Thursday, September 4, 2008
12:12 PM
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Thursday, August 14, 2008
8:09 AM
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Sports- the common language of the world
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
11:05 PM
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Basketball from Canada, baseball from USA , gymnastics from Greece, golf from Great Britain, and soccer from England… These sports varies in their diverse techniques, originating from various countries. These sports have grown in appreciation from their humble beginnings to a global gift that is embraced by the world. Through communication and globalisation, these sports are made globalised and played throughout the world as they are adopted by people of various nationalities and ethnic diversity. Though these sports may differ in their techniques and country of origin, they share a common language across the globe—the spirit of passion, determination, sacrifice and global harmony. The coloured rings surrounding the globe symbolizes the 5 Olympic rings of the colours blue, yellow, black, green and red, an indication of a globalised sporting drive that is celebrated by people all over the world. It is through international mega sporting events such as the Olympics that gather people all over the world at a common place to honour competition amongst countries, bridging differences and realizing commonality in passion, all in the name of sports!
Labels: Culture, Globalisation, Nai Iyn Yi
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Globalisation of Technology
10:48 PM
This is a video that illustrates many facts about technology in our world today. If you observe closely, you will notice that globalisation is both a result and a cause of technology. Without either one, the other may not even happen. In other words, globalisation and technology are interdependent.
An interesting thing to note is that technology serves as a media for globalisation to occur. For instance,the internet provides many platforms for communication to take place, like the email, instant messaging and Skype voice call. The video shows how globalized the internet is becoming with billions of emails being sent a day and a majority being spam. Currently, the internet is the fastest growing form of communication ever. Blogging has only replaced the traditional hand written diary, shows how tech savvy the world has become. The internet has become so heavily globalized that one in every 15 people are using the internet.In Europe one in every two persons use the internet as compared to Africa which is one in 400.The number of emails sent in 2001 has risen from 12 billion to 50 billion in year 2007, more people are starting to use the internet for communications and this shows the globalization of technology.
The video also talks about telecommunications and how Africa has low users of telecommunications. Asia however, has twice the number of users as north and south america.It also says that 220 tons of technological hardware are trashed in the US every year showing how much technological advancement that country has made, with only a small portion being recycled.
Globalization of technology happens because of the technological advancements happening in the US and other countries are influenced by this country and become more technological.
Labels: Globalisation, Goh Wei Xiang, Technology
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The Globalisation of the Economy
10:46 PM
The comic depicts Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) as male customers, with the countries Mexico, China and USA depicted as prostituites trying to attract customers.
For Mexico, the message that the cartoon is sending out is clear, that Mexico will allow MNCs to exploit their environment, showing how desperate they are for investors; being willing to even destroy their environment just for more money-inflow.
For China, the message is slightly hidden, but what the cartoon is implying is that China, relatively new to the global economy is cheap and can be exploited easily. The fact that the cartoon mentions that "China" is 13, being underage to do such a job, says that China is still a developing nation that at times may not be doing the right thing.
For USA, the cartoon depicts the nation as the worst of the 3 countries shown; "she" is on the floor and begging for a job - she being the most desperate, at the same time, she is also the least attractive of them all.
As I have mentioned before in my previous post, globalisation has brought the world closer, where with the internet, companies in say, America are able to reach consumers in say, Singapore with the click of a button. This makes marketing in that sense, harder. In order for their products to sell, the have to make sure that their adverts, or pricing, or goods appeal to people around the world.
Take for example the advert on the right side of the screen. (Assuming that it is an advert on the Singapore Tourism Board's Uniquely Singapore-F1 Postcard/E-card) It would be difficult for the STB to reach out to teenagers of the digital age with postcards and as such, use E-cards as an alternative form. But even so, these digital youth might not know about such a service, where they can also win a stay at the Fullerton Hotel. As such, STB turns to platforms such as Nuffnang, which is gaining popularity amongst the youth as it is an alternative way for youths to earn extra money, to advertise about these E-cards, giving youths or anyone who visits such a blog with an advert like that, a chance to send an E-card to an overseas friend and increase their chances of winning the hotel stay. Moreover, such adverts are made to be "global", meaning that people in other countries who visit a blog containing such an advert would be able to see the advert and take part in the competition.
