Unit 3

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

LESSON 6

COMMUNICATION AND GLOBALIZATION

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

a. Define globalization;
b. Understand the impacts of globalization on communication;
c. Demonstrate an understanding of globalization and its impacts to
communication by giving insights.
d. Demonstrate knowledge about globalization as an economic phenomenon.

INPUT

THE GLOBALIZATION PHENOMENON

'Globalization' and 'global' are terms we often encounter today. These terms
are associated with realities outside the territories of nation-states. All countries are
engaged in globalization. Very few (if any) societies are unaffected by this phenomenon.
Because of this, we need to understand exactly what it is, and more importantly, how it
impacts communication.

The following reading text provides information about globalization. Before reading the
text, research about the following:

• Reuters
• International Monetary Fund (IMF)
 Paris Agreement on Climate Change
• Oxfam

WHAT IS GLOBALIZATION ANYWAY?*

By Alex Gray (World Economic Forum, 2017)

HOW GLOBALIZATION WORKS

 1) In simple terms, globalization is the process by which people and goods move
easily across borders. Principally, it's an economic concept - the integration of
markets, trade and investments with few barriers to slow the flow of products and
services between nations. There is also a cultural element, as ideas and
traditions are traded and assimilated.
2) Globalization has brought many benefits to many people. But not to everyone.

STORM IN A COFFEE CUP

1) To help explain the economic side of globalization, let's take a look at the well-
known coffee chain Starbucks.

2) The first Starbucks outlet opened its doors in 1971 in the city of Seattle. Today it
has 15,000 stores in 50 countries. These days you can find a Starbucks
anywhere, whether Australia, Cambodia, Chile or Dubai. It's what you might
call a truly globalized company.

3) And for many suppliers and jobseekers, coffee-drinkers, this was a good thing.
The company was purchasing 247 million kilograms of unroasted coffee from
not to mention 29 countries. Through its stores and purchases, it provided jobs
and income for hundreds of thousands of people a over the world.

4) But then disaster struck. In 2012, Starbucks made headlines after a Reuters
investigation showed that the chain hadn't paid much tax to the UK government,
despite having almost a thousand coffee shops in the country and earning
millions of pounds in profit there.
*Condensed from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/01/what-is-globalization explainer/World Economic Forum, written by Alex
Gray, published January 10, 201

5) As a multinational company, Starbucks was able to use complex accounting

rules that enabled it to have profit earned in one country taxed in another.
Because the latter country had a lower tax rate, Starbucks benefited. Ultimately,
the British public missed out, as the government was raising less tax to spend on
improving their well-being.

HOW DID GLOBALIZATION HAPPEN?

1) We might think of globalization as a relatively new phenomenon, but it's been

around for centuries.
 2) One example is the Silk Road, when trade spread rapidly between China and
Europe via an overland route. Merchants carried goods for trade back and forth,
trading silk as well as gems and spices and, of course, coffee. (In fact, the habit
of drinking coffee in a social setting originates from a Turkish custom, an
example of how globalization can spread culture across borders.)

WHAT DRIVES IT?

1) Globalization has speeded up enormously over the last half-century, thanks to

great leaps in technology.

2) The internet has revolutionized connectivity and communication, and helped

people share their ideas much more widely, just as the invention of the
printing press did in the 15th century. The advent of email made
communication faster than ever.

3) The invention of enormous container ships helped too. In fact, improvements in

transport generally - faster ships,

WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT?

1) Globalization has led to many millions of people being lifted out of poverty.

2) For example, when a company like Starbucks buys coffee from farmers in
Rwanda, it is providing a livelihood and a benefit to the community as a
whole. A multinational company's presence overseas contributes to those
local economies because the company will invest in local resources, products
and services. Socially responsible corporations may even invest in medical
and educational facilities.

3) Globalization has not only allowed nations to trade with each other, but also to
cooperate with each other as never before. Take the Paris Agreement on Climate
Change, for instance, where 195 countries all agreed to work towards reducing
their carbon emissions for the greater global good.
WHAT'S BAD ABOUT IT?

1) While some areas have flourished, others have floundered as jobs and
commerce move elsewhere. Steel companies in the UK, for example, once
thrived, providing work for hundreds of thousands of people. But when
China began producing cheaper steel, steel plants in the UK closed down and
thousands of jobs were lost.

2) Every step forward in technology brings with it new dangers. Computers have
vastly improved our lives, but cyber criminals steal millions of pounds a year.
Global wealth has skyrocketed, but so has global warming.

3) While many have been lifted out of poverty, not everybody has benefited. Many
argue that globalization operates mostly in the interests of the richest countries,
with most of the world's collective profits flowing back to them and into the
pockets of those who already own the most.

4) Although globalization is helping to create more wealth in developing countries, it

is not helping to close the gap between the world's poorest and richest nations.
Leading charity Oxfam says that when corporations such as Starbucks can
legally avoid paying tax, the global inequality a crisis worsens.

