Global Media Global Media IndustriesIndustries

What on Earth is Globalization?What on Earth is Globalization?

Session 2 LectureSession 2 Lecture

OutcomesOutcomes

►To consider the meaning of the term To consider the meaning of the term `globalization’`globalization’ which are fundamental which are fundamental to questions of mediato questions of media

► Insights on key debates by academics, Insights on key debates by academics, governments and other theoristsgovernments and other theorists

General General Understanding/MisunderstandinUnderstanding/Misunderstandin

gg►Circulated in every sector and industryCirculated in every sector and industry►Blamed for all sorts of problems (job Blamed for all sorts of problems (job

losses, economic downturn, inflation losses, economic downturn, inflation etc)etc)

►Corporate Australia:Corporate Australia: “ increasing “ increasing globalization = stiffer competition and globalization = stiffer competition and need for greater efficiency”; need for greater efficiency”; The The Australian, quoted by DelloitesAustralian, quoted by Delloites

►Businesses must be more open to Businesses must be more open to competition.competition.

Globalisation for Businesses Globalisation for Businesses TodayToday

►Can be increased/decreased (?) Can be increased/decreased (?) e.g. e.g. HSBCHSBC

►Open to changes (competition) Open to changes (competition) ►Efficiency is a necessity!!Efficiency is a necessity!!►Embrace globalization or ship out!Embrace globalization or ship out!►Greater Greater communication infrastructurecommunication infrastructure

needs to be met (.coms, reinventing)needs to be met (.coms, reinventing)

Globalization (positive Globalization (positive views)views)

►Credited for Credited for lowering costlowering cost • Telecommunications (cheaper calls)Telecommunications (cheaper calls)• Information technology (broadband, wi-Information technology (broadband, wi-

fi,skype)fi,skype)• air travelair travel• more retail choices i.e. Cold Storage, more retail choices i.e. Cold Storage,

Tesco etcTesco etc

►Goods get cheaper; we feel poorer Goods get cheaper; we feel poorer because we are buying more than ever because we are buying more than ever (petrol hike, gadget must-haves!)(petrol hike, gadget must-haves!)

United States of AUnited States of A

►Conservative thoughts; globalization = Conservative thoughts; globalization = domination of American goods.domination of American goods.

►Television/Reality TV-hoodTelevision/Reality TV-hood American Idol, The Amazing Race, Who American Idol, The Amazing Race, Who

Wants To Be A Millionaire - Wants To Be A Millionaire - franchise franchise maniamania

95% films at cinema are from Hollywood95% films at cinema are from Hollywood Birth of Bollywood (largest filmmaking Birth of Bollywood (largest filmmaking

cities in the world – 800 films a year!!)cities in the world – 800 films a year!!)

The “Cultural Cringe”The “Cultural Cringe”

► In Asia and other less developed In Asia and other less developed societies, elders argue nations are societies, elders argue nations are being too Westernized/Americanizedbeing too Westernized/Americanized

►At the same time, implicit At the same time, implicit recognition/yearn to learn from recognition/yearn to learn from AmericansAmericans

►““We haven’t made it until the We haven’t made it until the Americans accept or willing to copy our Americans accept or willing to copy our ideas!”ideas!”

Good News for TechiesGood News for Techies

►Globalization allows us to “click – a – Globalization allows us to “click – a – friend”, reach a person at a touch of a friend”, reach a person at a touch of a buttonbutton

►… “… “we are more interconnected than we we are more interconnected than we could every imagine”could every imagine”

►Most of us consume globalization Most of us consume globalization without realizing it or fathom the without realizing it or fathom the conceptconcept

►Wait for your First Assignment to Wait for your First Assignment to unravel this!unravel this!

Historical PerspectiveHistorical Perspective(Mass Communication)(Mass Communication)

► Globalization did not just spontaneously Globalization did not just spontaneously develop in the late 20develop in the late 20thth century century (political/econs/cultural contexts of past)(political/econs/cultural contexts of past)

► Origins traced to Origins traced to Middle AgesMiddle Ages – trading – trading routes/mass communication/world economyroutes/mass communication/world economy

► Communication developments in the 19Communication developments in the 19thth century precursor to current globalizationcentury precursor to current globalization Underwater cable systems – Underwater cable systems – telegraphtelegraph International news agencies (France AFP, UK International news agencies (France AFP, UK

Reuters, USA AP) – nexus of market economies, Reuters, USA AP) – nexus of market economies, political power info networkspolitical power info networks

Formation of international organizations concerned Formation of international organizations concerned with electromagnetic spectrum (I’tnl Telecomm with electromagnetic spectrum (I’tnl Telecomm Union-ITU)Union-ITU)

Historical PerspectiveHistorical Perspective(Mass Communication)(Mass Communication)

►The 3 modern developments relate to The 3 modern developments relate to media and communication concept as media and communication concept as mediator of human beingsmediator of human beings

►Coined “telecommunication” – Coined “telecommunication” – passage or transfer of messages passage or transfer of messages through mass media , later facilitating through mass media , later facilitating mass communicationmass communication

“Globalization denotes both a journey and a destination: it signifies a

historical process of becoming, as well as an economic and cultural result;

that is arrival at the globalized state.”

