balkanization. People have to surrender many of their cultural standards and customs to accept change. This surrendering is done by both new immigrants and indigenous citizens. The result is a hybrid of a newly formed cultural standard formed by the two. Change is inevitable. It's difficult to determine of just how positive change may be until the next generation lays in judgement. As long as humanity can continue to advance and evolve change is good. If mankind faces a devolution due to globalization then change is bad. What history shows is that civilization is fragile and always at risk. Just ask the ancient Greeks, Romans, Incas or Chin Dynasty. The challenge for globalization is as it gains international power will it be able to make the right decisions to safeguard humanity as it seeks economic (and ultimately political) dominion over every corner of the globe?

Megan

1/10/2016 11:51:57 pm

I believe there is and will be inevitable progression toward changes and evolution in culture. Growing up in the United States, I have already come to terms with the fact that I do NOT understand my identity. As an American, I wonder what it means to be American. I am liberal and relate most to the people who have grown up in an upper middle class household in the Bay Area with a close proximity to mine. As I feel less and less “Asian,” physically distanced and temporally distanced from my Asian heritage and the “motherland” of my parents, my ancestors, and myself, I know that I have become more “American.” But, what does that mean? Does that mean I have become more “white-washed?” When I speak to others, some claim that I am more “white.” What does this even mean? To be more “white?” To be less so of the stereotype of the culture of the origin from which an onlooker presumes you are from? I am not “white,” but, often, I hardly think that I am anymore “Asian” than having been born so. My identity has simply been created by my experiences. Perhaps for that and that reason alone, I am culturally an American. So far, every American I have met has been distinctly different. There is hardly a unifying factor that seems to knit us together besides the fact that we are all humans living on the same continent or in the case of Hawaii, merely the same country with the same national rules.
It comes to mind that the multitude and diversity of Native American cultures slowly dwindled down to only a few surviving cultures. I believe their ways of living were different from ours and that the concept of “intermarriage” for both Native American cultures and other national cultures has changed significantly, from being one of political standing to personal connections, decisions, circumstances, and experiences, regardless of a lover’s national background. The integration of America is inevitable. One wonders how the United States will be able to preserve its global history of immigrants and cultural diversity when Americans themselves begin to lose the history and understanding of their own identities. As other cultures have seen in the case of European immigrants to the United States, in the end, it ultimately boiled down to a singular identification of being “white.”

Jessie Chen

1/7/2016 08:05:45 pm

Globalization is the process of increased interconnection among countries most notably in the areas of economics, politics, and culture. It also allows country and country/people and people to be more connected. The subtopics that I’m interested in are the spread of cultures, immigration, and economic globalization.
For economic globalization, even though John Green mentions that those poor workers in India or wherever are having a better life because of globalization, globalization also has a negative side. For example, most of the factories and workers of Nike are in the third world undeveloped countries instead of U.S.A. It seems wrong to me because it sounds as if they have a choice or even an opportunity. Although indeed they get paid, their wages are incredibly low as we can imagine.
Because of the improved technology in transportation, the immigrant population is increasing as California is one of the examples. Not to mention that there are lots of international students on campus. The increase of immigrant also brings up the spread of cultures. People have a greater access to foreign culture in the form of music, food, and clothing, and more. However, as video has mentioned, “some people see culture today as increasingly Americanized.” I think one of the most significant cultural traits from the U.S. is consumerism. In the video, Green says “What makes cookie monster a beautiful symbol for contemporary consumption: […] just keep eating even though [it] can’t eat.” I think it perfectly present the meaning of consumerism. Consumerism brings up a lot of issues such as commodification and overproduction.
Although I tend to point out the negative part in globalization, I believe that because people start to realize the issues, we eventually will find a way to solve or reconcile.

Misa Toyoura

1/10/2016 01:08:14 am

Jessie, I enjoyed reading yours. I also do think that Globalization has a number of negative affects involving the well being of people. For example, major corporations have shown they are able to overrule foreign policy decisions. I do not think we should be able to trust these major corporations in the decision making of our global arena especially when their intentions are mainly in producing more profits for their corporation. Secondly, I agree with how you said "people see culture today as increasingly Americanized". I'm also an intl student having a Japanese mom, and french Singaporean dad living in many different places since I was young. I myself exactly feel that I kind of lost my own identity culture while knowing many cultures, which is really sad because a lot people I know including myself see a culture as one.

Christian Trinidad

1/10/2016 09:28:03 pm

Hello jessie !

I agree with you that there is a negative and a positive globalization and most of the time it is negative. The Americanization of the world is insane there are 196 recognized countries in the world, 120 of them have a McDonalds let that sink in. The positive side of globalization is that we get to experience other cultures that we otherwise never had the chance to.

Madalyn Hart

1/7/2016 08:08:37 pm

Globalization, like anything, has both its good outcomes and its very bad outcomes. Globalization is a system in which governments and their citizens have the access and opportunity to learn about, purchase from and travel to almost any destination in the world with few regulations and laws prohibiting them. This is all thanks to an increase in technology resulting in safe and affordable travel costs and shipping (video).
Thanks to globalization, communication between countries has also never been better thanks to the Internet and social media platforms like Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, etc. Thanks to the Internet information is now available for anyone and everyone if they have access. Due to globalization, jobs have also become more available for people overseas in countries like Mexico, Vietnam, and China (video). Take the fabrication of cotton for example. Because the United States doesn’t subsidize industry as much as it does food production those jobs are moved overseas. This has not only helped families escape poverty but it also given them more opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have to better their lives and living conditions.
However, with the good always comes the bad. Globalization has had a huge negative impact on our globes environmental health. With globalization comes a higher demand for products like paper and oil, for example. Due to this large global demand wars are being fought, the natural resources of the earth are being stripped for profit via fracking, and the rainforests in South America are being dramatically wiped out, and fast. While globalization has allowed more frequent travel, it has also been the cause of cultures and languages being lost. A good example would be the native tribes of the Amazon. Due to deforestation and exposure to outsiders the native tribes of Brazil are becoming extinct. More and more the native tribes are losing what they call home and are being forced to integrate into the modern world around them, most of whom lose their culture, religion and language as consequence. Some of the things that interested me the most while watching the videos were in regard to both the positive and negative aspects to cultural diversity, the United States subsidizing the production of cotton, but not industry, and how the environment is being severely affected due to deforestation.