5) Basically, done wisely (in the words of the International Monetary Fund)
globalization could lead to "unparalleled peace and prosperity." Done poorly, "to
disaster."

? COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (20 pts.)

The input above provides information about globalization— how it works, how it
happens and what drives it, and what is good and bad about it. Check your
understanding of the input by answering the following questions:

1. What do the following words mean? Use context clues from the text to determine the
meaning of the words.

a. enabled

b. enormously

c. flourished
d. floundered

2. What does the experience of Starbucks tell the readers about globalization?

3. What are the driving forces behind globalization?

4. What are the benefits of globalization?

5. What are the negative effects of globalization? (mention at least 4)

THE IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION ON COMMUNICATION

GLOBALIZATION- It is a process of interaction and integration among people,

companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and
investment and aided by information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on
culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical
well-being in societies around the world.

We call it globalization because it is the transmission, or the interaction, integration of

people among people, companies, and governments in different nation. So, globalization cannot
go away from disconnection in the society. We connect one another and when we connect one
another, we inject something, we play best practices, we integrate values, we integrate culture,
religion, or inject new to the place or something that we can actually learn from each other. This
involves the people, companies, government from different nations.

So, this is the reason why we have globalization because we are doing this for connection
internationally- by doing business with them. So, that’s why our local products are exported to
another countries in order to have connection to the people. And once we are having a trading,
we are expecting for investment, return of investment. It could be in the

form of products, services, or even our communication. For example, we have our ESL or
English Second Language Tutorial Businesses, and without the presence of the information
technology – globalization cannot happen.

So, the results of globalization have something to do in environment, on culture, on

political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being
in societies around the world. When we talk about ENVIRONMENT, we are aware of even if we
don’t go there, we can actually see the way how they live, their norms, cultures. We discovered
their norms, values, what kind of environment they have. Because of globalization, we can
actually be exposed to the kind of environment that they have.
 Because of Globalization, it leads us in understanding on the way of living that they have,
their CULTURE, the way how they dress, how they talk, they live and that is something that
globalization can help us.

POLITICAL SYSTEMS. In the world governments there are a lot of types, monarchy,
democracy, aristocracy, oligarchy. These are different forms of government, because of
globalization, we are aware of that not all countries are democratic, some are republican, some
are monarchy, and theocracy.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY, that is why the leaders of the

nations will actually go to one country to another, to solicit, help, assistance, in order to help our
country back.

HUMAN PHYSICAL WELL-BEING IN SOCIETIES AROUND THE WORLD. This will be able to allow us
see, know their physical well-being, how they live their lives, what kind of society that they have.

More Impacts of Globalization on Communication

VIRTUAL INTERACTION- We are not bounded by geographical locations anymore or time

in space because we can actually interact virtually.
CULTURAL AWARENESS IN SPEECH- Due to globalization and communication, cultural
diversities are actually much more highlighted and appreciated. This is making us more
aware of who were talking to, what we’re talking about, and all the various context that
there are in terms of communicating.

CULTURAL AWARENESS IN BODY LANGUAGE- One country is far different from other
country the way how we actually project ourselves.

 In Brazil, we have the okay sign. It’s actually a sign of a woman’s body even for the
Turkey. In Japan it means money, in some European countries, it actually suggests
zero, worthless, or someone is homosexual in some European countries.
 Thumbs up in North America suggest that okay, you’re good but in Middle East,
South Africa, South America, this symbolizes someone’s ass.

TIME DIFFERENCES- it has an impact to our time. It’s actually one of the reasons why there
are people who are working at night, and people who are studying at night.
 As more people cross borders because of globalization, more language contact
happens, making communication more challenging. You may view a video entitled The
Effects of Globalization on Global Communication. Use this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8vFKaKjYz8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWgA9oj0Eys

? COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (for Oral recitation)

Check your understanding of the input by answering the following questions:

1. In what specific ways does globalization affect communication?

2. What are the things that people do now which could not be done before
globalization?

3. Are the effects of globalization on communication positive of negative? Support your

answers with concrete examples.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Assess your understanding of the concepts presented in this lesson by

answering the following questions.

About globalization and its impact on YES NO NOT

communication SURE
1. Is globalization mainly an economic
phenomenon?
2. Do globalization processes take place in rich
countries alone?
3. Does globalization contribute to the deepening of
poverty?
4. Does globalization adversely affect
communication?
5. Is there a country in the world today that is not
affected by globalization?

SYNTHESIS

1. Globalization is essentially an economic phenomenon because it is concerned with

the movement of people and products across national with.
2. Because globalization moves people across borders, its effects are felt not only in
economic terms, but in social and cultural aspects as well. Thus, globalization
also impacts communication.