- Marjorie Ferguson

Why is globalization such a hot topic Why is globalization such a hot topic today?today?

Precursor of Globalization in Precursor of Globalization in 21st Century21st Century

► Movement from Movement from International EconomyInternational Economy to to World EconomyWorld Economy International International – movements in – movements in

trade/investments/payments crossed trade/investments/payments crossed national boundaries regulated by statesnational boundaries regulated by states

World World – production and finance were – production and finance were organized in cross border networks to organized in cross border networks to escape international regulatory powersescape international regulatory powers

► Important feature in development of `World Important feature in development of `World Economy’ – collapse of Bretton Woods fixed Economy’ – collapse of Bretton Woods fixed exchange rates exchange rates

► Led to “floating exchange rates” for open Led to “floating exchange rates” for open trading – forex trading – forex

Precursor of Globalization in Precursor of Globalization in 2020thth Century Century

►Mid-70s: generalized economic crisis; Mid-70s: generalized economic crisis; capitalist societies able to exercise capitalist societies able to exercise greater financial discipline and able to greater financial discipline and able to privilige economic matters over othersprivilige economic matters over others

►Weakening of trade union power, Weakening of trade union power, cutting of state budgets, cutting of state budgets, privatizationprivatization

►Current: rise on ecological concern Current: rise on ecological concern “sustainability”“sustainability” buzzword , Al Gore buzzword , Al Gore

►Globalization is also related to terms Globalization is also related to terms such as “internationalization” and such as “internationalization” and “transnationalization”“transnationalization”

Globalization only takes place when Globalization only takes place when activities are activities are organized, planned or organized, planned or coordinated on a global scalecoordinated on a global scale and and when the activities involve some when the activities involve some

degree of degree of reciprocity and reciprocity and interdependencyinterdependency – that is, when there – that is, when there is a real degree of is a real degree of inter-connectednessinter-connectedness

between different localesbetween different locales

Precursor of GlobalizationPrecursor of Globalization

Video clip – Video clip – Commanding Heights: The Commanding Heights: The Battle for Global EconomyBattle for Global Economy

““A single market, in which everyone has A single market, in which everyone has a stake, but no one has control.”a stake, but no one has control.”

Appadurai’s “Globalization”Appadurai’s “Globalization”

►Positioned under terms Positioned under terms Difference/disjuncture:Difference/disjuncture: world is world is

fragmented, disjointed and cannot be fragmented, disjointed and cannot be simplified into East vs West (1simplified into East vs West (1stst world vs world vs 33rdrd world), globalization is a hybrid of world), globalization is a hybrid of bothboth

Perth – referred to as the world’s most Perth – referred to as the world’s most isolated capital city (?)isolated capital city (?)

Kuala Lumpur and S’pore – not 1Kuala Lumpur and S’pore – not 1stst nor nor 33rdrd world but with high standards of world but with high standards of living comparable to 1living comparable to 1stst world countries world countries

11stst, 2, 2ndnd or 3 or 3rdrd??

►11stst : : The bloc of democratic-industrial The bloc of democratic-industrial countries within the countries within the American American influence sphereinfluence sphere

►22ndnd:: The Eastern bloc of the The Eastern bloc of the communist-socialist communist-socialist statesstates

►33rdrd:: The remaining three-quarters of The remaining three-quarters of the world's population, states not the world's population, states not aligned with either bloc . aligned with either bloc .

Appadurai’s 5 “Scapes”Appadurai’s 5 “Scapes”

►The world is becoming so irregular The world is becoming so irregular and sophisticated that it needs to and sophisticated that it needs to be understood in 5 be understood in 5 dimensions/`scapes’dimensions/`scapes’ EthnoscapesEthnoscapes – construct of people – construct of people

We need to be aware, due to We need to be aware, due to voluntary migration the world is voluntary migration the world is multicultural/more diversemulticultural/more diverse

Appadurai’s “Scapes”Appadurai’s “Scapes”

TechnoscapesTechnoscapes – technology – technology

Technology is now more fluid, can be Technology is now more fluid, can be transferred and distributed across borderstransferred and distributed across borders

Financescapes Financescapes – finance and global capital– finance and global capital

Currencies move from one place to another in Currencies move from one place to another in amazing speed, bypassing government and amazing speed, bypassing government and fiscal controls, government lose gatekeeping fiscal controls, government lose gatekeeping functionsfunctions

e.g. corporate world’s self-regulatory issues – e.g. corporate world’s self-regulatory issues – Enron, 2001Enron, 2001

Appadurai’s “Scapes”Appadurai’s “Scapes”

MediascapesMediascapes – capability to produce and – capability to produce and disseminate information via electronic meansdisseminate information via electronic means

Private individuals/enterprises `empowered’ to Private individuals/enterprises `empowered’ to distribute own images, versions of own realitydistribute own images, versions of own reality

Ideascapes Ideascapes – ideology– ideology

How images combine in our heads to form How images combine in our heads to form identities and “worldviews”identities and “worldviews”

Occur in our minds as we consume the media, Occur in our minds as we consume the media, i.e. readingi.e. reading