Misa Toyoura

1/10/2016 12:57:08 am

I agree with you!Today’s societies are multi-culture in themselves, which encompasses a multitude of varying ways of life and lifestyle. Therefore, Most of the people are shaped by more than a single culture, which is brought by globalization. And globalization, which is a concept of uniformity, assumes that cultures are becoming the same as the world—this leads to a loss of culture and languages, which is kind of sad!

Megan

1/10/2016 11:32:42 pm

Madalyn:

You are right in that globalization brings up many environmental concerns. The reduced cost and improved methods of transportation, particularly shipping, has completely changed the global economy. Many of the now a days called “super foods” come from vast regions of the world, where those products constituted critical roles in providing for the local people in where that produce is grown. i.e. quinoa. After much controversy, farmers in the countries in which quinoa is grown, were eventually able to produce quinoa sustainably in a way that allowed them to feed themselves as well as excess to ship abroad for export. For a period of time, however, quinoa was too expensive even for the local farmers and families to purchase. Secondly, though globalization adds much new flavor to our palates, it does increase consumers’ carbon footprints. Today, some, though few in numbers, adhere to a “local” diet, returning to a diet in which one eats food that is and can be grown locally and seasonally, significantly reducing one’s carbon footprint while also supporting the local economy. Fortunately, for those in favor of such ideals, “locally grown” produce and food products have gained popularity in recent years. One could argue that this would make more sense in terms of conservation and ethics in an industry of agriculture that is often overrun by large distributors.

JeeSoo Lee

1/17/2016 07:21:52 pm

Hi Madalyn,

Studies have shown that globalization has actually reduced violence because capitalism and the spread of trade has actually made goods cheaper to buy instead of steal, and has given people more jobs with higher wages than before. You bring up a really good point and unfortunately, humans’ primal need for violence over conflict resolution will never go away and this corporate greed for infinite resources will still have us fighting against each other and our own earth.

Misa Toyoura

1/7/2016 08:45:37 pm

The videos show us that Globalization has had a mixed impact on both developed and developing countries.
Three sub-topics on globalization that interest me are global capitalism, global economy, and free trade. The world is becoming more globalized; there is no doubt about that. While that sounds promising, the current form of globalization, neoliberalism, free trade and open markets are coming under much criticism. The interests of powerful nations and corporations are shaping the terms of world trade. In “democratic” countries, they are shaping and affecting the ability of elected leaders to make decisions in the interests of their people. Elsewhere they are promoting narrow political discourse and even supporting dictatorships and the “stability” that it brings for their interests. This is to the detriment of most people in the world, while increasingly fewer people in proportion are prospering.
However, they have been beneficial in certain ways, there are significant shortcomings of unharnessed and unfettered globalization. For example, the effect of free trade is twofold: first, it gives us more prosperity and, second, this prosperity creates diversity and dynamism. Both of these effects are good reasons for opposing the antediluvians that would obstruct international trade. I believe Globalization has to become more inclusive, so that it protects the workers of developing countries from exploitation while encouraging employment opportunities and wage increases among the workers in the middle class and lower-income groups in the developed countries.
There are two ways of looking at globalization. One is as an accidental or inevitable affect of economic growth: industry, technology, communication and so much more— some of them have played a critical part in this economic expansion, as “traveling and shipping [have become] cheap and safe”. As the economy grows, it is only natural for a global market to become established in previously local areas. For this to happen, “free trade” and the free movement of capital are essential. The second way of looking at globalization is as a deliberate process, and this is almost certainly more accurate. Yes, there is a degree of inevitability involved, but this is due in large part to the agreements made between nations, between corporations, and many more. Moreover, “cheaper production costs and more consumers to sell to”—this let businesses actively work to make globalization happen. Globalization has a hand even in the smallest businesses (at least, in first-world countries). And where do these businesses go for cheaper production costs? China is the cliché example, but other popular options include India, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Bolivia, Indonesia and a number of Eastern European countries as listed on the video. Although I didn’t mention as much, but I also think the issue of environmental degradation caused by rampant industrialization in developing countries need to be addressed as well.
Finally, Globalization can allow important processes to happen more efficiently and important ideas to become reality. For example, globalization is going to allow the world to work together to (hopefully) solve our apocalyptic environmental predicament; but of course, this predicament is a result of globalization. Still, it allows the human race to push forward, which at this point we must recognize as a necessity of our species. Progress is written in our DNA, and globalization has allowed us to accomplish truly incredible things. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, globalization is simply and utterly good, bad and inevitable. Hopefully the good will out-weigh the bad, but the continued existence of both is inevitable.

Wenli Zhou

1/10/2016 09:51:21 pm

Hi Misa
I am agree with you. As the bigger Globalization grows, the more capitalism this world becomes. Now aday, capitalists can use resources from the whole world and try everything in order to make the most out of it. I like to look at the good part of this irreversible trend; such as more job opportunities in the third world countries.

Abhisheak Sharma

1/7/2016 08:49:08 pm

The two videos provides us with how globalization has been positive for the world and negative. Globalization is a cultural phenomenon that no one thought it would reach to the point it has and will continue to grow. It has helped humans get connected around the world with international trade and manufacturing goods being made in different countries. Trade between countries have ultimately risen from what the people have been used to because of theses trade opportunities. Multinational corporations have benefited from globalization. Shipping and travel has gotten cheaper which also helps corporations send their goods to different nations for manufacture and built. Governments have also decreased tariffs and regulations on international trade which makes business done with different country easy and more willing. Globalization has provided non wealthy countries citizens to come out of living under poverty, For example, In the video John Green Quotes “ Around 600 million people have risen from poverty” around the world because of wealthy countries sending their labor work to them. Immigration is another subject that has been affected by globalization. People around the world wanting to move to a well economic country so there future could face better living for them. Globalization in some ways also hurts the world. Individualism and the environment have been two of the few problems Globalization affects the world in a negative way. Trees and land are being taken away so the global economy can be grown. Land being taken for industrial factories requires extra resource extraction, carbon emission in the atmosphere. It might even come close to ending human species. The subtopics that interest me the most are immigration because if educated people or capable people from their countries come to wealthy countries. Then how will there own country ever reach to world's wealthy country. Second impact on the environment, how badly are we really hurting the world we live in. Third cultural globalization, are we becoming more diverse by taking in all the cultures and how it helps us. Recent event that occurred regarding the environment was in Paris. The conference in Paris was coming up with a set of goal of limiting global warming.

