Introduction
Globalization refers to the process wherein social, cultural, and natural resources are exchanged . For so many years, many cultures have been isolated, thanks to the remoteness of their location, their isolative social, cultural, and even perhaps their behavioral perspectives, and a lot of other factors that may hinder a population from interacting with either a larger or smaller group for the purpose of integration. This example is the smallest form of globalization. Globalization is simply the exchange of information between one group of people and another. The exchange can happen through a lot of ways or mediums. As long as there are exchanges, be it in the form of natural resources such as the commodities that are most frequently traded like oil, natural gas, perishable goods, manufacturing raw materials, etc., and provided that it happens in an international scale, then we can always refer to that process as globalization.
Globalization is more than just a concept. It is more of an outstanding idea that people in the earliest of civilizations have unconsciously been a part of . The people of the Roman Empire for example did not know they were already making dramatic changes on the perception of being in a cultural and societal group and the powers of working as a group. In this paper, the contribution of globalization to the process of shaping communication systems in different areas of the world, both historically and currently will be assessed, and by drawing on recent and past literatures, it will be ruled out whether the concept of globalization brings leads to a more positive than negative development, organization, and the use of media within local and international context or otherwise.
Globalization
As mentioned earlier, there can be many ways to define globalization but perhaps the simplest definition that we can associate it with would be the exchange of information, cultural, and natural resources between one group and another. On a larger scale, globalization can be an exchange of information between more than two groups. Suppose Group A exchanges information with Group B while Group C simultaneously exchanges information with Groups A and B. Globalization works like a network wherein the participants engage in various forms of interaction that facilitate the exchange of information, regardless of the medium being used. The example used is the most basic idea how globalization happens in an international scale today.
Globalization can be compared with the simpler and a lot older process we call “communication.” The two possess a lot of similarities probably because globalization, although on a significantly larger scale, refers to the exchange of information that happens every time an individual or a large group communicates. It is important to remember that although these two processes possess similar goals—to facilitate the exchange of information, the former happens on a considerably larger scale than the latter .
The process of globalization, according to literatures, happens in a very fast pace today, thanks to the latest developments in transportation, telecommunications infrastructure, and most importantly, the birth of the virtual world of internet . These have so far been the major factors that rapidly boosted the way how the world views globalization and the rate by which it happens. Imagine how slow the world can be globalized if the world still continues to perform trades and basically all process involving exchanges using medieval ways; imagine the world without the internet, and mass communication technologies such as the radio and the television. Perhaps that would be like living in an entirely different dimension.
Some sources say that globalization started during the age of exploration while some argue that the real point of origin of globalization was on the age of industrialization . From a personal point of view, considering the way how globalization has just been defined in this paper, globalization may indeed have started during the age of exploration. It however required centuries before it could totally blossom and it appears that during the age of industrialization, marked by the major improvements in the field of transportation and telecommunication, thanks to the people who invented the traditional internal combustion engine—as a contribution to the field of transportation, and the ones who invented the telephone—as a contribution to the field of communication. These two fields work hand in hand in further accelerating the rate of globalization. The breakthroughs in these two fields sere as the main catalysts of globalization for without such, it is very possible for us to be still living in a less integrated society.
Globalization greatly affects our understanding of the shaping of communications systems in a way that it allows developing nations to follow the good examples of the leading nations, in the industry that that particular country wants to excel in . Suppose Country A is one of the leading countries in terms of telecommunications inventions, and Country F aspires to be in the same position someday. That can easily happen through globalization. Obviously, such goal can never be realized without it. Country F may even surpass Country A someday because it can easily collect smaller chunks of information that can contribute to major breakthroughs in the field of telecommunications just like the way how Country A does. In a way, globalization makes the global economic and cultural arena a more exciting venue where countries who are the players in the contest could play. It does not only encourage communication and exchanges of information but also competition.
