Hi Friends,
Welcome everyone to this blog. As a follow up to the online collaboration we had, this blog has been set up as a medium to continue the many conversations that we started. It was certainly an exceptional learning experience for me and as I understand for all of us. Technology has played a huge role in bridging not only geographical but cultural barriers and we look forward to a lively discussion.
27 responses so far ↓
Shin Heng // April 24, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Hi,
I’m Shin-Heng Chang from Taiwan, officially known as Republic of China. It’s fun and beneficial to talk with you weeks ago. We did have great idea sharing of globalization, technology, cultural identity, etc.
It’s easier and natural for me to speak from my country’s position. Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan, is a small island country, largely relying on international trade to live. We could say that it’s small countries’ (Bulgaria and Taiwan) predestination: enter globalization.
You might be interested in or curious about the ties between People’s Republic of China (China) and Republic of China (Taiwan). For Taiwan, to join the China market is the major step toward the world market. Some voices in the island are strongly against getting closer relationship with China, fearing of the ruin of national identity. However, Taiwan’s economy has been stagnating for 10 years due to the strict, conservative, and ideology-dominated Strait policy.
Take my city, Kaohsiung, as a Taiwan economy’s indicator. As a harbor city, Kaohsiung City once won and benefited from the third placement, following Singapore and Hong Kong, in the whole world harbor ranking in terms of the volume of freight handled. Taiwan government blocked the strait traffic between China and Taiwan and, further, blocked opportunities and capital inflows.
A brief story of my country and my hometown reveals the significance of globalization, especially for small country. If a door is closed, opportunities and benefits are also kept off.
Shin Heng // April 24, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Correction:
In the second paragraph from the bottom, strait traffic ->”straight” traffic.
etsesika // April 24, 2008 at 4:04 pm
From the international collaboration and class sessions i have come to realize that although technology is an integral part of the system in the western world, developing countries has a lot to do in terms of catching up.
At the same time it serves as a leveler for globalization. The only reason why Rado and i for instance can have great conversations outside school work-for instance about soccer-is that through technology we both support the same football team in another country. As such the potential for the Internet to serve as a leveling force or to flatten/bridge the gap between nations cannot be overemphasized.
That the Internet can facilitate the flow of communication, provide diverse sources for journalist, enhance discussion and promote sustainable development is a forgone conclusion. I believe that this medium can help to bridge the inequalities that exist globally whiles at the same time reinforcing national identities.
Nevertheless we must always be wary of the downsides to it. There is always the potential that some people will abuse the free nature of the Internet. Some of the information that will be put up needs top be crosschecked. We also know how others could use it to abuse children sexually.
According to de Beer the United Nations has put its faith in the Internet as a potential tool that will promote development. Whether or not this faith will be misplaced will depend largely on how people all over the world make use of it.
etsesika // April 24, 2008 at 4:06 pm
etsesika: Etse Sikanku from Ghana and graduate student in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Shoshana // April 24, 2008 at 4:27 pm
It always amazes me when people from outside the U.S. know more about what’s going on here than people who live here. It’s a testement to the global nature of media these days and how much information can be accessed online. The Internet has truly changed our lives in this respect.
One aspect of this is the amount of entertainment and political “news” that is exported from the U.S. around the world. While you are eating a Big Mac in the old part of Istanbul, you can chat with an American student online in a chat room about the latest shananigans of Britney Spears or Hillary Clinton.
In my travels abroad I have always been suprised at the enormous amount of American content both tangible and intangible available all over the place. I always found it to be a bit disturbing, but in talking to some of the Sofia University students it was heartening to learn that their identities and cultures were still quite strong despite the influx of American iconic commodities being spread through the Internet.
While I believe that America is fundamentally an isolated country both geographically and culturally, it will be interesting to keep track of the flow of information. Now it seems to travel mostly West to East, but as time progresses, will the pattern reverse or balance out? As the world becomes smaller and more globally oriented it will be even more important–and probably easier–for each person around the world to facilitate communication and relationships with people from far-flung places. Because while we can connect in a nanosecond online and conduct virtual business on the Internet, it is important that cultural understanding improve as well. Perhaps, however, we are on the precepice of a new global culture and identity.
Katie Bishop // April 24, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Hello all!
This is my first official blog. I have a facbook profile and have been a part of similar Web sites in the past where I have made postings but this is the first “real” blog I have written.