Madalyn Hart

1/10/2016 12:28:28 pm

I really enjoyed reading your post! You kept it concise and simple and yet provided a lot of examples and explanations as to why globalization is both a good thing and a bad thing. I also appreciated how you included the information about the conference in Paris regarding the issues of global warming. It makes me happy to know that countries are finally meeting up to discuss this major problem.

Jessie Chen

1/10/2016 05:04:13 pm

I agree with your statements on how globalization has improved the lot of many developing, and at risk nations. But indeed, Globalization is quite the double-edged sword. Globalization not only brings humans benefits but also disadvantages such as the example you've mentioned. Unfortunately we unknowingly support such industries. Besides, I am intrigued by your question. It is kind of ironic when "educated people or capable people from their countries come to wealthy countries," perhaps it could the reason why developing countries never surpass developed countries since they keep losing talented people.

Gabriel Alcantara link

1/7/2016 09:13:13 pm

Just like a coin, there are two sides to globalization. There’s the good side where we can travel around, buy everything we want, and abuse our money. Our abusive use of money brings us the bad side of globalization, which is the overuse of resources and workers. These are some of the topics that John Green tackles on his web series called Crash Course History. The globalization episodes talk about both the good and the bad side of globalization, and shows us how there’s a price for every positive thing about globalization.
Globalization can be great. Information travels faster than ever before. “The scale [of trading] has increased exponentially” ( video Globalization 1).The variety of places we get products from is incredible! There’s so much available to us that it becomes really hard to not spend all of our money with all the things we can buy. One of the reasons that I am fond of globalization is because I can communicate with my family and friends in Brazil at any time. However, the technology necessary to bring all of these amazing things are made in the prison camps, also known as electronic factories, around the world. These factories have a terrible working condition, the workers aren’t paid well enough, and the workers have to work long shifts in order to make a living.
The worst side of globalization is the overuse of resources. The deforestation of the rainforest is something to be concerned about, since no one seems to be taking responsibility for it. Just like the collapse of the dams in Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The collapse cased the toxic waste from the mines around the city destroyed the the whole town, polluted rivers, and is now spreading into the ocean. As much as globalization sounds like the best thing that ever happened, it’s negative effects are showing why there’s a need for people to realize what it’s happening, and rebel against the big corporations that keep exploiting the only place we have to live.

Madalyn Hart

1/10/2016 12:12:50 pm

That’s a great way of putting it! I really like your choice of words and thoughts. You expanded on everything you wrote about with detail. Your transitions from topic to topic were smooth and clear, and you provided really good examples that were interesting and sparked an emotional response (ex: how you compared the factories to prison camps.)

Jessie Chen

1/10/2016 04:53:47 pm

Thanks for the improved technology, it allows people to travel around the world and learn different cultures from other countries, which brings us the globalization. As the same as your reason, I also appreciate globalization because I can talk to my family and friends outside the U.S., and even visit them by airplane.

Citlalli Flores

1/10/2016 08:41:12 pm

I agree with all of your post! Especially how we need to start taking more responsibility of the environment because so far, the earth is the only habitable planet that we have in the solar system. If we keep abusing our natural resources, we will run out eventually, and with the world's growing population of over 7 billion, I don’t know how our future generations are going to fix the problems we’ve caused.

Anteo Swenson

1/10/2016 11:17:13 pm

Indeed, globalization was guided by ambitions and greed of the what seems to be a never ending industrialization process. And it has massively affected our Earth and human lives. I understand the concerns you express towards the negative effect in our natural environment, but this is not the only issue that globalization has brought. The violation of human rights in order to satisfy the international trade is another, or the butchering of cultures by imposing a singular one.
It is completely true, as you said, that there are beneficial consequences as well as harmful ones that come with globalization. But what I believe is more important than anything is to be aware of what those are.

Megan

1/10/2016 11:57:00 pm

Gabriel:

I am so glad you brought up the concern of “electronic factories” in your post. As John Green mentioned in his second video in the episode, industry in the United States has shifted from manufacturing to service industries. Like I said in my post, Americans have become more detached from the source of what they buy and consume. It really is quite a pity. The ethics of American economics and consumption is vastly compromised when Americans fail to consider the means by which they were able to receive, buy and obtain the products they buy at the price they buy them for.

Yumi Okawara

1/7/2016 09:39:35 pm

Globalization is in the process of mixing people, things, and money. Also, the phenomenon the social economy-like connection causes various changes across a border with globalization; moreover, the law of one price (Lop) influences to this economic phenomenon. The multinational corporations have increased because they have strong more power than the governments such as trade. And the phenomenon has taught us several of sakes to have knowledge from the Internet. I believe that in these days of high technology, information can be seen in an instant from the Internet wherever we are. This means that the development of technology lets globalization accelerate. Globalization and innovation have caused outcomes: decrease in poverty and development of the average of lifespan. However, as globalization progresses, troubles and risks naturally are getting increased such as a plague and financial crisis. These troubles and risks are rise above the Nation-state, so that a cooperative action is demanded from effective coping. The acuteness of the thing often rises for the characteristic of the risk with progress of the time. Therefore, the effectiveness of the speed to identify a risk and the corresponded controls whether decrease separated from it transforms itself into a global menace. For example, it is emergence of ISIS and Ebola hemorrhagic fever. I already mentioned above about the plague and financial crisis. If these things happened, what is demanded? For the plague, we must support a country that is occurs disease. Moreover, it is important that we must help a country having highest infection risk. There are many multinational corporations in recently, and it may happen financial crisis. If it is happened, the cooperation of the dozens of state and various organs is absolutely necessary. After watching the video, I thought global economics are forced to be interdependence without reasons because even if there are unbeneficial things and sacrifices, it is a fact that the things may be convenient each other. We have an important role in each, as John Green said, “Every human is a historical force.” The three subtopics of globalization are immigration, cultural globalization and political globalization. I am an international student and from Japan. I was unfamiliar with immigration, but Japanese government has mentioned immigration policy in the later half of 2015. I understand why Japanese government indicates in immigration because of an aging society with a low birthrate. However, there are many advantage and disadvantage to the Japanese people. I personally disagree with this policy because it is not easy to accept immigrants and honestly, I think that is is an island and Japan, which has been comprised of only the race called the Japanese for many years does not make the multiracial nation suddenly. And also, I am interested in other two subtopics because I do not know exactly their background like how developed they have.

