Blog assignment 1 - What is Globalization? / Stefan Schwabl

Blog assignment 1 - What is Globalization? / Stefan Schwabl

1) What emerges from the article at the beginning is that it is very difficult to find a suitable definition for the term globalization. The problem is that the topic Globalization involves tree big main topics, like cultural, political and economic globalisation. Each of these three dimensions contains a huge number of various topics, which are very different from each other. Because of that we can say that globalization covers a wide range of topics. As a result, over time many different views on globalization emerged, which were recorded in various books. For this reason, most of the books that deal specifically with this topic are pointing out that there is no clear definition of globalization. Another Problem is that this topic is still very young. Nevertheless, there is a desire to find a definition. But it is very difficult to find a definition that will be accepted by every human being. For example, people in developing countries are understanding under globalization not the same as people from civilized states. 

In addition, the worldwide dissemination of this term has begun after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Although people had begun already decades earlier to deal with this term, but it was usually based on academic grade and more theory. From 1990, many developing countries saw great benefits in globalization. Including the opening of the borders for example in Europe and the free flow of goods within the partner countries. This measure allowed the economy and the hole market to develop faster and better. 

However, with the increasing globalization starting from 1990 there also have emerged a many violent protest movements against the globalization. The reason was that there were big inequalities in the different states. About these result the globalization gets two different views from the year 2000 on. On the other side the advantages (the good side) and on the other side the disadvantages (the bad side) of the globalization. One of the worst things was and it is also until now the capitalist globalization. Nevertheless, even if this is one is one of the bad things about this topic, we can also say that this point is also one of the most important things for the globalization. 

In addition, Robertson wrote in 1992 his theory, which implies that from the various states is a big whole. This definition greatly influenced developments in sociology, political science and anthropology. Capitalist globalization increased imports and exports. Because of this, more and more people from other countries, mostly people from developing countries, fled to the economically better countries. As a result, there was more and more of a mixture of cultures. Because of this the cultural globalisation increased more and more. These mostly very different cultures must now try to accept the existing laws, the existing state policy and as well to accept the existing culture and to deal with her. 

However, as there are still large differences in education, this remains a tedious process. In addition, religion plays a very important role in many cultures and often determines political events in their respective home countries. This leads to great problems and tensions when a modern society mingles with a very religious society. One of the biggest problems or attacks on our society, like the attack on the World Trade Center on 9 September 2001. As everyone knows, this attack was carried out by radical Muslim assassins. The attack killed more than 2,000 american citizens. Since this was perceived as a war effort, President Bush declared war on Iraq and the radical Muslims. There followed numerous attacks on the western population over the last decade, which has manifested anti-muslim thinking in the global memory of humanity. 

However, the process of cultural globalisation, what has begun with the Americanisation or also called the McDonaldization, is in general for the most societies of earth a peaceful procedure. Because this progress gives every single culture the possibility to make new important experiences and allows them to grow. The meaning behind the McDonaldization is that the economy cultural aspects of the American culture were carried in the past into the world by companies as McDonalds, Starbucks, Nike etc. But not in all countries of the world can a company sell the same products. Often a company is forced, even if the globalization in all states increases, to adapt to the local circumstances. For example, in the production of special products for different cultures. Through this consideration, we come to the last point of the article, namely the Glokalization. The Glokalization deals exactly with this topic and further investigates the relationships between global and local problems and their effects.

To sum up, globalization helps the different cultures to grow together and become one single place. Of course, globalization also brings major disadvantages, but for most cultures, the benefits of globalization prevail. By growing together and by strengthening the new world culture, the disadvantages can be overcome for sure in the future.

2) The topic that really surprised me, but is not necessarily new, was what impact the different cultures have on each other and how they are getting disseminated over the hole world.

3) The question that arises for me is whether our society can really overcome all the cultural problems we are currently experiencing?