I was born and raised in a small, rural town in northern Iowa. I am most interested in globalization because I see first hand how it impacts places in the world that seem “sheltered” compared to a lot of other parts in the world. It’s amazing how if you don’t have the means to travel, you can still experience the other side of the world through the Internet. I’ll share with you some examples.
I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to El Salvador three times. And it’s because of the Internet I still have regular communication with a family I came to know well. We send emails every couple months with pictures and it makes me feel like I am still a part of a very different culture on another part of the world.
One year I had a friend who studied abroad in New Zealand for a semester, another friend in Australia and a roommate in Rome. Because of Skype, and online communication service, I could talk to each of them in person. Because of our web cams, we could even see each other as we talked. Most of my friends uploaded their pictures on various photo Web sites so we could see the sights, scenery, and people they were around everyday. I didn’t have to wait until they got home to hear stories and or sit through an hour-long slide show on a projector. Stories they blogged were fresh because it happened that day or that week and I go choose which pictures I spent more time looking at or come back to later.
I just think it’s amazing how I can be sitting in my small apartment with my laptop, writing a blog that I know students from Bulgaria will read. I am in the middle of Iowa but I am connected to the whole world around me.
Andrea // April 24, 2008 at 5:08 pm
My name is Andrea and I am a junior at Iowa State, studying graphic design and minoring in advertising.
I am continually wowed by globalization and the impact it has on the world. During the online collaboration with students from Sofia University, I realized how naïve I was to the fact that many of them seemed to know more about some aspects of my culture than I knew about it. Shoshana talked about this a little bit. Students from Sofia University talked about music and television shows, some that I had never heard of before. It was quite surprising to become completely aware of the fact that my culture is completely consumed by students so far away!
I think this aspect of communication has both its positives and its negatives. The so-called “westernization of the globe” is not necessarily a completely positive attribute. I felt a bit embarrassed when students spoke of American pop-stars that have obviously given an image of our culture to other countries. An example of this is Britney Spears, as I am not proud to have her image in people’s minds when they speak to students such as us. Our pop-culture and political status is constantly on the news in other countries. It leaves me a little bit ashamed.
I wish that some of the amazing attributes that other countries possessed were communicated in a stronger manner to our society, through media sources. Dominican adults I met on a summer trip were the most hospitable and family-focused group that I have ever come in contact with. The Dominican Republic is an “underdeveloped country” by the United States standards, but it would be such a great thing to have our media publicize the values of Dominicans that I so treasure. This is only one example.
I feel saddened that just because we are a highly developed nation, that our “values” and way of life are so publicized to the masses of the world. I would like to see the Internet and other media grow to be a bit more “globalized,” instead of “westernized,” then we will have the chance to really see what globalization is all about.
Xiaomin Qian // April 24, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Hello everyone!
My name is Xiaomin Qian. I come from China mainland. Currently, I am the first year graduate student at Iowa State University.
Shin Heng talked about his experience of globalization. I also would like to share mine. People’s Republic of China is founded in 1949. At that time, because of many reasons, like communist party ’s domination, Werstern countries’ blockage. China kept few relationships with several communist countries. In 1960s, the relationship between Soviet Union and China got worse. (Soviet Union was the biggest partner both at polictical and economic level at the time.) Since that till 1979, China was isolated from the world. During this time period, the economic situation is gloomy. For example, one famliy can only buy 1kg meat each month. Many people had starved to death. However, after 1979 economic reform and opening up policy, China turns back to the world market. Everything has astonishing changes. People’s life is getting better and better. If you go to visit metropolis, there are almost no difference to cities in developed countries. What I want to say is globalization did enhance China’s development speed. Not only to small countries, like Singapore, but also to big countries, like China, globalization is an opportunity.
Opportunity doesn’t means no challenge. Somebody may still remember Southeast Asian financial crisis in 1997. It not only destoried several countries’ economic system, but also caused state turbulence. That is a negative example of globalization. As we all known, Western developed countries are in the leading position of globalization now. They are rules-makers, at the same time, they are also players. It might be unfair for the developing countries. But it is not an excuse to refuse joining the world market and globalization. How to face and solve the problems is a big problem to the developing countries.
Meg // April 24, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Hello again! It was wonderful getting to talk to those of you whom I had a chance to correspond a few weeks ago. It was great to learn that despite our obvious physical distance, our conversations were many times those we would have with any other student at our own universities.
