Global Communication the evolution of Technology
Throughout last semester’s seminars and lectures I found that the lecture on ‘The emergence of Globalisation’ was particularly interesting. I strongly agree with the idea’s surrounding many aspects of globalisation and felt I’d like to discuss it further within the blog.
Effectively Globalisation is the world becoming more economically advanced within a variety of different dimensions. The key dimensions of globalisation include in no particular order:
• Culture
• Environment
• Society
• Politics
• Economy
All of the above factors are implicit in the development of globalisation and there are clear examples of them been displayed everyday within contemporary culture. Additionally Globalisation has ultimately enabled and influenced the development of new media cultures as there is now a sense that technology has the ability to resolve problems. New Media is in essence essential to cultural and global convergence.
In terms of culture as an element of globalisation it is perhaps identifiable in the advancement of Westernised and Americanised cultural values been infiltrated into the Eastern sphere of the globe. What I mean by this is for example the way in which Hollywood blockbusters can be viewed all around the world via mass means of communication or the Westernized beliefs of Democracy is in my view one of the most successful by products of Globalisation. One may look no further than the ideas of sociologist ‘George Ritzer’ in his book ‘The McDonaldisation of Society’. Where he takes on the debate that society takes on the characteristics of a fast food restaurant in the way in which what was once only available in America is now available worldwide even in the most deprived areas. On the contrary it is imperative to note that local traditional cultures still remain firmly in place yet they too advance onto other cultures. For example Chinese food has become part of British contemporary culture; many of us eat it as part of our everyday lives. It is in my view that Globalisation has allowed us to move from local culture into Multi-cultural dimensions of thought and living.
Environmentally speaking problems such as Global warming, the O-Zone layer becoming bigger and the deforestation of the Tropical rainforests best illuminate Globalisation. However it is not just global environmental damage but it is happening in local places closer to home. We need look no further than the pollution of rivers and tiny islands states affected by the increase of sea levels.
The Social dimensions of globalisation is the way in which we have developed into a global village that allows us to project mass forms of communication all over the world. With advances of social networking sites like Facebook, My space and MSN we are now able to communicate locally and internationally with one another. Email, video calling and instant messaging services have enabled an era of digital technology to improve the social spheres in which we move within, in much more efficient and technologically advanced methods.
Looking at the political aspects of globalisation in relation to New Media cultures I believe that politics has been enhanced and more widely understood by many different societies on a global level. This was perhaps only made possible by mass media forms such as the Internet, News 24 and newspapers. One must still understand that politics has always enthralled many people for hundreds of years but the development of new media technologies has acted as a catalyst to raise more awareness with the problems of globalisation and the political spectrum in which we live today.
