Globalization (Readings)

I have two readings associated with this topic.

The first reading is the Intro and Globalization in Contemporary Social Theory sections of the larger topic Globalization found in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. This talked about the meaning of globalization as far as social theory is concerned. This article discussed it as being related to communication of ideas and the like at a speed that makes distance and geographical area not a concern. It gives this to the high speed technology and internet that has really started to connect the world. It is very true that the world has become a much smaller place, in no small part because of those very technologies which they were talking about. It is amazing to think of how we can know in an instant something that happened on the other side of the world. A hundred years ago, it took a long time for that news to spread and there were many things that people on the other side of the world never even heard of. It is because of that communication and flow of instantaneous ideas that the world is starting to almost blend into a single culture of information. That may be something that will happen in the future.

The second reading is titled Do We Really Want a Global Village? It is the ninth chapter of a larger book called The Future Does Not Compute: Transcending the Machines in our Midst by Stephen L. Talbott. This chapter deals with a more critical view of what is happening when we are all becoming essentially of one culture. It talks about how we are actually communicating less and less as well as destroying cultures by forcing this assimilation to internet connectivity and technology adoption. It is true that there are negatives to the process. I also agree that it is silly to refer to this as the “global village” when we do little more than share information and amuse ourselves with knowledge and the access to it. It is hard to stop sometimes and take a look at the concerns. I do believe that we are getting in over our heads and a lot of unforeseen problems will begin to arise.