This posting in itself is a perfect reflection of the tendencies of modern technology: the page refreshed – twice – before I was able to successfully post my comment. It is certainly no pen and paper. Regardless, in reconstructing my ideas I was able rethink them and supplement my logic a little.
The main point I wanted to include is that presented by Michael Bugeja of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Mass Communication of Iowa State University, as featured on our university homepage:
“Information technology was supposed to bridge digital divides, enhance student research and foster multicultural awareness. Increasingly, however, our networks are being used to entertain members of the Facebook Generation who text during class, cell-phone during lab and listen to iPods rather than guest speakers in the wireless lecture hall.”
How do you feel technology has affected local community dynamics in different regions of the world in its conversion of the inherent intimacy of human communication to bandwidth, pixels, and airwaves? Are we evolving into more pragmatic, distant, objective individuals due to the ubiquity of the Internet and digital technology, or do these media allow us to fully express our thoughts, emotions, and opinions and relate to those of other human beings as healthily and effectively as before?
The Internet has facilitated an immense growth in the worldwide understanding of other cultures and the ability for us to assimilate to one another to a point for enhanced comprehension and information distribution. Aside from the clear implications this has on the infiltration of cultures into one another, it will be interesting to see 20 years down the road how our global contexts have again shifted and how we interact within our own cultures versus how we approach communicating with others.
Lisa // April 24, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Hi there everyone. My name is Lisa and I am senior at Iowa State. I have been studying political science. I graduate in sixteen days! Can you tell I’m excited? I too enjoyed our chat a few weeks back.
The internet has helped with the spread of globalization, making to easier to companies big and small to operate within a world market. It has changed the way in which the media puts out the news. Most television stations and newspapers have online versions to capture the tech savvy market. Since we are blogging, I am going to talk about the increase presence of this new aspect of the media.
The internet has also seen the creation of blogs such as this one. I have worked extensively with the presidential campaign cycles in 2004 and the current cycle. At campaign events, there is always a section designated for the press. This cycle especially, there is also a section designated for bloggers, with tables set up for rows of people with laptops. The bloggers are instantly putting the news online for people to read and also to post their own comments too.
Blogging has made it easier, I think, for people to partake in discussions within issues that are important to them. In addition, blogs allow for people worldwide to offer their opinions. In this way, the world doesn’t seem so big. I see blogging as continuing to be a factor within the media.
Erin // April 24, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Hi everyone, nice to chat with you again! I’m a first-year graduate student in journalism at Iowa State. I really enjoyed the first chat we had with the Sofia University students, and I’m glad that you have created this blog to continue the discourse.
I would like to comment on the post that Shoshana made about always being surprised at the amount of detailed information that people from outside the U.S. seem to know about our current events. During the online collaboration, I talked with a Bulgarian student about the current U.S. presidential election. While many Americans may know that elections are going on in countries around the world, unless there is a major threat or humanitarian crisis in that country, it is likely that we know little more than the top candidates. The Bulgarian student I chatted with knew not only the top candidates, but completely understood America’s two-party system and the basic principles that each are founded on. This was relatively eye-opening for me, and I think serves as a testament of how as Americans we really need to make a considerably larger effort to understand more about foriegn countries.
The student I chatted with also made the comment that she wasn’t really concerned about American influence via the media because the things that really mattered most to her about Bulgaria, (music, art, etc.) couldn’t easily be influenced. Do you all feel the same way, or do you think that American media, (movies, culture, dress) are changing Bulgaria’s national identity?
I think that the benefits of technology will almost alwyas outweigh its shortcomings, but I certainly don’t believe that we have reached a “global community”. Again, I agree with Shoshana, and I hope that we will soon see a multi-directional flow of information and culture around the world – and by that I mean that I hope that as Americans we get as much information from Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East as they now receive from us. I do think that collaborations like this are certainly a step in the right direction!
Jason Uhl // April 24, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Hi all! Nice to talk with you all once again. I am a second year graduate student at Iowa State in Interdisciplinary Studies (photography, interactive design, and mass communications). I have been interested in globalization studies for quite some time now and how the increasingly connected world has been and is connecting visual artists, photographers, photojournalists, filmmakers, etc. to each other and and how the entire flow of ideas and information has been drastically sped up between people of different cultures and perspectives. I was very interested in our last online get together where we got to briefly talk how about American media could have such a penetration into a country and culture so far away, specifically movies and music that a few of the people I had talked with had mentioned listening to and watching. Of American music, do many of you download a lot of music from the internet, is it available in stores there as well?