*image of the advert*
This is one aspect of how globalization of the economy is good.
The globalisation of the economy has also brought on the concept of free trade. Without globalisation, countries had to stick with whatever products that they had to survive. But with globalisation, countries are able to trade products, such as food, with one another, allowing for each other to try out another culture's food. At the same time, this would also enhance the economy of each country, wherein if more of those food products are exported out of that country into another country, the producing country would get more money as they can earn profit from selling such products.
But trade has also created a monster of itself. As more and more economies grow, and as an increasing amount of countries are trying to develop and grow, competition to sell one another goods increase.
For example, if country A takes only 60cents to manufacture a shoe and if country B takes $1 to manufacture the same shoe, the better choice would be country A. And if it takes both country A and B 40cents in transportation fees to import the shoe, country A would still be the better choice. However, free trade could turn the situation to favour country B.
If the importing country has signed a free trade agreement with country B, it means that the country is exempt of any tax that the government of country B may impose on the shoe. And if country A does not have a free trade agreement with the importing country and the tax of the government is 80cents, then country B would become the better option to pick for importing shoes (A: $1.80, B:$1.40) as it is cheaper than A overall.
And this desperation to be chosen is clearly illustrated in the cartoon above. Developing countries like China and Mexico desperately want their economies to grow and expand, so that they can be recognised as a world power too. Hence the reason why Mexico would let MNCs destroy and degrade their environment and why China would let itself be exploited by the greedy-looking MNC men, as according to the cartoon.
Free trade could make or break a nation, which is also why in this globalised world, good billateral relations with other countries is absolutely necessary as it could enable free trade agreement.
For me, this aspect of the economy, I feel, is quite risky. When countries rely too much on such aspects, it could eventually harm them in the long run. Taking the example of what is mentioned in the cartoon, Mexico would harm its citizens if they allow all MNCs that are interested to have a manufacotring plant or office in the nation to degrade their environment. The environment is natural and what keeps the Mexicans alive, to a certain extent, so when more of the environment disappears, this could really affect them as a nation. As for China, because it allows MNCs to exploit them, a lot of bad flak in the press came out about the poor quality of their goods, harming their reputation as a good nation to turn to for manufactoring purposes.
As for the United States, as its economy continues in its downward spiral, lesser investors are interested in them, and like the US-representative in the cartoon, they become more desperate. At the same time though, because they still hold a large chunk of the power in the world, they are still able to survive with what they have ... so far.
The globalisation of the economy has made vast changes in how the world would sell thei products and I am sure that it will continue to change the way of how products would be sold.
Cartoon from: Source: CraigBellamy.net
Labels: Angeline Kang, Economy, Globalisation
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Politics in the Globalised World
10:38 PM
The democratic world do not function in a way where nations survive independently though living in a connected space. Instead, countries are connected and dependent on a globalised political world to ensure political and economic stabilty.The traditional world of governance involves only national government holding the true power and utmost responsibility in ensuring its citizens with security and economic stability, providing protection on human rights for its people and looking after the environment only within the boundaries of its territories. As the need for global economy increases, where trade and commerce is dealt with between countries, countries’ economy and security no longer solely depend on its internal governance. They, however integrate into the international community as global ties need to be formed amongst countries to fulfill their political, economic and social interest and obtain stability that is beneficial to all sides.
With globalisation, politics are handled one notch above the state through political integration schemes such as the European Union, the United Nations and also through intergovernmental organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization. Besides international bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and various global movements also help surpass countries’ political activities beyond national borders. Civil society organisations also form alliances with organisations in other countires by the means of global communications systems, to demonstrate of their global activity instead of dealing via their national governments.
