Globalization has been a buzzword since 70s and has spontaneously accelerated in the latter part of the 20th century. There is a flood of literature on the economic, politic and sociology of globalization and regular commentary in the serious daily and weekly press now. However, no definite meaning has been outlined due to the dynamics, ambiguities and complexities that involve economic, political, cultural and social impacts, in fact, all aspects of society. Besides, different meaning has been given within different context. It is hard to give an academic and theoretical definition to conclude it.
According to Steger, he conceptualised globalization into broad descriptions as ??increasing global interconnectedness??, ??the rapid intensification of worldwide social relations??, ??the compression of time and space??, ??a complex range of process, drive by a mixtures and economic influences??, and ??the swift and relatively unimpeded flow of capital, people, idea across national borders??. (Steger, M. B. 2002 ??The Academic Debate over Globalization??, in Globalism: the New Market Ideology, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, pp. 19)
Globalization is not a phenomenon. It is not just a sort of passing trend. Today, it is the overarching international system that shaping the domestic politics and foreign relations of virtually every country, and we need to understand it as such. Globalization involves inexorable integration and democratization of the world??s culture, economy, and infrastructure through transnational investment, rapid proliferation of communication and information technologies, and the impacts of free-market forces on local, regional and national economies. (Microsoft?Encarta?Reference Library 2002. ?1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation) With every part of the aspects of globalization, it engages a degree of interdependency and reciprocity. According to John Thompson, globalization takes place when activities are organized, planned or co-ordinated on a global scale and there is a degree of interconnectedness between different locales.
??Globalization denotes both a journey and a destination: it signifies an historical process of being, as well as an economic and cultural result; that is, the arrival at the globalized state.?? -Marjorie Ferguson (1992:70)
In the context of economy, globalization has rendered an advantageous characteristic that of ??across national borders?? and ??on a global scale??. With the working of free-market ??the more you open your economy to free trade and competition, the more efficient and flourishing your economy will be; the world of finance and global capital is more rapid than ever. With the establishment of three major finances centre: London, New York and Tokyo, currency can be transferred from one place to another bypassing most governmental and fiscal control.
It has suggested an intensified form of global dependency. Globalization also has its own trends and rules of game, revolves around opening, deregulating and privatizing your economy. Besides, ??Transnationalism?? and ??Internationalism?? that taking place enormously in developed countries to the developing countries; growth of multinational companies (MNCs) and non-government organizations (NGOs); emergence of the global trade institutions like World Trade Organization (WTO), European Union (EU), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT); function as a foundation to establish the global economic activities. This democratic and liberal movement has suggested an expansion of international markets, deregulation of domestic financial systems, and enormous increase in global financial transactions. Tomlinson, John (1997) ??Internationalism, Globalization and Cultural Imperialism??, in K. Thompson (ed.) Media and Cultural regulation, London: SAGE, pp.117-153
Globalization has its own defining technologies: computerization, miniaturization, digitization, satellite communications, fiber optics and the Internet. Technologies that have spurred globalization in the second half of the 20th century; it include Telecommunications, the Internet, Television, Global Positioning Systems, Communications Satellites, Electronic Funds Transfer, and World Wide Web. (The Economist, July 2002, pp17-19) The technology breakthroughs have brought us to a new era of ??information society??- a society that is of multi-media equips and people are actively using it.
Information and data processing is more fluid than ever, in which, the internet have an indispensable position in enhancing interactiveness within the society and even across countries. In A. T. Kearney ?(R)s recent work ??The Global Top 20??, Ireland surged ahead as the most global nation, Singapore 2002??s leader is now third, and U.S at position 12; which the index is measured by technology, economic integration, political engagement and personal contact.
In which, the internet is said to have a greater degree of democracy and interactiveness. Companies, individuals, and institutions use the Internet in many ways. Companies use the Internet for electronic commerce, also called e-commerce, including advertising, selling, buying, distributing products, and providing customer service. In addition, companies use the Internet for business-to-business transactions, such as exchanging financial information and accessing complex databases.
In the perspective of utilitarian approach, businesses and institutions use the Internet for voice and video conferencing and other forms of communication that enable people to telecommute (work away from the office using a computer). The use of electronic mail (e-mail) speeds communication between companies, among coworkers, and among other individuals. Media and entertainment companies use the Internet for online news and weather services and to broadcast audio and video, including live radio and television programs. Online chat allows people to carry on discussions using written text. Individuals use the Internet for communication, entertainment, finding information, and buying and selling goods and services. Besides, Internet users can now participate in the ??cyber seders??. (http://www.emanuelnyc.org) In the online world, people can express their ideas and opinions freely, bypassing governmental regulatory. (Asiaweek magazine, July 2002) Certainly, the anonymity on the web has protected and enhanced freedom of speech among individuals even to countries. For example, Indonesia has a high degree of freedom of speech on the net, with a high presence of government and ministry online as well. (source from www.bbc.co.uk/topinternetlinks) In short, a virtual community emerged within Netizens (people who uses the internet) around the world. (Fernback, J ??virtual communities: abort, retry, Failure??? pp1-15)
??Think of ?-the Net as the agar medium and virtual communities, in all their diversity, as the colonies of microorganisms that grow in Petri dishes. Each of the small colonies of microorganisms the communities on the Net is a social experiment that nobody planned but is happening nevertheless.??
