Globalization and the World - Report Example

Is intercultural Communication in the Present Period both a Form of Globalization and a Response to Globalization? Name of Student Name of Professor Institution Globalization and the World Technology has been known to put an end to international boundaries and at the same time opens up culture to a new phenomenon known as globalization. Globalization is a phenomenon that is empowering in nature, able to interconnect the world, provide information, support economic development, and help in creating a global village. It has the capacity to empower and mobilize people and support a collective identity through the provision of employment opportunities and socialization. Nonetheless, it also has the ability to disempower people through misrepresentation which can lead to the loss of individualism including group identity. This present a dichotomy which projects pluralism which leads to contact between cultural groups and a situation where groups can be deprived of their identity and autonomy. It therefore can be said that globalization results into both negative and positive influences. Globalization has been able to increase accessibility to people and cultures that previously lacked exposure. This has led to the risk of loss of identity, culture, and intellectual property. This has brought with it negative impacts which are as a result of globalization. They include the influence of multinational companies on that promote consumer culture, exploitation, and influences on societal values. There is also a promotion of individualism that brings with it a homogeneous set of beliefs and values. Moreover, it also brings in the aspect of a dominant culture which is determines how technology advances. There is also a perpetuation of colonialism through curriculum that is designed to promote the beliefs of the dominant culture that are easily assimilated by other cultures and which have far reaching implications (Hofstede, 2005). Nonetheless, globalization has also positive influences like technological advancement which is able to empower people and cultures. This brings in a new level of information sharing. It also allows different cultures to promote awareness and understanding of their narratives and identities which allows them to retain their diversity (Bowe, Martin and Manns, 2014). Social, Economic, Political and Cultural Conditions and Globalization Globalization is a condition where barriers, both national and international, are done away with due to increased communication and trade. it is a phenomenon that affects people around the world. Recently, this process has been on an increase due to a number of factors which include social, economic, cultural and political. Important ones include improved trade, increased labor and capital mobility and improved technology. Moreover, improved transport makes global travel easier. For example, there has been a fast growth in air-travel, enabling greater movement of people and goods across the globe. On the economic front, countries have seen an increase in international trade and improvement in technology which has led to an increase in globalization. Due to many developments, the cost of trade has greatly reduced and this has led to increased trade. It has further resulted in the development of multinational companies with a global reach. There has also been an increase of trading blocs which have been able to reduce national and international barriers. Some of these trading blocs include the European Union, ASEAN, NAFTA and many others. This has also gone, hand in hand, with reduced tariffs that encourage globalization. Socially, the impact of social developments in the recent past has led to the rise of globalization. The spread of information technology has enabled information to flow easily which has enabled the flow of ideas between different people from different countries. The development of new and innovative communication systems like the internet, smart phones, email and many others has led to the growth of globalization by helping multinational companies to easily operate globally. Improved transportation modes and infrastructure has also greatly contributed to globalization. Improvements in refrigeration and container transport has enabled easy movement of a mass of goods the world over. Politically, the level of political cooperation between countries greatly influenced the rate of globalization. Free trade agreements between countries and multinational companies promote global free trade to increase influence and wealth. There are also other international organizations like the World Trade Organization that promote free trade (Ritzer & Ryan, 2002). Intercommunication and Globalization Intercultural communication involves comparing communication styles of different nationalities and making projections about their actual interaction. The nation, therefore holds a special place in intercultural communication. Intercommunication was initially used in the military field, in the corporate world and in missionary work. Due to globalization there is a trend where linguistic and cultural symbols are commoditized and the imagery quickly moves around the globe to find itself in unexpected places. A good example is when a local tourist town in a particular country is dominated by a foreign imagery that is different from the local situation. It is important to note that intercultural communication is largely found in consumer advertising media where images of cultural and linguistic differences are applied to a product look desirable. In most instances, English is used to represent modern and global identities while the use of other languages try to depict a product with some form of ethno-cultural stereotype in relation to the group that speaks the language. This clearly shows that intercultural communication gives rise to the emergence of linguistic and cultural forms which are mainly commercial in nature. A good example is the Japanese Economic Miracle of the 1960s that motivated other nations to try and understand the Japanese culture and character. (Piller, 2013). It is essential to note that the use of other languages is used to commodify a certain stereotype that is ethno-cultural in nature in countries where the languages are not dominant. However, the use of English represents certain aspects of elitism, modernity, and free market. English is therefore regarded as the prime language that represents globalization. This is a social stereotype that is difficult to analyze in comparison to stereotypes associated with other languages like German, French, Italian or Spanish. This situation can further be evidenced by the use of English in Germany which is regarded as the most Americanized country in Europe. English is mostly used in the advertising language and mass media. This can also be seen in other European countries which are non-English speaking. A good example of an ethno-cultural stereotype is the expression of youth culture of street cred and the hip hop rebellion of the urban black populations in the US ghettos, with brands such as Hilfiger and Nike. These are products which originate either in the US or UK same as products that use the French language in international advertising come from France. This is a means of associating the product with the ethno-cultural stereotype of the country where the language is spoken. However, this association is particularly irrelevant in places where the English language is used to advertise the product (Haarman, 1989). Intercultural Communication as a Form of Globalization . The process of globalization is not temporary but permanent. This process has two different trends which include changing the conventional lifestyles of people and the creation of the protective and adaptive functions of culture. In the context of intercultural communication, globalization new values and ideals will be formed but the process is not without difficulties. For instance, universal ideals like human rights, propagated by western cultures are widely incompatible in the eastern cultures. A good example is the cold war era that saw the competition of two dominant ideologies of communism and capitalism. It is therefore important for countries to find points of convergence where globalization does not create cultural contradictions. Respect and tolerance should be encouraged in cases where compatibility is hard to come by. Globalization, as it were, has a great influence on intercultural communication because it not only helps people to conserve their ethno-cultural identities but also provides a platform where products can be advertised beyond their local boundaries. Culture becomes prominent to improve the market value of a product or service. This objective is attained by achieving some specific intercultural commodification by using other languages apart from the national language in advertisements and branding. On the other hand, if other languages apart from English are used to advertise such a product, they are used to reflect an ethno-cultural stereotype (Piller, 2011). A good example is where one finds say Japanese brand names in France. These stereotypes are mainly used to conserve racial and national boundaries like Mock Spanish (Hill, 1998). However, when English is used in such advertisements it is not intended to project any kind of stereotype but to reflect aspects of modernity, professionalism, success, and cosmopolitan characteristics. In this case, it can be said that intercultural communication is a form of globalization because it tries to address an international audience as opposed to a local or national one. Communication here is regarded to represent both the local and the international situation. It mainly aims at giving messages which are aimed at either preserving one’s own cultural identity or the supremacy of another in light of globalization. Multinational companies, which are the hallmark of globalization, strive to control the language they use on their brands. This is specifically aimed at providing a uniform global consumer register. The controlled non-languages use instruments from the English and other languages to take note of diversity uniformly. These brands have come to be known as the brands which provide the common language of a global village. Conclusion It is essential to note that intercultural communication is a form of globalization that affects our modern world. It enables the coming together of societies on an international level through their intellectual, cultural, social, economic and political aspects. It is projected that it will eventually result in the elimination of cultural diversity. Nonetheless, it has resulted into the unity of cultures and enabled the promotion of the universal wellbeing of societies. It provides a common ground for countries to expand their borders. However, it also provides an environment where people feel more and more different as time passes. International communication has been made easier by globalization bringing in a situation of both unity and disunity at the same time. Even though it has managed to create a global society it still overlooks our cultural diversity. Intercultural communication occurs when an individual belonging to one culture can produce a message by an individual from another culture in relation to consumption. This is the type of communication between people with different cultural perceptions and symbol systems. It is a factor that is largely associated with globalization and one that is synonymous with it. It should, therefore, be clear that intercultural communication is part and parcel of globalization and not a response to globalization. References Piller, I. (2013). Intercultural communication. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Ritzer, G. and Ryan, M. (2002). The Globalization of Nothing. Social Thought and Research. London: Sage Haarmann, H. (1989). Symbolic Values of Foreign Language Use: From the Japanese Case to a General Sociolinguistic Perspective. Berlin and New York: Mouton de Gruyter. Hill, J. H. (2008). The Everyday Language of White Racism. Malden, MA: WileyBlackwell Bowe, H., Martin, K. (2007). Communication Across Cultures: Mutual Understanding in a Global World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Hofstede, G. and Hofstede, G. (2005). Cultures and organizations. New York: McGraw Hill Read More

