Communication and globalization

COMMUNICATION AND
GLOBALIZATION
World English
Culturally sensitive and
bias-free Language

COMMUNICATION AND GLOBALIZATION
“While globalization will make the world
smaller and more accessible, we must continue
to appreciate its vibrant diversity.”
-Jean-Philippe Courtois

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this chapter, you are expected to:
1. Explain how cultural and global issues affect communication;
2.Appreciate the differences of the varieties of spoken and written
language;
3.Write a reaction paper;
4.Determine culturally appropriate terms, expressions, and images; and
5.Adopt cultural values and intercultural awareness and sensitivity in
communicating ideas.
“While globalization will make the world smaller and more accessible, we
must continue to appreciate its vibrant diversity.”
-Jean-Philippe Courtois

Lesson 2.1
GLOBALIZATION AND ITS EFFECT ON COMMUNICATION
“Globalization is simply opening the free
marketplace to encompass the entire
world.”
-P. J. O’Rourke

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, you are
expected to:
1. Explain in your own words the
meaning of globalization, and its effect
on communication, and
2.Display creatively your understanding
of globalization.

PRE-TASK: Read the text below and answer the questions that
follow.
World Youth Report 2005
Source:
https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth
/globalization-wpay.html

A. Globalization
1. Globalization, roughly defined as the global integration of economies and societies,
a affects many aspects of young peoples’ lives. Youth have an ambiguous relationship
with the globalizing world, both economically and culturally. On the one hand, they
are most flexible and perhaps best able to adapt to and make use of new
opportunities offered. They are the best educated generation on new information
technologies; they benefit from economic growth; many travel around the world for
work, studies, exchange projects and vacation; and telephone and the Internet enable
them to stay in touch with friends and relatives abroad. On the other hand, many
youth, especially in developing countries, have been left out of the digitalization and
modernization process and lack the economic power to benefit from the
opportunity's globalization offers. Four effects of globalization on the lives of young
people are discussed below in more detail; the distribution of employment
opportunities, migration, youth culture and consumerism, and global citizenship and
activism.

2. Globalization can be a powerful force for poverty reduction.
Many countries have seen improvements in their welfare and
educational systems as a consequence of globalization.
Unfortunately, about 2 billion people live in countries that do
not benefit from globalization, mainly in parts of sub-Saharan
Africa, Western Asia, and the former Soviet Union’s. These
countries have seen a declining economic growth rate, loss of
jobs, low incomes, and poor education and health provision.
The income gap is widening not only between, but also within
countries.

3. Globalization has substantially changed the job market, to which
young people, as newcomers, are “most vulnerable”. New technologies
have replaced manual labor, mainly affecting low skilled jobs in the
service sector. Even in China, which has seen remarkable economic
growth, the rate of unemployment is rising due to the ongoing
transformation from agriculture to the less employment intensive
manufacturing and service industries, the reform of state-owned
enterprises and the reorganization of the public sector. Trade
liberalization forces companies to become more flexible and
competitive. Many have become increasingly dependent on low-cost,
flexible labor, often employed on an irregular basis. The outsourcing of
sophisticated programming assignments and semi-skilled jobs in call
centers to low-wage countries is perhaps the best-known example of the
global shift of employment opportunities for young people.

4. Migration, both within and between countries, is another aspect of globalization.
Young people have always been a significant group among migrants. As foreign
investment often creates job opportunities in the cities of host countries, rural
workers move to the cities. In 2003, 48 per cent of the world’s population lived in
urban areas, and it is projected that over 50 per cent will do so by 2007.c In 2002,
there were 175 million international migrants. Based on available immigration data, it
is estimated that some 15 per cent, or 26 million, are youths. Everyday thousands of
young people illegally try to pursue a life of fortune in a rich country, often
motivated by unrealistic information and high expectations. A parallel industry of
illicit travel agents, job brokers and middlemen has arisen, which directs the
trafficking of these migrants. The past two decades have seen a dramatic increase in
the trafficking of girls and young women, who are often lured into prostitution.
Young women and girls who are impoverished, uneducated or from indigenous,
ethnic minority, rural or refugee groups are most vulnerable to being trafficked.

5. Globalization has numerous consequences for youth cultures. The
increase in media streams has resulted in global consumerism. Through
television, music videos and movies, American and European-produced
content is increasingly dominating entertainment around the world.
Young people tend to adopt and interpret global products in terms of
their own local cultures and experiences, thereby creating new hybrid
cultural forms whose meanings vary with local and national
circumstances. Many youth in developing countries, as well as
marginalized youth in the industrialized world, are unable to fulfil their
raised expectations of material wellbeing. This may result in alienation
and frustration and, potentially, in crime and social strife.