-Rheingold (1992:6)
Besides, William Gibson notes, the internet is said to epitomize a new democratic age where there is freedom from oppression and freedom from control in the real world, and freedom from the tyranny of distance.
???-?(R)Cyberspace?? is a new space or frontier where humans are like ?(R)free spirit?? that can travel to and fro in forbidden and non-forbidden territories;?? William Gibson
With the establishment and advancement of technology, the process of produce and disseminate information is being speed up. In the sphere of media and mass communications, individuals have the equal access to media contents and programs due to the development of satellite, pay-tv and cable networks. This has further steered up the movement of democracy and freedom, which people are accessible to world??s trend. Developing countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, etc have their own cable network. For instances, China has launch their satellite network in May 2002 and offer foreign programs to people. (source from www.zaobao.com)
Once a country makes the leap into the system of globalization, its elites begin to internalize this perspective of integration, and always try to locate themselves in a global context. Thus, globalization stimulates its own demographic pattern ?? a rapid acceleration of the movement of people from rural areas and agricultural lifestyles to urban areas and urban lifestyles more intimately linked with global fashion, food, markets and entertainment trends. In addition, migration patterns across countries or regions also mark an essential influence in diversity of culture around the world. Globalization has loosened the national gates or at least, has generated an awareness of diverse lifestyle that people would pursue.
According to Appadurai 1991, there are five dimensions; financescapes, technoscapes, mediascapes, ethnoscapes and ideoscapes; as a measurement of the ?(R)multi-faceted?? characteristic of globalization. As I have discussed at the previous section, globalization has advocated both an integration and convergence of economy, culture, media and technology. To have a clear picture of globalization, Thomas Freidman concludes globalization with contrast to the situation during cold War:
??If the defining perspective of the Cold War world was "division," the defining perspective of globalization is "integration." The symbol of the Cold War system was a wall, which divided everyone. The symbol of the globalization system is a World Wide Web, which unites everyone. The defining document of the Cold War system was "The Treaty." The defining document of the globalization system is "The Deal???- To paraphrase German political theorist Carl Schmitt, the Cold War was a world of "friends" and "enemies." The globalization world, by contrast, tends to turn all friends and enemies into "competitors."
-Thomas L. Freidman
In relation to these, an ideology is therefore grounded, which suggest a worldview of global village-whole world as single community. (Time Magazine, March 2002, p56-58) The ideological statement puts forward the rise of human rights, welfares, equality, freedom, and above all, democracy.
Democracy, defines as fair and equal treatment of each other by citizens, without social class divisions; allowing freedom of speech, political opinion and religion. (Oxford Dictionary, 5th edition, Oxford University Press p.309) In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19, it clearly connotes democracy as:
??Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to see, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontier.??
However, does democracy and freedom really exist? Or globalization is merely an ideal state?
Many have argued that Globalization has, in fact, brought along a form of cultural Imperialism. As globalization has suggested democracy that everyone and every country has equal rights, freedom and equality and there is not one dominant culture; the phenomenon that we see in the world has pictured a form homogenization and hegemonization from the west, or more specifically, the United State of America.
Imperialism defines as ??the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire of nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies??. (Macquarie Dictionary) According to John Tomlinson, the central position of the cultural Imperialism debate is that ??certain dominant cultures threaten to overwhelm other more vulnerable ones??. Common discuss on it often indicates that globalization is about the negative cultural influences of the West over the rest of non-western world. ??Westernization??, ??Americanization??, ??McDonaldization??, ??Coca-colonization??, etc has often related by sociologists and scholars with globalization as well. (Unit notes, Murdoch University, pp. 1) It has given the impression that U.S is playing the leader role in globalization. From Big Macs to iMacs to Mickey Mouse, Hollywood to Bollywood, Nike to Adidas to Michael Jordan?- American products, programs and cultures have been spreading on a global scale.
Globalization is vehement, but not entirely Americanization. Western products and cultures that occupied our everyday life may be seemed as a cultural imperialism, however, it is not wholly as such. Globalization is a dynamic process, which the peculiar trend is merely a product or result of it. (Gong Tai Fah, ??A Journey of Globalization??, People of the week, Sin Chew Jit Poh, 23 June 2002) Therefore, I shall further elaborate globalization on its economical and social influences.