Some of these trading blocs include the European Union, ASEAN, NAFTA and many others. This has also gone, hand in hand, with reduced tariffs that encourage globalization. Socially, the impact of social developments in the recent past has led to the rise of globalization. The spread of information technology has enabled information to flow easily which has enabled the flow of ideas between different people from different countries. The development of new and innovative communication systems like the internet, smart phones, email and many others has led to the growth of globalization by helping multinational companies to easily operate globally.

Improved transportation modes and infrastructure has also greatly contributed to globalization. Improvements in refrigeration and container transport has enabled easy movement of a mass of goods the world over. Politically, the level of political cooperation between countries greatly influenced the rate of globalization. Free trade agreements between countries and multinational companies promote global free trade to increase influence and wealth. There are also other international organizations like the World Trade Organization that promote free trade (Ritzer & Ryan, 2002).

Intercommunication and Globalization Intercultural communication involves comparing communication styles of different nationalities and making projections about their actual interaction. The nation, therefore holds a special place in intercultural communication. Intercommunication was initially used in the military field, in the corporate world and in missionary work. Due to globalization there is a trend where linguistic and cultural symbols are commoditized and the imagery quickly moves around the globe to find itself in unexpected places.

A good example is when a local tourist town in a particular country is dominated by a foreign imagery that is different from the local situation. It is important to note that intercultural communication is largely found in consumer advertising media where images of cultural and linguistic differences are applied to a product look desirable. In most instances, English is used to represent modern and global identities while the use of other languages try to depict a product with some form of ethno-cultural stereotype in relation to the group that speaks the language.

This clearly shows that intercultural communication gives rise to the emergence of linguistic and cultural forms which are mainly commercial in nature. A good example is the Japanese Economic Miracle of the 1960s that motivated other nations to try and understand the Japanese culture and character. (Piller, 2013). It is essential to note that the use of other languages is used to commodify a certain stereotype that is ethno-cultural in nature in countries where the languages are not dominant.

However, the use of English represents certain aspects of elitism, modernity, and free market. English is therefore regarded as the prime language that represents globalization. This is a social stereotype that is difficult to analyze in comparison to stereotypes associated with other languages like German, French, Italian or Spanish. This situation can further be evidenced by the use of English in Germany which is regarded as the most Americanized country in Europe. English is mostly used in the advertising language and mass media.

This can also be seen in other European countries which are non-English speaking. A good example of an ethno-cultural stereotype is the expression of youth culture of street cred and the hip hop rebellion of the urban black populations in the US ghettos, with brands such as Hilfiger and Nike. These are products which originate either in the US or UK same as products that use the French language in international advertising come from France. This is a means of associating the product with the ethno-cultural stereotype of the country where the language is spoken.

However, this association is particularly irrelevant in places where the English language is used to advertise the product (Haarman, 1989).

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