As international relations play an important role in molding countries’ political connections with their neighbours, it is necessary to maintain strong ties with neighbouring countries and even states across regions. Globalisation of politics is therefore not only essential for security, but also an important avenue for trade and commerce as countries policies are drawn that would bring benefit to countries’ economy as well. It is necessary to recognize the connection pertaining to globalisation of politics and economics as political actions are often motivated by economic intentions.
Labels: Globalisation, Nai Iyn Yi, Politics
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The Globalisation of Politics
9:56 PM
This video discusses about the 2008 American Elections.
In this video, the host discusses about how the Internet is a new platform for the presidential candidates to reach out to the American voters. In this new digital age, the internet has changed the way campaigning for elections are taking place. The video mentions that the candidates running for US presidency have got Facebook and Myspace accounts (and a quick check on Google revealed that Barack Obama & John McCain do indeed have both Myspace and Facebook accounts), they have got bloggers commenting on them and they have videos/adverts on youtube.
With all these different forms of reaching out to voters, the presidential candidates are changing the way politics is carried out in the world today.
In the past, when technology was not as advanced as it is now, campaigning for elections was just putting up posters, having television adverts and rallying crowds to urge people to vote for them. But in this new age, candidates go all out in trying to reach out to the masses. One way is through networking sites like Facebook and Myspace.
For example, in Barack Obama's Myspace page, he has "buttons" that a supporter can put on their own Myspace page or onto their blog. Other features on his Myspace page include links to Obama-related page (such as his merchandise store, Facebook and official campaign website), blog posts about his campaign & plans and campaign posters. But the most important thing in his Myspace account, is his profile, which enables Americans to see who he is and get to know him better as a person. John McCain's Myspace is also somewhat similar.
After stating down so many facts, now it's time for my own point of view on the issue of the globalisation of politics.
In its opening sentence to its article on Globalization, Wikipedia states that "Globalization (or globalisation) in its literal sense is the process of transformation of local or regional things or phenomena into global ones." Globalisation is the idea of changing something that used to only be confined to each country solely to become one that anyone in the world can find out about and have their own views about it.
Globalisation, like anything else in this world, has it's good points and it's bad points. The good thing about globalisation is that it is able to bring people closer together.
In the case of politics, the elections for America's next president is widely publicised throughout the world, where people in all parts of the world can read about it on their local newspapers or even online on the internet. Globalisation also allows the presidential candidates to be able to reach voters who may not be in the country at the moment and will also allow voters to catch videos of campaign messages online. A simple search on Youtube with the phrase "presidential elections 2008" has more than 9000 videos in relation to that phrase as seen in the picture below.
The videos range from CBC footage (like the one in the video posted here) to local's takes/views on the elections and the candidates.Another advantage of globalisation is that it can influence people easily. The video mentions about how bloggers discuss the candidates actions and so on and many of the influential bloggers have many readers. If an influential blogger likes a certain candidate, many of their readers would also be easily swayed to support that certain candidate as well. Globalisation has allowed a power shift from solely the government to allow even average citizens of a nation to wield power in their hands.
However, this may also prove detrimental to the candidates as well. If a blogger does not like a particular candidate, the blogger may also cause their readers to dislike the candidate and in turn support the other candidate. This is the danger of globalisation. On the net, it is also easy to post annonymous and false rumours that portray a certain candidate in a bad light, making voters unsure of what to believe in.
The globalisation of politics has also provided more justice for the opposition party in a nation. Take for example the case of Anwar Ibrahim who is currently faced with sodomy charges. Without globalisation, the world would not be closely watching what Malaysia may use as charge against Mr Anwar, but because of globalisation, the world would be able to know what is going on for Mr Anwar and the government would have to make sure that proper, well-backed evidence is found to charge him properly.
Globalisation has greatly improved the world in many ways, but at the same time, may not always be the best thing for us.
Labels: Angeline Kang, Globalisation, Politics
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Globalization of technology!!
8:37 PM
The title of the video is ‘The Great Information Exchange’, taken from youtube website. It illustrates the change in technology that allows the progress of the world such as the change in technology involved in communication, from printing papers to telegram and to internet.