With relation to the economic leader position of U.S, it has rendered a high rate of employment and business opportunities. (The Economist 5 July 2002, ??America??s role in the world??, pp.3-28) The technology advancement has advocated and motivated the monopolies and domination of economy on the world, such as media enterprise like American Online Time Warner (AOL), Microsoft Corporation, etc. Henry R. Luce, owner of Time and Life magazines, published what becomes a celebrated essay as ??The American Century??. Luce insisted that 20th century should be the American century. Only in U.S, said Luce, could determine whether ??a system of free economic enterprise?? would prevail globally.
??Above all, U.S serves not only a ?(R)sanctuary?? for the ideals of ?(R)freedom and justice??, but also ?(R)the powerhouse?? from which those ideals ?(R)spread throughout the world?-?? - Luce
Furthermore,
??American led globalization has been historically distinct because of the unusual bulk and coherence of the U.S as a very large yet functionally effective politic and economy. Because of that, mass was mobilized globally through the unprecedented large multiplier effect of modern technologies. 20th was neither the end of history nor the beginning of globalization. But it was conspicuously American.?? -David Reynolds
With the strong establishment of economic, technology, media and politic progression, U.S has inevitably become the villain behind Cultural Imperialism. Along with this Cultural Imperialism mentioned above, democracy of globalisation certainly and relatively does not exist or sustain.
With reference to Michel Chossudovsky ??The Globalization of Poverty??, his analysis and case studies show how the ??reforms?? of IMF and World Bank restore colonial patterns, bar national planning and meaningful democracy, undermine programs that benefit the general population, while establishing the framework for a world of growing inequality, with large majority consigned to suffer and despair in the interest of narrow sectors of privileged and power, generates social apartheid. Somalia and Rwanda in the sub-Saharan Africa; India, Bangladesh and Vietnam in south-east Asia; In Latin-America, Peru, Brazil and Bolivia; Former soviet like Russia, Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina; there is a cheap labour economy taking places, or we can call it ??thirdworldisation??.
Besides, Africa, the Economist recently conceded, was not alone in tribalism. Yugoslav succession wars and the Irish ??troubles?? was a proof of that. Like Africa, North Korea suffered from dictatorship and corruption flourished around the world.
??Economic globalization has entered a critical phrase. A mounting backlash against its effects, especially in the industrial democracies, is threatening a very disruptive impact on economic activity and social stability in many countries.?? -Thomas L. Friedman (1996:19)
Furthermore, with the case of Enron and WorldCom, the political corruption, corporate fraud and financial manipulation globally have raised alert among people to concern that whether a free-trade market that globalization has suggested actually works or only a false idealisation. (The Economist 5 July 2002, ??From Enron to WorldCom??, pp.13, 59 & 73) & (The Economist 12 July 2002, ??The politics of American??s scandals??, pp.33) As Grag Palast notes in his latest work- ??The Best Democracy Money Can Buy??, he points out with cache of document from inside the World Bank, IMF & WTO that shines a light on the dark machinery of the Iron Triangle of globalization, what Jude Wanniski of the Wall Street Journal call ??the Evil Empire of IMF??.
After looking into the democracy and freedom brought by globalization as well as cultural imperialism, whether globalization is an extension of colonialism by western countries on non-western counties, which some politics call it ??neo-colonization??; or an ideology that put forward a ??win-win?? situation to both first world and third world countries?
On one hand, globalization does usher a new democratic age than ever before; the internet, technology advancements, employment rate and economic integration brought by free-trade system, media convergences like satellite, enormous suburbanization around the world, many facts have proven that globalization is taking place positively. On the other hand, there are a negative practices or consequences brought by globalization as well; unemployment, underemployment of peoples in the third world countries, manipulation of politics and finances, expansion of American cultures and products; Cultural Imperialism should not be denied as well.
How to deal with the booming globalization is the soaring discussion nowadays. According to Anthony Giddens in his book ??The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy??, he suggested globalisation has rendered a form of hybridity and diversity of culture. While the world is not only being dominated by American cultures, but rather, a multi-cultures or global culture is emerging. Between democracy (leftist) and conservatism (rightist), Giddens said, there is a ??third way?? extended to suit the trend of globalization; which emphasizes equality, protect the weaker, pluralism and human rights. Besides, authority without responsibility or democratic should not exist.
??Strike the right balance between globalization??s inherently empowering and human aspect will determine whether it is reversible or irreversible, a passing phrase or a fundamental revolution in the evolution of human society.?? -Thomas L. Friedman
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