Is newspaper readership high there, and do you get your news online or in print more often? I was also wondering if the imagery in your local newspapers focused on national/international stories was largely from the AP, or Reuters, or AFP (the big international media agencies), does local news or national news seem to be more important to media consumers in Bulgaria?
One of the effects I had discussed briefly last time with a few of you was about the ‘brain drain’ your country has been experiencing since your induction into the EU because of the openness of travel throughout Europe now. Do you think the more educated individuals will continue to leave Bulgaria for work, will any of you be leaving, do you forsee any change in this pattern? In Iowa, and throughout a large area of the midwestern USA we have also been experiencing somewhat of a ‘brain drain’ as the higher tech jobs and traditionally higher paying jobs are mostly in the larger cities on the coasts even though our educational system here in Iowa is viewed as one of the best of the midwest.
Scott Stuntz // April 25, 2008 at 3:44 am
I’m a junior here at Iowa State in Journalism. I grew up in a small town here in Iowa. I moved only an hour or two away from my hometown to go to ISU but it took a lot of getting used to. It felt almost as if I was entering a completely new culture, going from a very small town to Ames, where ISU is located.
Coming from experiences such as that where one can encounter cultural differences near one’s home, I was greatly surprised by how much I had in common with the student’s I chatted with from Sofia.
We read some of the same book and had seen the same movies. I was also surprised that the students I chatted with knew not only of the “blockbuster” popular movies but lesser known ones as well.
A good portion of my chat was about the topics of books and movies and what we did for fun. While at the time it may have seemed trivial I think it is very telling. On one hand America’s massive export of our entertainment, our culture, gives us common things to discuss and to identify with when speaking to those from abroad.
On the other hand it stifles domestic media and it may give the world a distinctly skewed impression of America’s values. My questions for my colleagues in Sofia University are as follows.
Do you resent the dominant place American media enjoys in the world?
What is a book or movie that represents fairly how Americans act?
What types of behavior are typically American i.e. what would be considered stereotypical American behavior?
Thank you for participating in the chat and I can’t wait to hear your responses.
cfdiokno // April 25, 2008 at 3:51 am
Hi everybody! My name is Faith Diokno, a senior undergrad at Iowa State majoring in Psychology and International Studies.
It was so nice to talk to some of you during our chat time! I am so glad that we had that opportunity to talk, even if it was just for a little while. I think that connections like these are so important.
I think that it is awesome that globalization is bringing everyone so much closer. My little cousins in the Philippines recently found me on Facebook and I am able to catch up with them and practice speaking Tagalog.
Last semester I had a great opportunity to travel around the world on a study abroad program called Semester at Sea. We went to 11 countries by ship! We mostly went to countries in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The thing that I liked the most was making friends with the locals and learning a little of their languages and cultures. I feel that people as human beings are not all that different but also that our differences should be celebrated. We can all learn from each other.
Of course the Internet is good because it keeps us connected, but it is sometimes good to take a break from it all. During my trip, it was so expensive to use our cell phones, and internet was sometimes expensive and hard to come by, so I got used to living without it. It was nice not having to be “tied down” all the time. Of course I’d check my email when I got a chance, but I guess there was too much to do and I did not want to miss out on the experience by being glued to a computer. Of course, now that I am back at school I go on the Internet at least 50 times a day!
silvena toncheva // April 25, 2008 at 10:01 am
Hi, everybody!
It was a really nice meeting last time we talked.
@Scott Stuntz:
Do you resent the dominant place American media enjoys in the world?
- no, why to do so?:)
What is a book or movie that represents fairly how Americans act?
- it can’t be said for sure. at least my opinion is complex and gathers many and different movies and books and music albums.
What types of behavior are typically American i.e. what would be considered stereotypical American behavior?
- yes, there are some things most people think: the american dream,
the aim to happiness, the opportunities for good job, people from all over the world…
Rado // April 25, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Scott,
I must say, that talking about things, not mentioned in the online-chat-schedule was far more fun and in my opinion – more important than the other things we talked about.