These changes are made possible by the exchange of information all around the world which have made globalization achievable as people are able to share their knowledge and ideas across the globe.
Technology is one of the tools that contribute to the presence of globalization in the world by changing the society. In some developing countries, technology has changes from agrarian societies to industrial ones where machines are used to replace manpower or to speed up production process.
One of the greatest impacts of technology on globalization is telecommunication. Development in telecommunication cuts across limits of space, time and people where people are able to carry out conversation across the global at any place and time without restrictions. Cell phones, for example, have changed lives of millions throughout the world, especially in Africa and some Middle East countries where there is a low cost communication infrastructure. With the aid of cell phone, widely dispersed populations are connected; other business's communications among each other are facilitated.
Development of internet and satellite technology has enlarged the market where more information and better ideas are found which later creates more jobs such as professional bloggers and computer engineers who creates search engine websites.
Labels: Globalisation, Technology, Thian Hui Fen
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Globalization of Economy
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
9:12 PM
In the first picture, it shows the weak and starving third world country person holding his bowl receiving the resources such as television, food and vehicles that are made available through globalization of economy.
In the second picture, it shows the strong and wealthy corporate from America has been longing for free trade. They control the workers within countries and workers overseas that they employed with the help of a whip and a cuff chain which represent the World Trade Organization and North American Free Trade Agreement respectively. The workers look as though they are ill-treated and suffered from hunger as they are portrayed with a bony body structure. The leg of the U.S. worker is cuffed to a metal ball that writes “massive layoff vanishing worker rights” while the leg of the worker abroad is chained to another metal ball that writes “slave wages, no workers rights”.
To create a free trading zone, tariff is reduced or eliminated which allows capital, labour and resources become more mobile between and within countries. Free trade increases commerce and trading between countries which is the best way to relieve extreme poverty throughout the world and to improve the well-living standard of the global poor as resource such as medication for diseases and food will be more readily available to them at cheaper price that they can afford. With the free movement of labour between the countries, skilled workers in developing countries can escaped from poverty through migration to other countries.
The breaking down of global barriers allows companies to benefit from the largest and cheapest workforces, raw materials, and technology. Since the corporate can employ workers, especially from developing countries, at a much cheaper rate than local workers. However, this has greatly disadvantaged the local workers as they were replaced by the foreign worker since the latter will be deemed as more cost efficient. This can result in society disorder when there is increasing number of unemployed people in society. The sudden increase in the number of unemployed people could be a burden to the government and the economic development. The government will have to provide financial aid to support those struggling families and poor people before they can find or arrange available working venues to reallocate these people.
On the other hand, the protection by foreign labour union fails to protect their respective countrymen due to the strong industrialized powers which have resulted in the exploitation of the people in those nations to become cheap labor. Even though the workers are offered with a satisfying salary, they are often requested to work for extremely long hours under dangerous working conditions which are against the labour rights as their lives are at risk. The workers might have the freedom to leave their job but it could mean another round of poverty and starvation for them.
Though globalization could be beneficial to mankind by increasing commerce, *promoting international cooperation, promoting peace among the nations and encouraging economic growth, but it comes at the cost of sacrificing the poor or developing countries, human and labour rights and our environment.
* Globalization of economy allows countries to specialize in certain products. Specialization allows nations to devote their scarce resources to the production of the particular goods and services for which the nation has a comparative advantage. This results in the interdependence between countries which reduce the tendency of war or conflicts.
First cartoon from:
Source: The D.B. Weldon Library
Second cartoon from:
Source: World Socialist Movement
In the second picture, it shows the strong and wealthy corporate from America has been longing for free trade. They control the workers within countries and workers overseas that they employed with the help of a whip and a cuff chain which represent the World Trade Organization and North American Free Trade Agreement respectively. The workers look as though they are ill-treated and suffered from hunger as they are portrayed with a bony body structure. The leg of the U.S. worker is cuffed to a metal ball that writes “massive layoff vanishing worker rights” while the leg of the worker abroad is chained to another metal ball that writes “slave wages, no workers rights”.
