Globalisation refers to the process of the worldwide integration of economy, communication, politics and many other sectors. The world has become a global village, which means that different countries and companies can work together more easily, but it also means that regional and national problems can evolve into global problems.
There are many benefits and risks to globalisation. One of these benefits is that people can educate themselves about different cultures and countries. Nowadays, it has become easy to get in contact with people from various cultural backgrounds. By interacting with different people, we can learn from one another and broaden our horizons. Travelling for commercial and educational reasons is commonplace nowadays. Moreover, companies trade internationally, which increases the variety of products available on the market.
There are also some risks that come along with globalisation. Countries are becoming internationally intertwined, which can turn regional matters into global ones such as the economic global crisis in 2008.
Moreover, diseases can easily spread and can become global pandemics, which was the case with the novel disease COVID-19 in 2019. Also, due to globalisation, companies do not only face competition in their own markets, but also in the global market. This makes it harder for smaller companies to survive as they have to keep up with the low prices which bigger companies can offer. Moreover, the topic of globalisation itself can become a political agenda for nationalist parties. These movements are gaining more and more supporters as they propose that globalisation and the integration of people of other nationalities threaten their own cultural and national identity.
The economies of Global North countries profit highly from globalisation. Companies in the Global North often outsource production steps into Global South countries because producing in their own country is often more expensive. Many Global North countries regulate production more strictly by imposing binding wages, working hours and good working conditions. These regulations are often only loosely controlled in developing countries, where work places are often referred to as “sweatshops”.
In sweatshops, workers, often including children, work under inhumane conditions (regarding safety and hygiene) for long working hours and for comparatively low wages. Hence, by outsourcing the production to developing countries, companies save costs and maximise their profit.
Sweatshops open up a moral dilemma. On the one hand, companies exploit workers and even encourage child labour and, on the other hand, companies argue that they provide work for people and that families need the income. However, as the free market economy is ruled by supply and demand, it is possible to shape the market in a more favourable way for sweatshop workers. If customers demand products which are produced in fair conditions, companies have to comply. Consequently, fairtrade products gain popularity as they ensure good working conditions.
With the invention of the internet and smartphones, communication as well as the ability to get in contact with people around the world has become exceptionally easy. Moreover, attaining information as well as consuming media from around the world has never been easier.
Media:
Media are culturally charged, they have always been a means of disseminating and consuming different cultures. However, the spread of media in our day and age is not comparable to any other time. People from all nations consume “foreign” media and hence, culture. In this way, customs like Thanksgiving and Halloween and products like Coca Cola have been integrated into the culture of many countries.
The biggest film industry is Hollywood, which exports its movies to various countries. However, not only the US but other countries like India, France, Spain, Nigeria and Japan also export their movies, TV shows, fashion and music. The narrative in a movie, a show or a music video is always infused with culture. To some extent, these cultural products represent cultural beliefs, norms and practices. Therefore, by exporting media, culture is also partially exported. In order to understand the narrative, one has to have some prior knowledge about the target culture.
Furthermore, consumers need to realise that they are looking at a fraction of a cultural aspect and that, in reality, culture is always exceedingly more complex. Blind consumption of foreign culture without realising this fact can lead to the emergence of prejudices and stereotyping. However, a consumer who is aware of the subtleties of culture-infused media can distinguish between exaggerated features, narrative supporting and advancing elements and culture appropriate parts.
Moreover, educated consumers can profit from this kind of media by incorporating new and beneficial components of it into their own lives. By doing so, on the one hand, they do not claim to be a genuine part of a foreign culture or that they are able to understand it in its entirety; instead, they have simply diversified their own lives. One example would be if one adopts the politeness often portrayed in movies and media from Asia. On the other hand, many people are of the opinion that through the export of American media, other cultures become more and more “americanised” and lose their own identity.
Another way that the culture in a country can be influenced by other cultures is through tourism and migration. How a society deals with migration depends on their political views. There are countries which want to shape their society to be a melting pot, a salad bowl or a patchwork quilt. Many argue that immigrants should not be forced to abandon their own culture and completely assimilate to a new culture. This is not ideal as it could lead to an identity crisis.
Immigrants should be encouraged to integrate themselves into the new society while still appreciating their roots. Moreover, when people from different cultural backgrounds live together and interact with each other, cultural practices are exchanged or new practices come to be. Multicultural societies can be seen as a chance to learn new approaches and mindsets.
Nowadays, nationalist parties fuel the fears of people who feel threatened by foreigners in order to gain supporters. They put emphasis on their “culture” as if it is something that is homogenous in itself, which is not true. Even before immigrants and the trade of cultural products, the “culture” these people are describing was never homogenous to begin with. Within a nation, different social and economic classes portray different parts of the shared culture. Moreover, culture is always changing over time, which is partly due to globalisation and the rapid development of technology.
Our high living standards are dependent on the technological inventions of people from all corners of the globe. It can be considered hypocritical to profit from globalisation by only incorporating “useful” aspects of different cultures and rejecting elements that are perceived to be too “foreign”, like different mindsets or beliefs.
In our globalised world, we cannot avoid aspects that some consider “uncomfortable” and we must learn how to interact with people from various cultural backgrounds with respect and tolerance.
In a globalised world, a single country cannot achieve much on its own. Therefore, various unions and global forums were founded in which the member states decide on a framework to tackle global matters. These unions promote cooperation and understanding between the member states and present a clear image of a united front.
Moreover, in a globalised world, many problems must be discussed on a global level. Issues like international terrorism, global warming, the relocation of refugees, human rights and the global economy must be incorporated into a global agenda. However, the member states have to accept that global agreements can have an influence on the national politics of their country and incorporate them accordingly into their national goals.
United Nations (UN):
The UN is an international organisation that was founded in 1945 and has 193 member states. The principles of the UN are written in the Charter. It has six principal organs, which provide forums for member states to discuss and to solve global matters. The UN can take actions regarding peace, human rights, terrorism, sustainable development, global warming and food production, to name a few.
The UN tries to establish lasting peace during and after a conflict. There have been 14 peace-keeping operations. The UN Peacekeeping operations do not take sides, they work only with the consent of the parties involved and do not use any force with the exception of self-defence.
Quote:
“UN Peacekeeping helps countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace. We have unique strengths, including legitimacy, burden sharing, and an ability to deploy troops and police from around the world, integrating them with civilian peacekeepers to address a range of mandates set by the UN Security Council and General Assembly.”
~ The United Nations
European Union (EU):
The EU is a European organisation that has 27 member states. It is based upon the Maastricht Treaty, which came into effect in 1993. However, the EU is a successor of several European treaties. The aims of the EU are the economic and political integration of European states. The EU has a shared internal market, which provides free movement of goods and services. EU citizens can freely travel throughout the entire EU. Moreover, most of the member states have a shared currency: the Euro. In 2016, Great Britain decided to leave the EU as a result of a public referendum. In a process known as BREXIT, Great Britain will officially secede from the EU on 1st of February 2020.
Die Themen "Nature and the environment" und "Globalisation" sind zwar häufig nicht Teil des schriftlichen Abiturs, werden jedoch von einigen Lehrern in der Kommunikationsprüfung verwendet. Zudem sind sie gut mit anderen Halbjahresthemen kombinierbar.