Gabriel Alcantara

1/10/2016 11:23:56 pm

I completely agree with you in the matter that globalization also consists of mixing people. The United States is a great example of what that means. The diversity we have in California alone is humongous. You can eat from any culture, or listen to many different languages in one state alone! The fact that people can migrate with such ease nowadays sure is a good side of globalization.

JeeSoo Lee

1/17/2016 06:39:28 pm

Hi Yumi,

What you said about the Japanese government loosening its immigration policies to counter Japan’s diminishing population reminded me of something that I’ve read before. It’s true that because of globalization, there is much less cultural diversity as the world becomes more Americanized.

However, I’ve heard that Japan has had an isolationist foreign policy called sakoku where contact with almost all foreign nations was forbidden. Because of this, the Japanese culture was strongly developed independent of external influences while maintaining peace and economic prosperity at the same time. I am not sure of the other details of this foreign policy, but taking a page from their book would help with keeping cultural diversity,

Wenli Zhou

1/7/2016 09:41:02 pm

Crash Course explained the good side and the ugly side of the globalization. Globalization is a trend and process which allows human to make the most out of our current resources. However, I am on Mandela’s side, the cheap clothes that we buy from Forever 21 are actually made with cheap labors in third world countries with poor working conditions and long working hours. First world’s convenience are build on the sacrifice of the third world.

I’m interested in cheap labors which in my opinion it is the bone of Globalization. Using third world labors and pay in low wages bring Social Darwinism back to the 21 century. I agree that workers who sewing clothes for H&M will stay healthy and live longer because of enough food and secured incomes; however, they will never climb this social leader, it is impossible for them to go to school with that amount of wages and continue study. Whats even worse is, young girls from third world will follow their parent’s path, they are not motivated to continue with education since they can make money in the factory. There are so many girls who works in the clothing factory in China and other countries such as in India, Vietnam.
My dad used to own a clothing factory in Namibia but with Chinese workers. I have observed those women. The highest degree amount of them is a high school degree, most of them don’t even make it to senior year. Sewing is the only skill they have, if the factory bankrupted, they will have to find another factory and do the same job. However, what if the whole industry disappeared? Which actually happening in China right now, with current currency, and relatively higher wages, big companies are shifts to the southern part of Asia. I’m concerned about these women and their life as “Made in China” own fewer and fewer percentage on markets today.

Mary Rasooli

1/7/2016 11:34:27 pm

Hi Wenli! I loved reading your example about your dad's factory and the concerns regarding cheap labor. It is quite upsetting to see how globalization has found a way to oppress so many people around the world, and unfortunately we unknowingly support such industries.

Thu-Thao Ho

1/9/2016 02:55:06 am

Wenli, I'd first off start by commending your inexpensive labor examples. It comes to show that the world we live in is impacted on the negative spectrum with regards to globalization. We as people impact the flow of economy through constant consumption of goods. In other words, everyday we are mindlessly supporting third world countries around the world to continue the low wage salary method of life. Though it is true that a low wage income can provide for food and shelter, it does not allow room for academic diversity. I agree that there are youths that are unaware of medicare, auto insurance, unemployment insurance, and paid sick leave. All of these worker benefits are crucial to planning future unexpected events. One huge problem is that education is now an opportunity that is difficult to reach for, and hopefully with the help of the United Nations, I'm sure they can adopt a resolution that can open up pathways of success for all people who desire knowledge.

Luis Ballesteros

1/10/2016 08:52:16 pm

Hello Wenli,

I disagree with the comment about, corporations like H&M taking advantage of 3rd world labor. Investments made by foreign coorporations now does not necessarily translate into immediate return for these types of developing countries. If the current generation now has little to no education, it does not mean that the next generation will be the same way, specially since there is money now being generated thanks to coorporations willing to take a chance.

Steven Pham

1/13/2016 08:27:34 am

Hi Wenli!
I agree at that globalization is a key factor in low wage working. That is the reason why most American company move to the other countries, for a much lesser output and a more profitable input.

Christian Trinidad

1/7/2016 09:43:58 pm

Globalization has had such an effect on our everyday life that we may not even have realized it. As more and more people move in to tech and service jobs less and less are working in farms thus leading to more things being outsourced ie the flowers from Africa. I mean sure a lot of us are aware that there are problems in the rain forrest or that the polar ice caps are melting but did we have to go to the north pole to find that out?
No all we had to do is pull out a smart phone that some kid in china made and google it , so in reality it has no effect on our day to day life and as long as Starbucks and twitter don’t shut down most people will not notice. “The teeshirt you are wearing is both the cause and result of your ambition” just walk in to the store and buy it no need to get out a needle and thread just a wallet. We need to come together not as a nation but a population and solve the problems globalization has caused for the environment.

The three types of globalization i am interested in are technological , environmental and cultural. I feel these are the most important because in my opinion they effect us the most. The more demand for more product and a cheeper price, the more natural resources used the more land developed the more the population increases. “ You just keep eating even though you cant eat” we wont stop until there is nothing left.Its almost an endless cycle but i guess its true Ignorance is bliss

Jessie Chen

1/10/2016 05:16:20 pm

Hi Christian, I agree with your opinion that people may not realize that we are live in a world that you can get access to many other countries everyday, which by the forms of food products, clothing, TV programs, and so on. And I like your analysis in the end of your post. I think it can be related to consumerism, which brings up a lot of issues such as commodification and overproduction.

Myah Rodriguez

1/10/2016 08:27:15 pm

Hi Christian,

I see that your opinion of globalization is leaning more towards the cynical, and I can see that it really matters to you that people are aware of the things that are going on so that all humans (even those after us) can live in a more sustainable way.
I agree, consumerism and consumption in the United States is something that is disturbing. I also wish that we could do more to change that attitude. But, I think it starts with us - if we are really serious about seeing a change. It's important to ask yourself: what are you doing that is contributing to the cycle? What are you doing that helps to alleviate the strain and drain on natural resources?
These questions might not change the world overnight, but they're definitely an important start.