To create a free trading zone, tariff is reduced or eliminated which allows capital, labour and resources become more mobile between and within countries. Free trade increases commerce and trading between countries which is the best way to relieve extreme poverty throughout the world and to improve the well-living standard of the global poor as resource such as medication for diseases and food will be more readily available to them at cheaper price that they can afford. With the free movement of labour between the countries, skilled workers in developing countries can escaped from poverty through migration to other countries.
The breaking down of global barriers allows companies to benefit from the largest and cheapest workforces, raw materials, and technology. Since the corporate can employ workers, especially from developing countries, at a much cheaper rate than local workers. However, this has greatly disadvantaged the local workers as they were replaced by the foreign worker since the latter will be deemed as more cost efficient. This can result in society disorder when there is increasing number of unemployed people in society. The sudden increase in the number of unemployed people could be a burden to the government and the economic development. The government will have to provide financial aid to support those struggling families and poor people before they can find or arrange available working venues to reallocate these people.
On the other hand, the protection by foreign labour union fails to protect their respective countrymen due to the strong industrialized powers which have resulted in the exploitation of the people in those nations to become cheap labor. Even though the workers are offered with a satisfying salary, they are often requested to work for extremely long hours under dangerous working conditions which are against the labour rights as their lives are at risk. The workers might have the freedom to leave their job but it could mean another round of poverty and starvation for them.
Though globalization could be beneficial to mankind by increasing commerce, *promoting international cooperation, promoting peace among the nations and encouraging economic growth, but it comes at the cost of sacrificing the poor or developing countries, human and labour rights and our environment.
* Globalization of economy allows countries to specialize in certain products. Specialization allows nations to devote their scarce resources to the production of the particular goods and services for which the nation has a comparative advantage. This results in the interdependence between countries which reduce the tendency of war or conflicts.
First cartoon from:
Source: The D.B. Weldon Library
Second cartoon from:
Source: World Socialist Movement
Thian Hui Fen
Labels: Economy, Globalisation, Thian Hui Fen
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Globalization of Culture
Monday, August 11, 2008
10:04 PM
See that flag? Recognize it? You probably do. This is the flag of the United States Of America. (USA) You have probably been exposed to something American before, could be in the form of movies, fashion, television. sitcoms, music, food, politics and everything else. American culture has indeed been globalized.American culture is immensely popular all over the world. It has dominated the entire world since US goods flooded world markets in the post-Word War II era. American culture is now flooding every corner of the earth through the rapid growth of mass communications such as music, television, films and the Internet. I mean who hasn't heard of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie? Movie stars are worshiped as if they were gods. Bands such as the Cold play and the All American Rejects have a huge following with albums often hitting sky high sales.
American Idol is another example of the globalization of American culture. The television show has a cult following all over the world. Past winners like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and David Cook are very well known around the world. The Idol franchise has even been sold to the rest of the world including Singapore which has its own "Singapore Idol" with two seasons under its belt. American movies are also hugely popular with movies such as the Lord Of The Rings and Pirates of the Carribean having massive profits in the region of a billion and more.
America has also greatly influenced what the world is wearing. If you want somethin trendy just look at whats american wearing and you'll get your answer. Brands like Ralph Lauren, Gap, Abercrombie And Fitch are worn by just about everyone from all ages. Teenagers emulate whatever the American celebrities are wearing and everyone just tries to look american, our own identity is gone. Local girls flock to Forever 21 for their sales and Singaporean girls suddenly look all american.
Many people also try to speak the American accent which is seen as "hip and cool" instead of their local way of speaking which is seen as traditional and backward. American sitcoms potray teenagers as angst ridden and rebels which transcends to the attitude of the local kids. Our language have also been influenced, we tend to use popular american words like "yeah". "what's up" and also the use of vulgarities which is often seen in popular movies, sitcoms and even songs.
American has certainly influenced the world in terms of what we wear, listen, think and how we look. The world's culture is simply America's culture.
Goh Wei Xiang
Labels: Culture, Globalisation, Goh Wei Xiang
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