World Transformation and Lifestyle Change

Jen and I sat down in the far corner of the dinner and began talking. Everything was going fine until our order arrived. To my disgust the New Jersey native, Jen, started to eat her slice of pizza with her hands. Now, you may be asking what†s wrong with that? It is a common site to walk into a pizza parlor and see everyone handling their food, but to an Argentine native like myself anything else than a fork and knife would seem barbaric. Instances like this occur every day throughout the world because of cultural differences. Another good example by Dean Barnlund, in Communication in Global Village is when former President Nixon and former president Sato met to discuss a growing problem between the two nations. Because of poor â€Å"global communication† their words where miss under stood and as a result a new wave of Words from author Dean Barnlund, who expects that â€Å"as our world is transformed our neighbors increasingly will be people whose life styles contrast sharply with our own. Barnlund points out that this transformation-a kind of â€Å"world† blender-through our newly acquired technologies, such as the internet, jet travel, low cost phones, and the ncrease of study abroad programs will expose us to a variety of cultures and ultimately make the world â€Å"shrink†. Mr. Barnlund seems to hold a mostly positive view about a global community. I am led to believe this because his book, Communication in a Global Village, supplies us with the problems we will and have encountered, and offers us advice on how to deal with it. It seems to me that Barnlund is not so much worried about the end result of globalism, but rather with the tensions involved in its creation. Signs of globalism are sprouting all around us. A couple of months ago World Cup 98 took place in France: A world soccer tournament in which almost all countries participated (about 100 or more). The World Cup is the most watched event in human history (La Blanc and Henshaw 2), and has served as a tool to unite cultures together. Where else could one watch 11 Iranian men defeat 11 Americans with out a single act of bloodthirsty violence? The World Cup ignites a flame brighter in patriotism than the Olympics, and exposes us to people from all around. When a country (Holland) beats your maternal one (Argentina) Fairly (the blame always goes to the referee, a trait all ountries agree in ? ), the emotion proceeding the initial heartbreaking pain is that of respect. What makes this tournament so beneficial to the global village is that after you have finished cheering for your team, you look into others to carry your imagination. Other events that will serve as a great spark for globalism are those such as the new Eurodollar. A standard form of currency not only shows us that countries can agree on something, and are indeed dependant on each other, but will also help people spread more easily from country to country, ultimately breaking down cultural boundaries. One doesn†t have to look farther than the ground we stand in to see the effects that globalism would have on cultures. The United States is a prime example of globalism. 1) By having so many different types of people we are influenced in varying ways such as in, sports, religion, education, family, and in the business world. 2) Helps create a better overall society, that has â€Å"global† social skills. ) Makes a community that represents all the ideals and ways of life. 4) Helps the speed and spread of technology. 2) Often times in a desperate attempt to preserve a cultural identity, countries become inclusive. Ex. The many years it took the U. S to accept any other sports apart from Baseball, Hockey, Basketball, and American Football. 3) The lack of seclusion will create generic art, music, and ideas. Back in time cultures such as the Incas and the Egyptians-because of isolation-were vastly different. I recently flipped my television to a Japanese station and saw a â€Å"Rock† band. Not that there is anything wrong with that but the distinction between cultures is fading. Another example in the music industry is how British music influences America. (Beatles, Radiohead, Prodigy, etc. ) I personally hold a bitter-sweet look into globalism. Since I am a product of culture shock I feel I have experienced it first hand. I believe that globalism would be beneficial to humanity but it would ultimately make it a very bland world where everyone thinks the same way and does everything the same way, and being an artist that†s the last thing I would want. Gone will be the days of contrasts such as African art from Egyptian. Another thing that keeps me from being totally pro-globalist is that the education system in the U. S (one of the most crucial nations for globalism) does a very poor job educating its youth about anything but itself. Students are bombarded with U. S histories all throughout grade school and high school with very little â€Å"world† education. This self- centered mentality is also seen in our newspapers, where foreign affairs are only covered if they are directly affecting us. It seems we only hear about other nations when there is a war or we have sent them money. Opening the sport section clearly shows the lack of international coverage. Newspapers in Europe and South America not only post their sporting news, but those of other nations (including the American sports). I think it is a lot more important to know a little bit about other cultures than to have all the We already know the positive and negative results that globalism would have, however, the question remains: is it really possible to achieve globalism? In order to determine we must first clarify what is needed in order to achieve a â€Å"global friendly† community. In my previous paper, Loneliness: a national feeling? I wrote that â€Å"For the most part, good communities offer a stable and trusting environment, where freedom of choice and expression is encouraged. Little discrimination, support, protection, and success leading involvement, also constitute good characteristics. † The ey term is: expression. Every person must learn to accept, and if not possible, respect others forms of expression. Obviously, we have not done a good job which is proven by our constant racial and sexual discriminations. In order for a Global Village to succeed, there are three points that must be focused on: technology, education, and understanding. Technology has already reached a point where it is allowing people from across the world to unite with no delay time. The world overall has had an increase in literacy, but even scholars are often ignorant of the â€Å"world† language. Schools and more importantly adults have to take the responsibility and eliminate prejudice from our youths mind. And of course, education would prove useless unless we are understanding and have an open mind. Greed for power, the unwillingness to accept new ways of life (clinging to your roots), and the mentality that we are all â€Å"too different†, are the three main killers of globalism. It is because of stubbornness and an immense greed that globalism has not already taken full effect. I believe that it is possible to achieve something close to globalism. My theory is hat in the future nations will unite because of political needs, shared wealth, and military allies. Countries in Europe and South America have already began to open up their borders. The result would be a couple of different communities. I am sure that a total global community is possible, but unless our planet is being jeopardized by alien beings I highly doubt that we will ever find enough motivation. Globalism is definitely coming on headstrong with its good and bad points. But, then again, nothing good in life comes free of burdens and in the end it will be up to the people to decide whether the sacrifices Barlund, Dean.