Wenli Zhou

1/10/2016 10:03:46 pm

Hi Christian
I totally agree，I'm interesting in cultural as well. A couple of days ago, a Mcdonald opened in the Forbidden City of Beijing. I am quite shocked and actually really want to see how Mcdonald and the Forbidden City looks like together. Nevertheless, the good part of Globalization on culture is that people nowadays have become more understanding to cultural diversities due to TV and movies.

Luis Ballesteros

1/7/2016 10:10:37 pm

Globalization has been the direction we have been headed towards since the beginning of time, it was inevitable that it would get to this point. As the world gets “smaller” figuratively speaking we, as a race, will be face with many new tough challenges that will show both the good and bad of this current path that shows now slowing down. Some challenges will come with resource management and people in the fact that diversity will have additional pros/cons. Some of the subtopics that interest me the most are; the concept of contemporary consumption, they used the cookie monster analogy in the video but I think I better more practical way of putting it would be, the car. We all love cars, we know we can’t possibly drive them all or sell them all but we don’t stop building and that’s what makes the car “a beautiful symbol of contemporary consumption” – John Green, this is my personal favorite being that I love economics. Another thing I find interesting is the psychological side of things, something that was mentioned in the video, “We are so removed from the realities of production and work that we inhabit a world of artificial stimuli and televised experience”- Frederick Jameson and it makes me think how sooner or later we are going to stop communicating and let an app handle all human interaction, crazy. And finally I just want to better understand International Relations, I am a business major on a track for economics and I find a lot of the same themes. The current events I am following are 1) China economic woes impacting global markets 2)Middle East – Never a dull moment.

Ralph Balaiong

1/10/2016 10:35:55 pm

Hey Luis,
I share your view that globalization is an inevitable event, and the effects that come along with it. However I felt as though you focused too much on the negative implications on globalization. I felt you could have acknowledged some positives of globalization without taking away from your statements. Likewise I’m interested in learning about the impact of China on the global economy.

Aditya Reddy

1/7/2016 10:19:14 pm

Globalization, at its root, is the process of integrating the cultural, technological, and social components of diverse societies, to promote global trade, stimulate economic growth, generate cultural awareness, and strengthen diplomatic ties. Globalization takes on a multitude of different forms from international travel to an increase in communication. The rising phenomenon of globalization is often viewed as controversial. Some argue that it brings an amplitude of benefits to humanity and has allowed its advancement in unprecedented ways. We have seen this through the increase in human connection and ease-of-access to information. On the other hand, some argue that international government regulation limits prosperity, there is less celebrated cultural diversity, and a strongly negative impact on families and environment.
Three subtopics of globalization that interest me in particular are its effect on individualism, democracy, and the role of international economic structures such as the IMF. John Green stresses that “globalization has led to a celebration of individualism.” Globalization celebrates individualism through sex, because due to the increase in technology, there were more contraceptive options available to a wider audience. Through globalization, democracy has spread because of both underdeveloped countries trying to emulate to success of the wealthier democratic nations, and the wealthier democracies attempting to expand their global reach through projecting their regimes on other countries. Because of my interest in corporate and political finance, I am very intrigued by the role that international economic structures, like the IMF, which “offers low interest loans to developing world economies,” play in the global arena. I want to learn more about how such organizations make decisions and how they forecast and analyze the impact of their choices.
One of the more recent events that relate to my interest in democracy is America’s involvement in the Middle East. Their decision to aggressively enter the Middle Eastern region significantly impacted the entire world. At the core of the US’ involvement in the Middle East, was a desire to expand our regime and dominance in the global arena. By attacking the Middle East, we believed we would be able to exert our influence over the oil-rich countries we desperately needed to possess control over. Another recent event that relates to my interest in the role of international economic structures is the economic turmoil in Greece involving the European Union and IMF. Both those entities (EU and IMF) had to deliberate over handing out bailout plans and loans to keep Greece economically afloat. I am interested to know what exactly goes on in those specific deliberations—the rationality behind some policy choices would be interesting to learn more about.

Michelle Bounkousohn

1/10/2016 09:36:03 pm

Hello Aditya!
Your thoughts on globalization's influence in inspiring democracies within poorer nations was extremely compelling--I never really thought of the irony of poorer nations wanting to emulate so-called wealthier democracies, when these more powerful nations often show their power through the enforcement of self-interested foreign policy. I am also incredibly intrigued by the thought processes and reasoning behind international monetary policy and the various systems of power that play into the relationships between nations in varying stages of development. Thanks for your thoughts.

Dario Estrabao

1/7/2016 10:41:37 pm

While the overall subject of both videos was globalization, they each separately dealt with the the pros and cons of the subject. One of the primary points brought up was that “Multinational corporations have global reach and increasing power.” This is especially evident in present-day news as the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal has been all over the news for months. Another interesting factoid was in regard to how, while the virtues of free trade are extolled by many of the more prosperous nations, parts of South America, the Caribbean, and Africa are essentially bullied into supporting these policies or risk either a decrease in necessary trade with said nations or a refusal of loan requests made to the International Monetary Fund. Such low-interest loans are oftentimes essential to developing world economies; however, the adoption of free trade policies can lead to disastrous results, such as the example shared in class pertaining to Jamaica and the Chiquita banana company. One of the strongest points I felt was made in the second video with regard to the analysis that “Current models of economic growth are dependent upon unsustainable use of the planet's resources.” This is essentially humanity shooting itself in the foot; while economic growth, particularly in developing countries, is of utmost importance to most nations, the planet's resources are being tapped with an almost utter disregard for their continued existence. The ever-increasing use of such resources as energy, water, and fossil fuels have already had significant effects on the climate and unless nations begin to seriously look for alternate means of economic growth, humanity will simply reach a point where devastating and irreversible damage will have been done to the planet, affecting not only those living but also future generations to come.

Aditya Reddy

1/10/2016 03:53:45 pm

Hi Dario,

I really liked how you focused in, towards the end of your post, on the impact of globalization on the environment—this is definitely an aspect of the whole phenomenon that is most overlooked. I think that the entire social dynamic of consumerism has evolved into an unmanageable monster, essentially, and as such, it almost seems like there is no hope for reversing the self-destructive path our planet has been set on. To begin addressing this issue, I think that our political leaders and representatives need to collaborate with specialized and educated minds to develop and enforce effective and sustainable policy—maybe through the creation or improvement of environment-oriented IGOs. The UN has set about its sustainability goals and climate action proposals, but much of this action is vague and utilizes immeasurable milestones. I think successful environmental protection legislation requires sustainable policy and quantifiable, objective goals to help officials hold country heads, corporate leaders, and other relevant figures accountable.

