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Globalization

Globalization is the process of international integration brought about by the exchange

of worldviews, products, concepts and other cultural elements. The meaning of globalization

that I found from Wikipedia shows “Advances in infrastructure such as telecommunications,

including telegraphs and the rise of the Internet, have resulted in globalization and cultural

and economic interactions” (2019).

Some scholars believe that globalization is a modern concept, while others believe that

globalization had begun in the process of geography discovery. The data from Baidu shows

that Large-scale globalization began in the 19th century. In the late 19th and early 20th

centuries, the world's economic and cultural connections became increasingly close. The term

“globalization” in the modern sense began in the 1970s(2019).

Sources

During the year, I read a lot of articles about globalization. They are related to

globalization directly or indirectly.

As “The last Inuit of Quebec” mentioned by Justin Nobel，“The Inuit invented the

kayak but no one in Nunavik remembered how to operate one. Kangiqsujuaq had to order

kayaks from southern Quebec and hire an outside guide to train locals”(39).On one hand, the

Inuit people benefit from globalization, and their tourism industry is improved because of the

development of the global economy. On the other hand, because of globalization, the invasion

of foreign cultures has caused the Inuit traditional culture to be lost, like the kayak.

As I discussed before, globalization will also bring many negative effects, such as the

burden of demographic changes, and this is reflected in “The World's New Numbers.” Martin

Walker mentioned that “Here lies Europe, overwhelmed by Muslim immigrants and emptied

of native-born Europeans” (388). Also, in this article, the author makes a lot of comparison to

analyze the population of the whole world, and this made me understand that the world has

changed. There is more and faster change to come. Walker argued that the world’s median

age is 28 today, and it is expected to reach 38 by the middle of the century. In the United

States, the median age at that point will be a youngish 41, while it will be over 50 in Japan

and 47 in Europe. The United States will be the only Western country to have been in the top

10 largest countries in terms of population size in both 1950 and 2050(389).

Globalization is not only reflected in the exchange and invasion of culture, but also in

the changes in population. What’s more, environment is also influenced by it. For example,

global warming. Whitty believes that “the momentum of global warming is such that—

regardless of any curbs on emissions—sea levels are predicted to rise for at least the next 500

years, rendering a completely new map of the world, as river valleys become seas, and

continents fragment into islands” (67). Global warming is an international issue at present,

meanwhile, the cost of improving this problem will be high for all nations.

As Banerjee and Duflo mentioned that “Our research on this question has taken us to

rural villages and teeming urban slums around the world, collecting data and speaking with

poor people about what they eat and what else they buy, from Morocco to Kenya, Indonesia

to India” (451). In addition to the effects of globalization above-mentioned, globalization is

also reflected in the research results of various countries. The development of globalization

has promoted the advancement of science.

But the influence of things is two-sided. Although globalization has a positive impact on

all aspects, it also brings disadvantages. Hagens who charged the body exhibition argues that

all the copycat exhibitions are from China, and they’re all using unclaimed bodies (105).

When I read this article, I really had a huge sense of sadness. This reading makes me think

about whether globalization is good or bad, and what effect it has. Whether it brings more

benefits than the disadvantages. The answer is not sure.

Own Interpretation Of “Globalization

For me, globalization means cultural exchanges that continue to arise with the

development of the economy. This kind of cultural exchange covers many types. For

example, corporate culture, developing countries are committed to learning from developed

countries how to operate and manage an enterprise so that it can develop better. Pop culture,

for example, with the development of the economy, more and more famous singers from

various countries hold their global concerts, and we can often hear songs from other countries

on major music software. What's more, the progress of tourism industry brought by economic

development enables us to go abroad, enjoy their scenery and learn their traditional culture in

other countries. Families with better conditions will choose to send their children to study

abroad so that they can learn about other countries. And my story about globalization is about

that.

My personal experience

Having started my overseas studies, on September 17, 2018, I set off from Beijing

Capital International Airport and took a flight from China to the United States. Since I first

came to the United States, due to cultural differences, I have made a lot of little funny

mistakes which have made me really awkward. For example, when I sneezed, an enthusiastic

American classmate suddenly said “bless you”, but I didn't know how to reply. They also said

"how are you doing today” quite frequently, which is always accompanied by "hello", I

wondered whether I should be honest to reply when I am unhappy? Comparing to China,

there are similar greetings, for example, "have you eaten yet?" And when I asked my

American friend this question, he thought I was inviting him to dinner. Thus, because I didn’t

reply, it gave my classmate a very impolite impression of me.

In the life of studying abroad, one of the things I remember most was my experience of

taking an uber at San Gabriel. Before the driver got there, I spoke to him by phone to

determine where we rendezvous. The driver's first sentence was "Are you Chinese?" in

Chinese, because I was not fluent in English. It was a feeling of great familiarity and

kindness. When we got on the car, the driver began to chat with my friends and me. He said

that when he was in his twenties, because his work needed, he emigrated to the United States.

When he first arrived, he lost his original job for language problems and had to work in a

restaurant. Later, he found a well-paid job, because he has an improvement in his English

proficiency. But it is still confined to the Chinese area. Thanks to the job, he met his wife and

had a child. Both of the couple are from China and are not particularly proficient in English,

and their child will speak fluent English and basic Chinese, because he has lived in the

United States his whole life. The driver said he would be happy to talk to students from China

when he drove uber during his break time. He told me that we can study abroad because of

the development of economy and the opening of culture. So, we should cherish this

opportunity and study hard, not only for ourselves, but also for global development. And that

day, I really had a new understanding of globalization. I know I am deeply influenced by

globalization, and I cannot escape and reject it, because it has penetrated into my side.

During this year, I have read a lot of articles which related to the globalization, and I

found that the influence of it are different form man to man. All of us should work for the

better world.

Works Cited

Banerjee ,Abhijit and Esther Duflo. “More Than 1 Billion People Are Hungry in the World.”

Globalization: A Reader for Writers, edited by Maria Jerskey, Oxford, 2014, pp.385-

396.

“Globalization.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 May 2019,

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization.

Manseau, Peter. “Plasticize Me.” Globalization: A Reader for Writers, edited by Maria

Jerskey, Oxford, 2014, pp.103-114.

Nobel, Justin. “The Last Inuit Of Quebec.” Globalization: A Reader for Writers, edited by

Maria Jerskey, Oxford, 2014, pp.38-47.

Walker, Martin. “The World's New Numbers.” Globalization: A Reader for Writers, edited by

Maria Jerskey, Oxford, 2014, pp.385-396.

Whitty, Julia. “All the Disappearing Islands.” Globalization: A Reader for Writers, edited by

Maria Jerskey, Oxford, 2014, pp. 63-74.