A Critical Analysis
On
Globalization, Media and
Culture
(The Contemporary World)
Submitted by:
OÑAS, RICAH JOYCE T.
SE 3-1 MTh 9:00-10:30
Submitted to:
Mr. Leoncio Olobia
Change, perhaps, is the only permanent thing in this world. All we need to do is to
accept every change and treat it as if it is all favored to us. Change happened because
there is a chance or it is your choice. The society we have, its people, the culture it has,
and other aspects, all of these have their own shared of changes. It is up for us to know
if this change happened for the better or for the worst.
Looking back and thousands of years ago, the world was strange and different. Different
in so many ways and in so many aspects. To give you a clear vision on what the world
we have today looked like before, just imagine yourself being locked up in a place where
there were no entrances and no exists. A place where people were being isolated and
were oblivious enough on what was happening outside those boundaries. People did not
know and did not believe other things for they only stick to what they see and to what they
experience. People were gullible and easy to take advantage with given the fact that they
were too innocent. It felt like people before, were living in a jail like world, without them
knowing that there was still a world outside their place. See, it was very different from the
kind of living we are accustomed with today.
The word “change” best describes the kind of world we are living today. From living in a
traditional world to living in a modern world speaks so much on to what extent change
has brought to the world. A world where everything seems to be a bit easier, because of
the presence of technology and other innovations. A world where people can go in and
out of their respective homes. A world where people are aware on the happenings around
them. A world where freedom exists. And a world where people understand that there is
more than the surface of its place.
Why do you think this huge change happened to the world?
It is very evident that one of the changes that happened in the world for the past years
was the emergence of globalization. The term globalization comes from English, as the
base of the word “globalization” which refers to the emerging of an international network,
belonging to an economic and social system. The definition of globalization says,
"although in a simplistic sense globalization refers to a rapid global interconnection, deep
and on large scale, such definition but requires now a more complex research". This also
refers to those spatial-temporal processes of change, which constitutes the fundamental
of the transformation of human concerns in an organization, linking together and
expanding human activity across regions and continents (Held, 1999).
The existence of globalization has carried a lot of effects including the changes we noticed
around the world. We all know that globalization happens when two or more countries are
having interrelationship, integration, or interconnection through exchanging goods,
services and other things. This means that when one country immersed itself into
globalization, it will have the ability to acquire wide array of opportunities and it will have
the chance to access stuff needed by that certain country where these stuff are only
available in limited countries, and will given a chance to learn more about that country.
In addition, globalization is not only about the concepts of capital, international trade,
wages, tariff, money and other concepts related to economics. Globalization, as it is being
defined, is a multi-faceted phenomenon which encompasses economic, social, political,
technological, and cultural dimension. Preceding definitions revealed that globalization is
comprised of multiple dimensions. By looking at the literature of globalization, it is evident
that whenever scholars talked about globalization, they are mostly concerned about
economic globalization (Hebron & Stack,2013). Although economic globalization is an
important factor but one must not ignore other important factors like cultural and social
factors.
Among the dimensions of globalization, socio-cultural, or the social and cultural
dimensions received less attention and categorized as less important, because the idea
that is lingered to the minds of everyone is globalization only applies in economical
dimension. Little did we know, some of the beliefs and practices we ought to follow are
all result of globalization in the dimension of social and cultural.
Social aspect of globalization is basically defined as, “worldwide social relations which
link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring
many miles away and vice versa” (Giddens,1990). Similarly, cultural globalization refers
to, “the intensification and expansion of cultural flows across the globe”. Social and
cultural globalization are somehow mixing concept. Both dimensions affect the
emergence and intensification of each other. If people are socially integrated, there is an
increased chance of cultural proximity due to value exchange (Steger, 2003).
Under the social and cultural dimension of globalization includes the aspects of media
and culture. Media refers to the communication channels through which we disseminate
news, music, movies, education, promotional messages, and other data. It includes
physical and online newspapers and magazines, televisions, radio, billboards, telephone,
the internet, fax, and billboards (Market Business News, 2020).
Today people are just a click away from any and every information that is available on the
internet. This is because of the innovations brought by the existence of globalization.
Social media is becoming one of the most popular and most accessed media of
communication these days. Social media has brought different people from the different
geographical area on one platform on which they can share their feeling, ideas, emotions,
information and much more. The social media act as an umbrella that constitutes a variety
of interesting features that have our life very easier (Singh & Nity,2017).
Globalization and social media have a give and take relationship, given the fact that both
have their own shared of effects and influences to each other. The appearance and
development of globalization won’t be possible if not for social media. Globalization
becomes a very popular idea. One reason is the rise of global communications, especially
the internet, which made people feel that connections across the world were flowing more
strongly, speedily, and becoming more democratic. On the other hand, the introduction
of social media through globalization, has immensely help the spread of information and
help people to come together from all over the world. As you notice, way back, when there
was no globalization and no social media, it was difficult for the people from other
countries to communicate or to come together given the situation they were in. There was
no other means of spreading of information, and understanding between two or more
countries was not possible. That is why globalization has been treated as something that
is very significant for without it, we won’t be able to construct social relations, social
interactions, financial institutions, ways of completing transactions, and ways of
communicating.
In terms of culture, globalization has also its effects and influences to it. Customs and
traditions are the aspects of culture that is greatly affected by globalization. If people
before were not aware on the customs and traditions of other countries, because that
time, there was no other way to know and to experience it. However now, most of the
people know a thing or two about the customs and traditions of other countries and there
are some instances that people practiced and followed it. The best examples for this are
the customs and traditions found in South Korea, Thailand, America, Japan, and China
which are being applied by some of the people around the world. Probably, one reason
why this is happening, is because when globalization takes place, it is not only the goods,
services, workforces, innovations are being transferred to other countries, but it also
includes the culture of that country including its customs and traditions. Wani (2011)
states that the world that we live in today is a result of several cultures coming together.
People of one culture, if receptive, tend to see the flaws in their culture and pick up the
culture which is more correct or in tune with the times. Societies have become larger as
they have welcomed people of other civilizations and backgrounds and created a whole
new culture of their own. Customs and traditions as part of the culture, have spread all
due to globalization. They have moved from one country to another, leaving an
impression on a culture which has adopted them.
With this, we could say that globalization is the kind of change the world needs. It
becomes a catalyst of change. A change for the better. A change that is both made of
chance and choice. Globalization does bring positivity not only to the economic aspect,
but to the social (media) and cultural (customs and traditions) as well. It gives every
country the opportunity to share what they have and most importantly, to create
camaraderie and connectivity despite the diversity. Perhaps, that’s what globalization
really means.
References:
Giddens, A. (1990). The consequences of modernity. Stanford University Press.
Hebron, L., & Stack Jr, J. F. (2013). Globalization: Debunking the myths. Dorling
Kindersley India Pvt. Ltd.
Held, David, et al. (1999). Global Transformations Cambridge: Polity Press.
ISBN
9780745614984
https://marketbusinessnews.com/financial-glossary/media-definition-meaning/
Singh, G. & Nity (2017). Role and Impact of Media on Society: A Sociological
Approach
with
Respect
to
Demonetization.
Retrieved
from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322676918
Steger, M. B. (2003). Globalization: Avery short introduction. Oxford University Press.
Wani, H.A. (2011). Research J. Humanities and Social Sciences 2(2):33-39.