Myah Rodriguez

1/10/2016 08:00:32 pm

Hi Dario,

I completely agree with your point about economic growth. Major economies like the United States are using an unsustainable amount of the Earth's limited resources in the name of "economic growth". Through globalization, they have made it so that other exploited and "developing" nations must also turn to unsustainable means in order to compete in the global economy and keep their nations out of poverty. The ironic thing is that the major world powers who now make decisions via IMF and other IGOs, were the powers that exploited these "developing" nations in the first place, and are now forcing them to make hard decisions (like the example about Jamaica that we heard in class).

Michelle Bounkousohn

1/10/2016 09:29:58 pm

Hi Dario!
I enjoyed your perspective on globalization as a complex interaction between nation-states with varying levels of power. I think it is so fascinating that globalization is viewed with such virtue when, in the case of environmental unsustainability and the hypocrisy of "free trade", globalization really shows itself as an inequitable and unsustainable process. I would love to know how you feel about globalization's impact on individual power and agency.

Citlalli Flores

1/7/2016 10:43:11 pm

Globalization is a very controversial topic, in which there are many ups and downs. Globalized culture was one of my favorite subtopics for globalization. I love the idea of retaining one’s culture although one is no longer in their home country. Although the globalization of culture sounds and is a good thing for the most part, there are downsides. Diversity has its ups and downs. Culture also loses some of its traditions when clashed amongst others. I think even though some cultures have lost the battle to the globalization of culture, for the most part, globalization has helped spread some diversity.
Another interesting subtopic that I liked was the globalization of the trade, or international trade. From what I understood, the first video pretty much explained it with a t-shirt. That was a great example and I think really useful to visual the globalization of the economy. Items can be grown in one place, produced in another, and shipped back to the original place. I thought that was interesting.
The last topic I liked from both videos was global capitalism. I might not agree that moving the high paying jobs to places where they’d be low-paying, like the car factories being moved out of the US, is good. This does create jobs though, especially for people who would’ve been struggling otherwise if they didn’t have said job. Like the video said, “That job represents an opportunity for a longer, healthier, and more secure life that [they] would’ve had if those shoes were made in the USA”.
The last thing I want to add is that I agree with the quote from the video that “democracy and economic success don’t always go hand in hand” because if we take a look at China, like the video mentioned, we can see that China has still been able to grow.

Misa Toyoura

1/10/2016 01:35:20 am

Hi,Citlalli! I agree with your argument "culture also loses some of its traditions when clashed amongst others". In this globalized world, cities are becoming clones of each other, and people are converging into fake stereotypes; gone are the unique cities that carry so much history and culture in every corner. Lost are the enriching cultural differences and specificities that make a society uniquely what it is. I can also give you my own example from my personal experience! I was born in Japan, and moved to Singapore when I was 2, and moved to France when I was 8, and moved to Hong Kong when I was 11, and moved to UAE when I was 13, and went back to Japan when I was 16 came to America when I was 19, now I'm 21. What happened? I’ve lost one of the things that count the most: my identity, the uniqueness in me, which makes me special and allows me to stand out from the crowd! (sometimes, it's a good thing as I speak more languages than others...)

Xiaoguo Zhang

1/10/2016 02:35:43 pm

I also thought that cultural globalization is the most interesting subtopic, and I absolute agree your idea with traditional culture during globalization. Globalization made the cultural transmission became bidirectional. For example, even as Traditional Chinese Culture spreads around the world and more people become interested in Chinese, foreign culture and concepts have begun to spread into China. Of course, we should to be vigilant that globalization harms our traditional culture.

Mary Rasooli

1/7/2016 11:22:21 pm

Globalization is the sharing and extending of ideas, products, languages, technologies, businesses and products to and from different countries. The ideas of interconnections and interdependence are generally used when discussing the social and economic aspects of Globalization. Globalization is most closely related to international trade and consumption.
The increased level of global economic interdependence is the result of rigorous technological progress. Such technological improvements have lead to immense economic opportunities for countries to expand their markets and have allowed the global market to stretch and cater to almost all possible needs and wants. However, the global market has grown unregulated and
and has given tremendous power and authority to corporations. Government interference in the free market is not welcomed, as Green states, “Governmental regulation diminishes prosperity by limiting growth”. This idea of limiting growth is an unpopular one, especially to corporations and major leaders of the world economy what rely on our constant consumption to succeed in their realms of business.
However without regulations, the global economy continues to increase its impact on the environment, society and international policy. I find those categories to be the most interesting, as they are so prominent in the discussions of the negative impact of globalization. Through policies, we can see that globalization has forced many countries into adopting certain policies and practices in order to keep up with the globalizing world. Although some countries have tried to refrain from free trade economies, they have been forced to in some way or another. There have been lowered tariffs, reduced regulation and privatization in an effort to increase the economies of the developing world; inherently leading to the negative effects on society as well. When examining society’s role in globalization, it is evident that the lines distinguishing cultures have become extremely blurred. Because of adopted laws and policies catered towards globalized economies, societies are abandoning original, cultural behaviors, customs and practices to keep up. This relates to the in-class discussion we had about homogenization and how as mentioned in the video, “some people see culture today as increasingly Americanized”. Americanized in the sense that cultures are now being mixed, blended and influenced by the dominant global economic power and changing their ways to either compete, keep up with or to embody American “success”. Finally, the current environmental crisis is one that we hear about constantly, but it is something very important to consider when analyzing the effects of globalization. The fact that we know we are destroying our planet and diminishing the quality of life for all beings on this planet, and are still at the mercy of corporations says a lot about our world’s power. We know that what is happening is very wrong, yet because of globalization, the world’s economy relies on every country doing its part in producing and feeding into the toxic culture of consumerism.

Steven Pham

1/10/2016 12:34:29 pm

Hi Mary,
I totally agree with the globalization negative effect on the environment, it is slowly deteriorating by the seconds. Fortunately the environment is recorded to be better than every other year starting at 2014. So it seems that we are getting closer to a better environment effect with no deficit to the global economy.

