Module 2: Globalization and Multicultural Literacy PDF

Module 2: Globalization and Multicultural Literacy ALFIE M. ENAJE, LPT Faculty of Science and Mathematics Area Southern Leyte State University- Tomas Oppus Campus San Isisdro, Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte, Philippines Lesson 1: Globalization...

Module 2: Globalization and Multicultural Literacy ALFIE M. ENAJE, LPT Faculty of Science and Mathematics Area Southern Leyte State University- Tomas Oppus Campus San Isisdro, Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte, Philippines Lesson 1: Globalization ALFIE M. ENAJE, LPT Faculty of Science and Mathematics Area Southern Leyte State University- Tomas Oppus Campus San Isisdro, Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte, Philippines Objectives At the end of the lesson, you should be able to: 1. develop a clear and practical understanding of globalization and its implications on both the national and individual level. What is Globalization? Globalization is the process of interaction and integration between people, business entities, governments, and cultures from other nations, driven by international trade and investment and supported by information technology (Levin Institute, 2017). Consider two people from different countries, for example, the Philippines and South Korea. Let us say they meet in college and become good friends, so that the Korean comes to be treated like a member of the Filipino's family.  I love to listen to After some time, the Korean returns to OPM her own country, but something has changed-she notices an aspect of her culture that she finds herself wishing to I love eating be more Filipino. She knows very well Filipino that she cannot change Korean culture foods as a whole, so she decides to just change herself. She does not change everything, of I started to use course just a little thing here and there; po and opo at she is still obviously Korean, but she just nagmamano na does a few things differently from those ako sa mga nakakatanda who have never been to the Philippines.  Now suppose a little more time passes and the Korean is very happy with the changes she has made to her life that makes it just a little more Filipino. Let us say some of her colleagues notice how I want to try she does some things differently and they Filipino become curious, so she tells them about culture her experiences in the Philippines and how that in some ways, she wishes to do things the way the Filipinos do. Her colleagues decide to give it a try, and they find that they like this different way of doing things, too.  I always listen to KPOP Now let us say that when we look at the person from the Philippines, something similar has taken place: the Filipino, I like to wear while still being Filipino through and Korean fashion through, has made a few changes in her life as a result of her experience of Korean culture through her friend during their years in college. Some of I like to eat her friends have also noticed it and have korean food made similar little changes in their own lives. How did the story illustrate the idea of Globalization?  Key Points We primarily view globalization through an economic lens. This limited perspective makes us think globalization only affects economists and businessmen. In reality, globalization impacts a wider range of people and areas. Globalization encompasses more than just trade and investment. It creates interconnectedness between individuals and societies beyond direct interaction. Globalization involves the exchange of various aspects of culture, technology, and economy on a global scale.  Globalization is more than just trade and investment. It's a complex process that intertwines cultures, economies, and societies on a global scale. It involves the exchange of everything from fashion and entertainment to technology and business practices. E s s e n t i a l l y, g l o b a l i z a t i o n i s t h e i n c r e a s i n g interconnectedness of the world. This is globalization as we know it today.  Globalization as a phenomenon is not new. Nations and cultures have been interacting and integrating with one another for millennia. What is different now, however, is the speed at which globalization is happening, its overall scope, and its effects on the lives of ordinary people.  Not only are we interacting with, learning from, and integrating knowledge gleaned from other cultures and nations at an unprecedented rate There is now also a sense that no matter where one lives or how limited is one's face-to-face interaction with members of another nation or culture and how limited one's time is spent online. Globalization and its effects are inescapable. Effects of Globalization The effects of globalization are multi-dimensional. Meyer (2000) summarizes the effects of globalization as follows: Ø economic, political, and military dependence and interdependence between nations; Ø expanded flow of individual people among societies; Ø interdependence of expressive culture among nations; and Ø expanded flow of instrumental culture around the world. Economic Dependence/Interdependence When the term globalization entered the Philippine public mindset in the early 90s, it was popularly understood to be a mainly economic phenomenon, and a negative one at that. It was feared that foreign businesses would dominate the market, harming local industries, even though it was erroneous.  While Philippine society has come to realize that this early perspective represented a shallow understanding of globalization, the fact of the matter is that globalization has brought economic development to our society as a whole. By attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), new technologies, employment opportunities, and money have come into the country.  Kentor (2001) notes that foreign capital dependence increases income inequality in four ways: 1. It creates a small, highly paid class of elites to manage these investments, who create many but usually low- pay jobs; 2. Profits from these investments are repatriated, rather than invested in the host country, therefore inhibiting domestic capital formation; 3. Foreign capital penetration tends to concentrate land ownership among the very rich; and 4. Host countries tend to create political and economic climates favorable to foreign capital that in turn limit domestic labor's ability to obtain better wages. In simple words, "the rich become richer, and the poor become poorer."  Hout (1980) observes that international dependence (another word for globalization) tends to suppress adult wages, which in turn perpetuates the role of children as economic necessities (the familiar saying "Kapag maraming anak, maraming katulong sa hanapbuhay"), leading to explosive population growth.  Rapid population growth creates a large, impoverished segment of society that strains resources and contributes to economic inequality. This inequality fuels political unrest, leading to policies that redistribute wealth. These policies deter investment and ultimately hinder economic growth. Political and Military Dependence/Interdependence A survey conducted in late 2018 found that three in five Filipinos believe that the United States would intervene on behalf of the country in case of war (Viray, 2018). Despite the current very conservative stance of the US on its foreign policies, this can be taken as evidence of the Philippines' dependence on both the political and military power of the US in order to maintain its sovereignty as a nation-state Southeast Asia Region. Expansive Flow of Expressive and Instrumental Culture Expressive culture, as the term suggests, deals with how a particular culture expresses itself in its language, music, arts, and the like. Globalization encourages the monetization of these cultural artifacts and their import/export among participating cultures; the increased consumption of which changes the consuming culture.  Instrumental culture, on the other hand, refers to 'common models of social order' (Meyer, 2000)—that is, models or ways of thinking about and enacting national identity, nation-state policies both domestic and foreign, socio-economic development, human rights, education, and social progress.  A simple example of this is the Philippine educational system: Closely patterned after the American educational system, education leaders in the country closely follow the educational trends in America and select European countries, perceiving them to be the global leaders in the field. While this has served us to an arguably satisfactory degree thus far, it is interesting to observe that the problems and difficulties in American education eventually show up in Philippine education, albeit five to ten years removed. Expanded Flow of People among Societies The fact that globalization encourages the movement of people between nation-states should come as no surprise to us. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) estimates that there were 2.3 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) during the period of April to September 2017, who were responsible for up to 205.2 billion pesos in remittances (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2018).  Meyer (2000) observes three reasons for this: 1. socio-economic migration 2. political expulsion, and 3. travel/tourism  Socio-economic migration explains the Philippines' OFW phenomenon. Filipinos travel abroad to find better economic opportunities for themselves and their families for lack of said opportunities here. Political expulsion, on the other hand, has more to do with trying to escape the political climate of a particular country, thereby forcing an individual to seek asylum (and ultimately, resettlement) in another more favorable country.  Travel for the sake of leisure (i.e., tourism) is a strong indicator of economic development as more and more Filipinos are able to finance short-term travels abroad, fueled by curiosity that is fed by social media and enabled by globalization.  In your own words, explain what globalization is and discuss one positive and one negative effect it has on your country or community.