Bulgarians are curious people and we want to know as much as possible about very different themes and things. That is why, Etse and me created this blog to continue the informal flow of information and to become close with each other, share opinions and experiences. I don’t think I can answer your questions, without Mitko Velkov saying I am wrong, so I wont do it (I am not pretty much keen on movies or books about the American way of life as he is). Despite all, I think Family Guy and South Park kick ass :)
So, for the report my name is Radoslav Tsonov and I’m studying PR in Sofia University. I see the educational systems are different, or at least they seem to be. Here when going into the University, you study four years to become a bachelor. Then you study one (or two, or may be more) year(s) to become a “master” (Yeah!). I believe that your titles “junior” and “senior” have a lot in common with this scheme.
So me and my colleagues are in our second year of becoming bachelors in PR.
As you may know, Sofia University is the oldest and the best university here, so people from all over the country and the region are studying there. Which is great, because we are all different and can learn from each other.
I am from Sofia and I really love football (which you, in some reason, call soccer :D). My football team is CSKA Sofia, and I barely don’t miss a game. I also like Arsenal London, Etse’s favorite team as well, and I’ve been to some of their games in England.
I’m twenty but I’m smarter than Mitko Velkov, who is 20 years too. So I’m a smart guy :D
I am also into the PR and advertising market; was into the media one and now look ahead for any new adventures.
I am very optimistic about everything, more specific – the things, which I do, so I can assure you all this blog will become one of the most interesting places for all of us. So join us now, when it’s free :D (joking)
Let’s go, let’s go, let’s dance! :)
UE
Jillian // April 25, 2008 at 4:35 pm
My name is Jillian and I am a senior at Iowa State University (graduating very soon, yea).
Since we started with our collaboration, I have been doing a lot more thinking about globalization, particularly as to how it affects nations differently.
Here, in the U.S., when I think about globalization, it always brings forth a feeling of accessibility. Not only can many of us be reached at any time and from any place, we can access anything we want in a matter of minutes, seconds in many cases. I can be reached while I’m in class, on vacation, at work, wherever. It also seems like the more advances we see in communication technology lead to less privacy.
On the other side, it would seem smaller countries would in a sense lose their cultural identity. We discussed (our group, in the previous collaboration) the effects of globalization in movies. It seemed that other, perhaps smaller, countries have movie theaters that predominantly show American movies, rather than moves from the country in which they are housed. When it comes down to it, it’s all based on money and the fact that American film producers potentially buy out the theater and leave the theater house no other choice but to give the space to the highest bidder. And, even those we only discussed that happening as it applies to movies and theaters, I can imagine it is happening in other industries, as well.
However, if it were not for globalization, we would not be doing this collaboration, right? I find it refreshing to contact a group of students, practically on the other side of the world, to discuss our studies in media. Our course, Global Communications, has really opened my eyes to other country’s system of media and I have become interested not only in the media systems but in the cultures as well. I think this collaboration has been a great chance for us to voice some of our ideas on the topic, as a whole.
Jillian // April 25, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Oh, very quickly…
Rado, in your response to the questions on college terms…we also go four year to receive a bachelor’s degree, and each of those fours year we are classified first as a freshman, then a sophomore, junior and senior. After receiving a bachelor’s degree, the next step is the masters which can take 1-3 years, depending on the program you study. So, it actually sounds like we have the same terms!
Rado // April 25, 2008 at 6:38 pm
A-ha!:) So, according to your system, here we are all sophomores. Nice!
Thank you, Jillian, for the information :)
Emily // April 25, 2008 at 10:00 pm
HI, My name is Emily Schaefer and I am a super-senior (fifth-year senior) at Iowa State. I am thankful for this opportunity, and our last opportunity, to exchange thoughts and opinions.
I guess I will talk about my personal experiences with globalization. Last semester I studied abroad in Costa Rica for three months. The week I got there, the country was having a huge election about the TLC (a trade agreement between the Latin American countries and the U.S.) This agreement, if passed, would allow U.S. businesses to “set up shop” in Latin America to sell goods and services. Now, the country was split almost directly down the middle. Half wanted the opportunity for cheaper goods and services, thousands of more job openings, more everyday choices. Half were afraid of westernization. They were afraid Costa Rica would not look like Costa Rica- that it would look like a little U.S.
According to a young woman I personally talked to, she thought the agreement would be good for her country; that it would help pull more people out of poverty and give opportunity to people who wouldn’t have had the chance. However, she too, shared the fear that the country she loved would change drastically. It was difficult for her to make her decision.
Although this doesn’t really hit on the subject of the telecommuncations, it does show how globalization affects other countries.
The bill passed with a three percent difference. This shows how hard it can be for people to make decisions regarding globalization, and that it involves people’s values and beliefs and personal well-being.