Abhisheak sharma

1/10/2016 06:30:46 pm

Hey Mary,
I strongly agree with you about the corporations having to much power in their hands. Government needs to have more say into free trade and tariffs. Their less involvement into international trade plays a big role. A lot of the corporations make decisions around the company getting the most profit and benefit. In my opinion government needs to step in and not make it too easy for the multi corporations.

Ralph Balaoing

1/10/2016 11:02:42 pm

Hello Mary,
I share your belief that Multinational Corporations have gained too much political power with the expansion of economic globalization. Moreover sadly, you are right in that we have a “culture of consumerism.” However I feel that you fail to acknowledge the positive implications of economic globalization. Specifically the rise in the standard of living as seen with technological advancement and the increase in the longevity of humans.

Ralph Balaoing

1/7/2016 11:36:05 pm

Since the beginning of humanity the idea of an interconnected world has always persisted. The idea has finally come to fruition with the spread of technology acting as a catalyst. In turn it leads to more technological advance and repeats itself. This cycle of spread and improve as seen with “..what is euphemistically called ‘free trade’ has been exacerbated by the rise of MNCs (Multinational Corporations).
This global phenomenon has brought about many positives. For instance the creation and development for the technology though which this assignment is done on, medical advancements that have prolonged human life, and better food production that has lifted millions out poverty. Simply put as John Green says, “..Global economic interdependence has led, on average to longer, healthier, more prosperous lives for humans…” However for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The cost of technological advancement has resulted in extreme environmental degradation which consequences we are now beginning to see globally. In addition while increases in food production and increased trade have decreased poverty, it still exists as a product of corporate greed and indifference toward our fellow humans.
The three types of globalization that we should be most concerned about are economic, social, and political. These three are the ones that most affect our lives as they cover many facets of everyday life. For example our livelihood and the economic status of your state, best exemplified by NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and now the TPP (Transpacific Partnership). Furthermore it affects the people we interact with directly and indirectly, and policies set in place by ones’ state.

Madalyn Hart

1/10/2016 01:17:27 pm

You are absolutely right about medicine prolonging human life. That is one of the great things about globalization. If only other developing countries had more access to it, like we do here in the United States. I like how you explained to us the three things that we should be worried about the most, and why. It provided very good insight.

Abhisheak Sharma

1/10/2016 02:13:30 pm

Hey Ralph,
I agree with the positives from globalization you share. The creation of technology has been the biggest. In my opinion because it helped the world get connected and have the freedom of moving to a different country without feeling the pressure to stay with their families. I do see how corporate greed isn't right in some sense but it is one of the biggest reasons why many humans have had a better life than they would have if it wasn’t given the opportunity by corporate.

Lin Tian

1/7/2016 11:41:22 pm

Summary and Analysis
Globalization the upside:
The biggest upside of globalization is that it decreases the poverty in developing countries
and countries which need international trading. Two main quotations from the video which serve as reasons for the development of globalization are: “multinational corporations have global reach and increasing power,” and “governments have decreased tariffs and regulations on international trade.” Globalization had occurred and changed the world though the prosperity of global trading. International trading had occurred a long time ago. With easier governmental policies toward trading, more companies are encouraged to open up to the global market.

Globalization II Good or Bad:
There are many downsides for globalization. Examples such as more waste of energy and decrease of personal freedom are brought in the video. Richer people spend more energy than the poor ones, and since more rich people are created by globalization, more energy will be wasted. People’s freedom were also decreased as the governments started to demand people to work in certain ways since WW2. In my opinion, the diminishing of individual culture is the biggest problem that globalization causes.
————————————————————————————————————————————--

The three topics about globalization which interest me are:
Is globalization common toward the business field?
What’s the benefit of globalization toward businesses?
How are customers affected by globalization?

To know more about these topics, I had made some researches toward the business side of globalization both through the domestic and foreign market. The first event is the massive amount of positions available during in McDonald’ one-day nationwide event in 2016. McDonald had announced to fill 50,000 new positions at stores nationwide. My understanding is that this movement clearly shows that McDonald and other American chain restaurants are expanding global. It is very common to expand in the international market. The benefit of such expansion is that companies will have financial support from the foreign market. It was known that KFC had its majority of revenue made from its foreign market: China. Even though KFC is slowly losing the American market, it stills has a strong revenue growth in its international market. The local restaurant in China and other foreign company will be distracted by the increase of competition. Foreign customers are positively affected because they are able to choose variety of different meals. The increase of competition will drive the price of meals down. So customers are more able to afford going to restaurants.

The second current event is from the perspective of China’s tech giant company: Alibaba. The CEO of Alibaba announced to expand globally by investing in oversea ventures at the end of 2015. The former CEO Jack Ma set up the vision that if Alibaba didn’t globalize, it would not last more than 100 years. My understanding is that a growing company must take control of a bigger market quickly before the new raising companies exist. Globalization become common for companies which are willing to stand their grounds for longer time. At the same time, companies which take over the global market are more competitive than the ones only take the domestic markets. However, a big drawback is that the rate of failure to open up a foreign market is very high. Globalization will benefit companies which are able to operate in a more complex system, but not for companies which are hard to manage with more departments. Customers are mostly benefited when a foreign company such as Alibaba enters the U.S. market. The future competition between Alibaba and U.S. online trading sites such as Amazon and Ebay will benefit customers because these companies will offer more beneficial policies to customers.

Steven Pham

1/10/2016 12:48:01 pm

Hi Lin,
It was awesome how you made an example of McDonald and KFC. It shows that American corporation have to expand by globalization to make much more profit. Even if they lose in the American market, the global market can help them get back up like in KFC case.

Myah Rodriguez

1/7/2016 11:58:38 pm

Globalization has had massive effects on the modern world in a variety of ways. It has changed the way peoples and cultures interact with each other, share ideas and information, and the way many people experience life. Yet, as the videos point out, it’s effects are both inspiring and worrisome. A few of the most interesting effects are listed below.
Individualism vs. Collectivism.
Globalization has fostered a move away from nationalism and the role of the state, to a world where the individual liberties of a person matter more than guaranteeing the welfare of a community. This shift means that less and less people are in favor of giving up some personal liberties for the greater collective; seeing oneself as being on part in a greater whole. Instead, more people worldwide are now celebrating individualism. According to the videos, the cause of this can be contributed to “the failures of the Marxist collectivist utopias... Since the 1960’s, the ascendant idea of personal freedom, minimally limited by government intervention, has become very powerful.” This can be seen when looking at the “Arab Spring” which took place in 2011 and is still currently going on.

