CHAPTER 7: MEDIA AND GLOBALIZATION

 Globalization helps spread different cultures to other nation or country – phenomena or idea
may spread from one culture to another
 Other culture may enjoy and patronize other culture’s beliefs, traditions, foods, places, etc. even
if they haven’t been to the place or they don’t have any prior knowledge about it.
 Before, people have to physically go to different places to share their beliefs and cultures. For
example, missionaries and immigrants. Also, it involves a lot of physical and personal interaction
such as classroom settings, public forums, churches, etc.
 Media has now made globalization much easier – easier spread of culture, language, beliefs
through media platforms and other medium and tools that involves media such as television.
 This also gives us a gist about how important communication is to the spread of Globalization.
 Jack Lule implied that global trade evolved with the help of continuous flow of information,
empires grew with the use of communication from one border to another.
 There is an intimate relationship between Globalization and Media

MEDIA AND ITS FUNCTIONS

 Lule – “a means of conveying something, such as a channel of communication.”
 Media is the plural form of medium
 Media – technologies of mass communication
 Prinit media
 Books
 Magazines
 Newspapers
 Broadcast Media
 Radio
 Film
 Television
 Digital Media
 Internet Mass Communication
 Mobile Mass Communication
 Internet Media
 E-mail
 Internet sites
 Social media
 Internet-based video and audio
 Marshall McLuhan – “the medium is the message’
 This does not mean that messages or ideas are useless
 Media itself, as a form of technology can reshape the society
 The television does not only give information and bears messages but the technology itself can
reshape the behavior of someone. Because the mere fact that watching tv can take us away
from physical activities, already manifests that technology itself can reshape the people.
 The technology (medium), and not the message (ideas), makes for this social change possible
 Different media can also affect our human senses. This may be on a negative side for it dulled
the capacities of human beings.
 New media may have dulled our written and oral skills as well as our memorization abilities.
  For example, before storytellers had to memorize everything so that they can pass down their
stories to other generations but since Papyrus have become more well-known in Egypt, story-
tellers doesn’t have to rely on their memorization anymore because they can write down
everything.
 Mcluhan – what the media enhances or amputates is not moral or ethical. It is merely a view of
what media has for its attributes

THE GLOBAL VILLAGE AND CULTURAL IMPERIALISM

 During 1960’s, the electronic media – the television has brought about various social changes to
the people and to other nations.
 People will become and was slowly turning into a “global village” for they have seen the same
shows, stories, phenomena on the television and may have share the same thoughts about it.
 Media scholars think that because of globalization, we will have a homogenized culture. This is
because people may watch the same thing, listen to the same songs, read the same stories, etc.
 They feared that because of this, we will have a more dominant culture or cultural imperialism
that may possibly overwhelm other culture.
 Cultural globalization – “western cultural imperialism.” = “homogenized, westernized, consumer
culture.”
 Other scholars who focused on western cultural imperialism like America, caused them to
neglect other global media flows that may occur.

CRITIQUES OF CULTURAL IMPERIALISM

 “Media messages are not just made by producers; they are also consumed by audiences”
 Audiences contribute a lot in giving meaning and context to the text/message of a certain tv
show
 “They are active participants in the meaning making process”
 Audiences put a lot of energy in giving meaning to what they are watching and they experience
pleasure as to how it resonated with them
 People or audiences can interpret the same movie or show differently due to their differences in
culture and where they are from. They can watch the same show but still give different meaning
to it.
 Due to this, globalization will produce uneven process and will continue to produce inequalities
nevertheless, it comes with dynamism and cultural change

SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE CREATION OF CYBER GHETTOES

 Globalization of culture and ideas proved the somewhat irrelevance of the world becoming
culturally homogeneous because it can move into different directions. This is due to the fact that
internet and social media challenged the idea about media and globalization.
 while social media entails positive and negative effects, it still gives the people democratic
access. It gives the people the power to be consumers but producers as well. They can
disseminate information and spread across the Globe.
 One of its positive sides helps the people to dismantle authoritarian regimes in their nations.
 Though one of its dark side makes the people lock in their own bubble. It gives them the access
to red articles, posts, memes, etc. about their personal beliefs and personal political opinion
that it precludes them from other information that may potentially make them close-minded.
 This type can produce herd mentality that can be exploited by politicians that don’t have ay
democratic intentions. They can use trolls to manipulate the opinion of people and spread fake
news – which can also be used for government propaganda.
 One of the best negative examples about this is the strategy of Vladimir putin, they use trolls to
spread disinformation and fear to other people. This actually includes sexual violence to women
 It is rather much easier to do this in social media platforms because it only has few filters that
can sort out fake news.
 We have been easily connected through social media despite residing in different continents
that’s why it is easier to influence, for example, an election of a certain country by a different
world leader.
 In conclusion to this we must be vigilant to what we read and see on social media because it
only has little bit of content filter and not as advance as newspapers. Therefore, we must be
critical in reading and believing what we see on social media.
CHAPTER 8: GLOBAL CITY
 We sometimes tend to want to go to other places, visit them and explore what they can offer.
But how is that relevant to us? What’s the significance?