Jessica // April 27, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Hi everyone!
My name is Jessica Sweers and I am a senior focusing on public relations. I’ll be here for another year to finish everything, but I’m definitely okay with that!
I’m from a very small town in Iowa, and this is my first official blog. I would have to say that globalization is what most interests me. I have never traveled outside of the United States, and I feel that it is still very easy for me to learn about what is happening in other parts of the world. It is so easy for me to find news from other parts of the world, the internet makes it so everything is right at my fingertips.
I guess I never realized how sheltered I was until I started college and studied other parts of the world. I guess I very stereo-typical views of certain countries and the international collaboration helped me realize that.
The internet has made it so much easier to stay in touch with family and friends also. My roommate went to Rome for a semester and she kept a blog to keep people in her life updated. It was so nice because sometimes I felt like she was still here because of what she wrote. I think that the internet and blogs are really useful when it comes to finding out more information, and I definitely think that blogs will gain popularity in all age groups.
Rachael Hubbeling // April 28, 2008 at 3:46 am
Hello again. I am a senior majoring in Liberal Studies and will be graduating this summer. I also really enjoyed speaking with you all during the live chat.
Along with Jason I was really interested in our conversation about “Brain Drain.” As an American, I had never heard of that concept, but I can completely see how that could be a huge problem. While we do not have the massive migration out of the country, we do have a somewhat similar situation out of the state. Iowa has tried to initiate many programs to entice young graduates to stay here. Many students migrate to larger urban areas with more opportunities, so we can somewhat relate to the phenomenon.
When I talk about globalization I am really torn about the effects and consequences that we may continue to witness over future decades. On one hand it has created this wonderful information flow, allowing us to communicate with people all of the world, that would have been unimaginable as little as 20 years ago. On the other side, I do worry about the problems associated with western imperialism and outsourcing.
I found it interesting how many of the students had such strong feelings about our political system; and how they seemed as informed, if not more informed than I am in the political process. I do not have a clue about the political systems of other countries, much less who is running for office.
It was a wonderful experience getting to talk with the students at Sofia, I wish you all the best with your remaining schooling.
Min Yeong Park // April 28, 2008 at 4:17 am
Hello!
I’m Min Yeong, an exchange student from South Korea(Korea University). I’m a senior majoring in English and Journalism&MassCommunications. This is my second and last semester as an exchange student and I’m so glad to have a great conversation with Sofia students.
Actually, the studyabroad experience gave me a good opportunity to broaden my perspective on the world, politically, culturally, and in every other aspect. Emersing yourself in another culture for a year gives you a better idea where your country truely is in the world. I think our international collaboration was a part of it.
Through the collaboration, I could realize the power of technology; that makes us able to have that kind of class activity although I talk to my friends and family in Korea without that conception. I think that communication technological development is an important part of globalization these days.
Also, I could feel the globalization in terms of cultural flow. The discussion about Hollywood movies reminded me of how influential the American movie industry is in the world. In fact, that was what I have experienced in South Korea already but it was good for me to compare Bulgarian students’ opinion with mine. Although it was hard to deepen our discussion because of limited time, I think it is a good start for us to consider globalization in a deeper sense.
By the way, I am so glad to talk with Sofia students. I think I might go Europe and visit my friends that I met here in ISU. Hope I can visit Bulgaria, either and meet you guys in person!
Until then, take care.
Chad Shonkwiler // April 29, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Hi again to everybody. I thought the international collaboration was a lot of fun, and am definitely glad we got to communicate with you guys, even though it was only for a very brief time.
I think part of the reason why we can all talk so freely about globalization is because it has clearly had a significant impact on all of our lives. As recently as thirty years ago, no matter what part of the world you lived in, or how well off you were, people were still largely confined to the area in which they were born for a large period of their life — arguably the most important developmental period, childhood to adulthood. This meant that, to an extent, the area your parents lived in dictated the direction of your life, especially with respect to the type of people you associate with, and the way in which your regional factors influenced your worldview. It is incredible to think, then, that as young as the age of 12 I was able to share my ideas and philosophies, and befriend people hundreds of miles away, and sometimes even people in foreign countries by using the internet. The truly incredibly thing is that when I was a kid the internet was still very new and not widespread, and I was still able to do these things. I can only imagine how the total freedom of information available nowadays is connecting the younger generations.