6. Young people around the world show concern about the negative consequences of
globalization, such as unequal distribution of wealth and environmental degradation.
The anti-globalization movement has expanded all over the world and comprises a
heterogeneous group of non-governmental organizations, student groups, political
organizations and civil rights activists. The movement fights for various issues such as
global justice, fair trade, debt relief, and sustainable development. Remarkable results
have been achieved in the last two decades, including in the recognition of basic
universal rights and in the prevention of global threats. Despite the presence of many
active youth in the international arena, it may be argued that the diverse landscape of
issues, opinions, interests and beliefs among young people hampers the emergence
of a strong unified voice of young people and of a global youth and student
movement.

7. In order to address some of the concerns related to
migration of youth, young people need to have viable
alternatives to remain in their countries. This means
addressing root causes such as poverty, and by doing
so, seeking to redress the inequalities between rich and
poor nations. It also requires that young people are
provided, through education and skills training, with the
knowledge and confidence to become successful
participants in the labor markets of their own countries.

8. Most migration data is not disaggregated by age.
Data on the outflow and inflow of young nationals
would be a useful supplement to an analysis of the
global youth employment situation.
Footnotes:
a. See World Bank, Globalization, Growth and Poverty: Building an Inclusive World Economy (Washington,
D.C., and New York, World Bank and Oxford University Press, 2002).
b. Ibid.
c. See United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2003 Revision (United Nations publication, Sales
No. 04.XIII.6).
d. See estimate based on the average age composition of the 10 largest immigration countries; based on
data provided by the United Nations Statistics Division.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper
for submission.
1. Based on the World Youth Report, what is
globalization?
2. Do you agree that globalization can be a
powerful force for poverty reduction?
3. Discuss at least 3 consequences of globalization
on the youth.

WHAT GLOBALIZATION IS
The UNESCO website defines globalization as a multidimensional process
characterized by:
•
The acceptance of a set of economic rules for the entire world designed to
maximize profits and productivity by universalizing markets and production, and to
obtain the support of the state with a view to making the national economy more
productive and competitive;
•
Technological innovation and organizational change centered on flexibilization and
adaptability;
•
The expansion of a specific form of social organization based on information as the
main source of productivity and power;

•
The reduction of the welfare state, privatization of social
services, flexibilization of labor relations and weaker trade
unions;
•
De facto transfer to trans-national organizations of the control
of national economic policy instruments, such as monetary
policy, interest rates and fiscal policy;
•
The dissemination of common cultural values, but also the re-
emergence of nationalism, cultural conflict and social
movements.”

Globalization has been the buzzword in many academic,
business, and political circles for decades. The concept has both
been viewed positively and negatively. This is expected insofar
as globalization does have beneficial and harmful
consequences. However, whether we like it or not, globalization
is here to stay. Most countries are “interconnected and form
part of a single, interdependent global economy.” (Connor,
2014). And the best way to adapt to it is to anticipate and
prepare for its foreseeable and unforeseeable consequences.

Exercise 1
Identify whether the following words or phrases
characterize globalization. Write letter G if they
characterize globalization and letter N if not. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper for submission.
______1. Improved connectivity
______2. Independent economies
______3. Cultural diversity
______4. Financial integrations
______5. Free trade

THE EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION ON COMMUNICATION
Communication is the lifeblood of any organization and
globalization poses new challenges to communication in any
organization. One immediate effect is the increase in
intercultural communication. Communication in the 21st
century is increasingly transnational and intercultural.
Consequently, effective global communication proves to be a
challenge to many people since cultural diversity increases the
possibility of miscommunication. Consequently, it is assumed
that poor communication leads to poor job performance and a
decrease in employee productivity.

Another important consequence of globalization is the
rise of World Englishes where each country boasts of its
own variety of English. Experts claim that the Englishes
are different in relation to word use, pronunciation,
accent, and grammar. As such, the challenges to
intercultural communication do not only include
problems in slang or idiomatic expressions which non-
native speakers usually find problematic, but also
grammatical and pronunciation variations and other
verbal as well as non-verbal facets of language.

TASK
Infographics about Globalization
Please prepare an infographic about
globalization. The following information should
be found in the infographic:
1.Definition of globalization,
2.Causes of globalization,
3.Effects of globalization, and
4.Effects of globalization to communication.

Your presentation will be graded based on
the following criteria:
+ Content = 8
+ Creativity of presentation = 8
+ Task achievement = 4
Total 20 pts.
Refer to the example on the next page!
Be sure to make your own! 

Communication and globalization

Communication and globalization

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