Week Two: a 'global village'?

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"Globalization is a process in which worldwide economic, political, cultural and social relations have become increasingly mediated across time and space."
-Rantanen (2005: 8)

There's no denying that there's the gap. This gap is one I'm sure we're all aware of, one of poverty and 'underdeveloped' countries.


However, because of the severity and confronting nature of the issue, we learn and are taught to put it (the problem) "over there". Separate it from ourselves, as individuals, as groups, as societies, and put it away, where we can't see it. Put it over there. It's we and them. Because we are on the more fortunate side.It's still in the back of our mind, though.


There's no equal opportunity at the moment, as much as I hate to admit it. It's every country for themselves. Even in the early days of war, there were 'allied' countries - some alliances still exist from those times - but we're all still  very mistrustful of each other. By 'equal opportunity', I mean in technology. The type of technology we have; smart phones, MP3 players, you name it, isn't dominant over their - their main priority is to survive. Whereas our own survival in the 'more developed' countries is assured.


Even so, places like China are strictly governed by what information they can legally access. Of course we can talk to people - but to places like Europe and North America. If people in Africa or China had this freedom, what do you think they would say?


Rantanen's definition acknowledges economic relations, but are they on the same footing?

Sources:
Rantanen, T 2005, The media and globalization, Sage, London, pp.1-18
Picture found at URL http://www.pakistankakhudahafiz.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/global-village.jpg, last accessed 19/7/2012