One thing that I got out of our talks that I think is important, is that I don’t think that the fear of homogenization that comes with globalization is something to worry about. Yes, we are all able to share and access the same information, and it’s possible this flow of information will shape us in similar ways… But I think the sanctity of cultural heritage is something that will never diminish. While we both access the same internet, and even may eat the same fast food whether we’re in the United States, or Bulgaria, we each have our own strong sense of cultural pride. Maybe that’s part of the reason why this was so fun, to me. Sharing my culture with people who aren’t totally familiar with it, and hearing firsthand about a culture different from my own in a free exchange of thoughts was thrilling, and something I will definitely take with me from this experience.
Kevin W. Stillman // April 29, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Yo, I’m Kevin, I am a senior in journalism here at ISU. I had a great time talking with you all last time – especially about the overlords – it never ceases to amaze me how fundamentally similar people are whatever their background.
I’m not sure that the “smallness” of the world really strikes me the way it does some of my classmates. Business and industry have been “global” for decades, but they only used it to make cheap socks and find new markets to re-sell the same media content.
What makes right now so special is that globalization is becoming about individuals. International collaboration used to be about partnerships. In the “flat” world it can be about friendships. We could always communicate however slowly, but the only way to really “know” someone on another continent was to go there.
Our generation has a much more loose definition of “knowing” someone. We watch the same – or at least very similar – shows and go to the same websites, so we have a lot in common. If you’re posting on a Megadeath web forum, the fact that you like thrash-metal is much more important to people than what country your from.
I agree that “Americanization” is something we should keep an eye on, but not nearly as much as Westernization. “Western” has become almost synonymous with “modern” and “industrialized”. Taken together the influence of western media is pretty formidable.
Americans didn’t create Dancing With The Stars, The Office, or American Idle for that matter. Most countdowns will list Led Zeppelin and AC/DC as two of the most influential/popular rock bands in history. Zeppelin is from the U.K. and AC/DC is from Australia. A lot of the great “American” westerns were made by Itallians. I can’t think of anything off the top of my head of anything Bulgarian that Americans take credit for, but with our passion for larceny I’m sure there’s something.
Americans aren’t very quick to adopt things that are out-and-out foreign, but we certainly get our best ideas from abroad. Star Wars is a blend of European mythology and eastern philosophy. Kill Bill is an ode eastern kung-fu cinema. Do people in Bulgaria watch anime (Japanese animation)? I know a lot of Americans who do. With all the knew ways we to communicate, I think people around the world will start to see a lot more unfiltered media from other cultures. I think that’s awesome, because I like to see what happens when people mix their own culture with other people’s ideas.
Sorry that became something of a rant… What do you guys think? Have you noticed artistic expression being bowled over or inspired?
Kevin W. Stillman // April 29, 2008 at 9:03 pm
My apologies for “knew ways” and other undiscovered typos…
Katie Hall // April 29, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Hi everyone!
My name is Katie Hall and I grew up on a small farm outside of a town (more like a village) of less than 700 people. It was a great place to grow up, but as you can imagine, it wasn’t the most diverse or globally centered. We had one convenience store “The Depot” and one gas station “Harvey’s”– the full service kind that you can pull up to and say, “Put it on my dad’s account” without having to say who your dad was. And I guess in some strange way that’s why the globalization of the world is so intriguing.
I first became interested in the “flattening” of our world in an international economics class and from there I’ve been able to learn so much about the “outside” world– without being exposed to it first hand. That’s the beauty of technology and sharing information.
At the same time, I wouldn’t go to the extent to say that America lacks individualism or original ideas. Maybe the world’s best rockers aren’t from America, but what about other life-altering inventions, creations and people? For example baseball, George Washington Carver, John Wayne, Andy Warhol, and post-its… ok, so I’m joking about post-its… but in all reality a lot of the best performers around the world become absorbed into American Hollywood culture because that’s where big stars go– a great quarterback won’t play for the local arena team if he’s drafted for the NFL. I understand that in several cases Americans attempt to take credit where it’s not due but there are some legitimate, original ideas that come out of the U.S.
On the other side of things– like Erin and Shoshana, I was also amazed at how much the Bulgarian students knew about America. I can honestly say that before this class I did not know much about Bulgaria other than its geographical location. In this case, it’s my fault– excuses aside– it’s up to each global citizen to learn about different nations and cultures to broaden their own horizons and I’m glad this class has allowed me to do that.