WHY STUDY GLOBAL CITIES?

 Globalization is spatial (two meanings)
 First: “Globalization is spatial because it occurs in physical spaces.
 we can see/witness this through skyscrapers, high rise buildings, and apartments that was
purchased by overseas workers. This may seem like a good thing but it negatively affects the
poor citizen since they will be forced to move out of the city to make way for new
developments.
 Second: “Globalization is spatial because what makes it move is the fact that it is based in
places.”
 “Cities act on globalization and globalization acts on cities.”
 “They are the sites as well as the medium”
 The city or place like Hollywood attracts the actress/actors that are involved in movies which are
recognized around the world that is submitted to globalization for it spreads one’s cultures and
beliefs that create the connection from one nation to another.
 More and more people will experience globalization in cities and as the years go by (future) the
percentage is expected to rise (skyrocket)

DEFINING THE GLOBAL CITY

 Saskia Sassen 1990 – popularized the term global city
 It is mainly based on the economic status of a certain place – specifically the city
 Saskia identifies three global cities which are: New York, London, & Tokyo (based on the stock
exchange of the place)
 As years passed and developments were made, it is now important to recognized those because
a lot of changes were mad. Now, it is not only restricted to what Sassen recognized as global
cities. Other cities can now rival with them and also holds the same leverage of influence.
 Others consider cities to be global because they are livable. Since it has great access to human
necessities like public transportation.
 To define if a city is global – one must not ask if it is global or not (yes or no question) but ask
the ways of how is it global and to what extent?

INDICATORS FOR GLOBALITY

 Sassen was correct in determining that economic status and power was key point in determining
a global city. Stock exchanges were important because it constitutes a lot as to how a city can
attract newcomers and foreign investors.
 Market size, purchasing power of citizens, size of the middle class, and potential for growth. – to
measure the economic competitiveness of a city.
  Global cities are also center of authority. For example, in Washington DC, they are the home of
politicians and other state powers.
 Cities that have major international organization is also considered as centers of political
influence. Just like the united nations, it has great effect and influence.
 “A decision made in that city can, therefore, affect the political economy of an entire continent
and beyond.”
 “Global cities are centers of higher learning and culture.”
 People may go to places due to its educational institutions and published books as well as
newspapers. The educational culture, published books, and publishing companies lures people
from around the world.
 A city can also be considered as global for its culture, accessibility, and what it can offer.
 Cultural power of global cities affects how people perceive a city. It also produces other
outcomes like how New York was used as an inspiration for various songs produced by well-
known singers.
 And now, global cities have become culturally diverse. One can experience or see multiple
cultures in one place due it being global

THE CHALLENGES OF GLOBAL CITIES

 Global cities may create images that would seem like they are all the good stuff but it also
downsides such as great inequalities, more poor citizens, violence, abused, etc.
 It also has winners and losers for it has negative and positive sides.
 Cities can be sustainable because of their density. Concentrating population in smaller areas are
the key goal to decrease carbon footprints in cites.
 Other places don’t have train stations and subways and only has freeways that makes them
susceptible to purchase more cars and gas that constitutes more to carbon footprints.
 Since cities use more of the world’s energy, they tend to emit more carbon. If only cities can
plant trees, foods, plants, etc. in abandoned buildings (vertical farms), it can greatly help in
lessening the carbon emissions in cities.
 The same reason that makes cities attracted to potential investors, newcomers, migrants, and
workers can be the same reason as to why global cities or susceptible for terrorist’s attacks.

THE GLOBAL CITY AND THE POOR

 Global cities may also experience dualities such as gleaming skyscrapers and at the same time,
huge number of shantytowns.
 This can produce inequalities for a lot of poor people who are often times, denied to have the
chance for a better life.
 Gentrification- driving out poor residents for new and wealthier citizens.
 Banlieue- forcing immigrants to move to ethnic enclaves
 A large global city ay thus be a paradise for some, but a purgatory for others.
UNIT 3: MOVEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
CHAPTER 9: GLOBAL DEMOGRAPHY