Imbalances in Communication Resources
The fact that the backbone of globalization is the process of communication has already been established. Now, it is the perfect time to point out that that backbone is brittle and could crumble at any moment, due to the existing, and actually longstanding imbalances in communication resources between Centre and Peripheral nations. Everyone has the right to communicate and express their ideas, and so there should never be a hindrance for nations to communicate. Unfortunately, that still remains as an ideal situation which as of this moment cannot be attained, thanks to the limitations on communication resources. The goal this time would now be to facilitate balance and equality in the distribution of communication resources in local, national and international levels. This now leads us to the issue of power. At this point in time characterized by rapid globalization and an almost unhindered flow of information, being the one who is in control of the flow of information would definitely be an advantage. This is exactly how rich and powerful figures in the national and international arena think and they are right in almost every way in thinking so. These people can broadcast whatever type of information they want and make the people believe of manipulated truths. If muscles were the source of power in this civilization’s prehistoric period, information now is the main source of power. Globalization is similar in a lot of ways with communication but it happens on a much larger scale and unfortunately, the former can easily be limited thanks to its dependence on the industries that make money in filtering and regulating the flow of information, qualities which would then of course greatly impede the rate of globalization .
Capitalism and its impact on Globalization
Capitalism, in relation to its effects on Globalization, appears to be a double-edged sword. Some literature suggest that it is Globalization’s main driving force for without the goal of being a prosperous and influential capitalist and industrialized state, many countries would prefer to be isolated. Capitalism is one of the major reasons why most countries open themselves to the world. Let us take the case of the North Korea and South Korea as an example of the impact of capitalism on Globalization. It has been more than five decades since the communist-backed North and the democratic-backed South has battled for who will take charge once the entire Korean peninsula becomes reunified. The war did not end with a peace treaty but in an armistice and so the two countries are still technically at war with each other even in a modern day like today. The North has embraced the conservative ideas of communism while the South has adopted the liberal ideas of democracy. The conservative principles of communism slowly but surely turned the North into a hermit or an isolated state while the liberal—in terms of everything, ideologies of democracy turned the South into a capitalist and industrialized country—these are the main factors that could answer why the South evidently appears to be a lot more prosperous than the South.
The North Korean government owns and runs one sole media organization. Any other media organization that has been established and operates aside from this sole media organization is considered illegal. In a communist state, the media is primarily controlled by the government and so we can assume that the flow of information there is neither as smooth nor efficient as some countries without such restrictions. Additionally, other communist countries also own and run their own state media compared to democratic countries that do not. The South Korean government on the other hand does not have any restrictions when it comes to owning and running media organizations. Every South Korean citizen has the right to voice out his thoughts about the government, and about anything, regardless whether it is a positive or a negative one. Any person or group can own a media organization and broadcast information. Everyone can engage in bilateral interactions with both national and international entities provided that there are no restrictions on the other side of the deal. South Korea after several decades turned into a capitalist and industrialist state. It has received countless foreign direct investments from international for-profit and not for-profit organizations. The North on the other hand has continued to close its doors from the international community and this and its other conservative decisions negatively affected its economy. The North is definitely neither a globalized nor a capitalist country. Much of the government’s attention has been on military instead of economic improvements. Regardless, what we can infer from this example are the possible long-term effects of globalization on a country’s economy, and its citizens’ welfare; and also how capitalism can fuel any country’s desire to engage in globalization.
What an Ideal Communication System Should Be Like?
Based on the ideas about globalization we have just discussed in this paper and the possible long term effects of communication restriction, there should now be a clearer picture of what an ideal communication system should look like.
An ideal communication system should be independent and not run by any organization directly or indirectly-related to the government. Communication systems should never be influenced by internal and external factors such as political issues both in a national and international level. The way how a liberal government such as the United States regulates its communication and media systems can actually serve as a perfect example of how a communication system should look like, provided that the goal is to further enhance globalization.
Conclusion
Anything that constrains the flow of information and prevents its supposedly unlimited flow would never enhance but rather halt or even regress the development, organization, and use of media within local contexts. The laws and policies that the government implements with the way how media organizations should be regulated can directly affect the rate of globalization. Ultimately, it all boils down to the idea that the freer the flow of information is, the faster the rate of globalization would be, and the more conservative and impeded the flow of information is, the slower rate of globalization would be. In some cases wherein the flow of information is greatly impeded by both internal and external factors, globalization can even be stagnated, as in the case of some isolated countries as in the case of North Korea in comparison to its counterpart in the South.
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