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.