2. Wealth inequality.

According to the video, globalization has lead to more economic prosperity across the globe with more people enjoying higher standards of living. However, the video also points out that “billions haven’t benefitted much, if at all, from all this economic prosperity and that the polarization of wealth is growing both within and across nations.” In the United States alone, the growing gap between not only income but wealth accumulation is astonishing. In a 2013 report by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), the top 10% of the wealthiest households hold almost 80% of the entire accumulated wealth in the United States (www.washingtonpost.com). This is a growing concern for

3. Global corporate power.
The videos explain how “multinational corporations have global reach and increasing power.” This is evident in the U.S. where money is equivalent to speech and corporations have all of the same rights as individuals. This topic is concerning to me, as it makes me fear for the future of humanity. Corporations are by nature profit-driven entities. When we put profits over people, the world suffers.

Aditya Reddy

1/10/2016 03:43:46 pm

Hi Myah,

I really liked your comparative analysis of the effects of globalization and I agree with you on the potential dangers that loom in regards to the increase in global corporate power. With globalization, the potential target market for almost any given corporate-fueled industry has expanded exponentially. One of the challenges of our era, thus, will be figuring out a way to coral the giant, and very powerful profit-driven entities to consider the humanitarian drawbacks associated with the enormous amount of power they exercise in the global arena. I also find the issue of individualism very interesting and I think there is a very intriguing application of this phenomenon regarding the infringement upon privacy here in the United States. I think that the issue of individualism vs. collectivism manifests in the debate on how much privacy we, as a society, should be willing to give up in order to allow the government to efficiently conduct counter-terrorism efforts. From a collectivist vs. individualist angle, is it okay to allow the government to tap into our personal lives even more to help prevent the terrorist threat or is it worth taking the risk and continuing to limit the government's ability to surveil in order to protect our privacy?

Myah Rodriguez

1/10/2016 08:18:41 pm

Hello Aditya,

Thank you for your response!
I didn't initially connect the debate about privacy in the US to the debate about individualism vs. collectivism, but I think you bring up a good question. How far are we willing to go in the name of security? This also begs the question: do we have a choice?
But, I also want to say that when I brought up the sub-topic of individualism vs. collectivism, my main concern was social welfare. I do believe in individual liberties and allowing people to live their lives the way they'd like as long as it doesn't infringe on someone else's rights. However, I believe that if we are going to call ourselves a nation, then we have a responsibility to take care of each other on an economic level. Maybe not on a one-to-one level, but at the governmental level, I absolutely believe that it's main purpose should be to take care of people as a collective whole. For me, this means social programs and laws which prevent poverty, homelessness, illiteracy, and which grant free access to education. If we are paying taxes to the government, then the government has a responsibility to take care of us. So, when I talk about individualism and collectivism, I think there should be a collectivist attitude to make sure that everyone has access to their individual liberties.

Abhisheak Sharma

1/10/2016 06:46:13 pm

Hey Myah,
I couldn’t agree with you any better. Corporations mentality for going with the decision which makes the most profit for their corporation puts humans future and lives in risk. Corporations which make millions with their sales of products, don’t usually care if the decision they made will hurt the common person who works for that corporation. Which needs to change if we want to see no humans future in doubt by a corporation decision.

Christian Trinidad

1/10/2016 09:01:52 pm

Hey myah !

You bring up some great points about individualism vs. collectivism i feel like it is similar to comparing capitalism and socialism which both have their strengths and weaknesses. Income inequality and wage gaps have almost eliminated the middle class, in 1840 President William Henry Harrison said ... “ The rich get richer and the poor get poorer” almost 200 years later the same rings true.

JeeSoo Lee

1/15/2016 09:18:29 am

Globalization has been a huge influence in the way our world and our individual experiences are shaped today. Free trade has fostered global economic interdependence. The biggest corporations have gotten even bigger due to globalization because travel and shipping have become even cheaper, and governments lower tariffs to incentivize imports and exports. This means the wealthy countries become even wealthier now that they can use lower wage countries for labor and resources, and the poorer countries can create jobs and lift millions of people out of poverty.

Human population over time has gone up – we now have lifespan that is twice as long because of advances in health care and technology.

Because of increase in technology and decrease in travel costs, people move to wealthier, more crowded places more than ever since it is so easy to keep in touch with friends and relatives in their home countries. Money being sent back home has now become a huge driver of economic growth in some countries. There is now less diversity and culture has become more Americanized.

People are more individualistic than ever, and service economy is on the rise in America and other wealthier nations. We are so far removed from the actual manufacturing process that we are almost living in a dream world. Also, this business model of growth and efficiency is doing so much harm to the environment by constantly using up more resources. Climate change is inevitable with the amount of energy that wealthier nations are using.

I am especially interested in the effect of remittances on certain countries’ economies – if these countries are so dependent on money earned and produced overseas, what does that say about the future of their economy? How sustainable is that economic model? This is both the cause and the effect of mass migration to wealthier cities in order to work, but that kind of heavy overpopulation leads to much more energy consumption in that area which would aggravate the conditions of climate change. As John Green put it, the cookie monster keeps eating even though we can’t eat. There are also studies that indicate that increased diversity in a particular area correlates to more violence in that area (e.g. New York’s melting pot). The government can mitigate these effects by encouraging domestic production, but the free exchange of goods and services and information is the reason that we humans have gotten so advanced so fast, so it may be a step in the wrong direction and harm more than help our society. All in all, globalization is a fascinating topic that has very polarizing political views.

Week 1 - Understanding Globalization

Leave a Reply.

Poli 3 - DeAnza

THE BEAUTY

OF BLACK

CREATION

ABOUT US

JOURNALS

SUBMISSIONS

Week 1 - Understanding Globalization

Leave a Reply.

Poli 3 - DeAnza

THE BEAUTYOF BLACKCREATION

ABOUT USJOURNALS​​SUBMISSIONS

THE BEAUTY

OF BLACK

CREATION

ABOUT US

JOURNALS

SUBMISSIONS