Philosophy
Explain why globalization is one of the key phenomena of current history and culture as the world has become smaller and economy has become increasingly global and intertwined. Describe what globalization is by examining some globalized entities (from Ferrell or your own). What moral problems does this situation pose?
I. Introduction
Globalization is one of the key phenomena of current history and culture as the world has become smaller and economy has become increasingly global and intertwined due to the unprecedented interconnectedness of human, economic, political, cultural, and informational resources the world has come to know. Ever increasing global pathways and networks keep on speeding up, intensifying, and narrowing down large-scale distribution and acquisition of local, national, and international goods and services. With globalization, the world has become a “global village” whereby all sorts of individuals, companies, organizations, and governments serve a variety of activities (that is, online communication, distance and online education, e-transactions, global community channels, etc.).
Some of the various aspects of globalization are evident in world politics, religious works, ecommerce, and education. Specifically, globalization has made possible the forging of worldwide understanding among some global entities or member nations (e.g., United Nations, World Trade Organization, etc.) through intercommunication, integration of economies (e.g., free trade), and online / distance education. On the contrary, there are terrorisms, cyber-exploitation, and widening gaps among developed, developing and less developed countries, which also brought moral problems posed by this global situation/context.
II. The History of Globalization
The process of globalization has a long history. When movement toward expansion of economic, political and social ties between countries started, the birth of globalization has also begun. From past to present, imperialists, colonialists, and capitalists states / corporations led the existence and continued presence of various economic, social, cultural, and political movements / changes. The word has shrink or become flattened by these global phenomena.
There were territorial, religious and political conquests. Imperialists and colonial states conquered many territories across the world. There were the birth of empires, discovery of the New World, spread of Islam and Christianity, and so forth. Concomitantly, there were monopoly of power, exploitation of people through slavery, and exploitation of natural resources even in the name of development, progress, and religion.
In this modern era, the process of globalization remains the same, but with a twist because of technological advancements. There are now better transportation, communication and related systems. Because capitalist multinational companies and transnational corporations continue to expand their reach at a global scale, more employment opportunities (e.g., business process outsourcing) become available and accessible to developing and less developed countries.
III. Global Entities: Citizens, Education, and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
When people think of global citizenship, distance/online education, and world organizations, diverse questions come to their minds. Are global citizenship, education, and organizations the integration of economic, social, political and cultural systems for peoples, organizations, and governments across the world? Do global citizenship, distance education, and global organizations contribute to peoples’ economic growth, prosperity, or democratic freedom anywhere in the world whatever their social, cultural, political, religious, etc. affiliations? Do global citizenship, education, and organizations refer to the dominance of entities in developed countries at the expense of the poor regions in other parts of the world? All these aspects are dependent upon the global perspectives of each individual, organization, or nation (European School Culham, 2009). However, what is exactly global citizenship, education, and organizations in today’s world? This essay will thus discuss global citizenship, open/virtual/distance education, and global organizations, such as the UNICEF, and accompanying moral problems.
- Global Citizenship
Global citizenship refers to all aspects that seek to increase not only the interconnectivity of people, but also the interdependence of organizations and governments around the world. In this Information Age, global citizenship has resulted to significant changes in the way people behave as they participate with one another even if they are thousand miles apart. The main factor that led to global citizenship is the technological advancement that allowed individuals to move freely, trade conveniently, and communicate internationally. It has been the chain reaction effects of the interconnectedness of production, communication, and technologies all over the world that created the term global citizenship. No matter what the global citizens’ cultural, educational, social, cultural, political, and economic activities, they are under world government systems (e.g., United Nations, World Health Organization, UNICEF, etc.). Global citizenship has offered diverse, deep-rooted consequences that not even the current massive economic crisis can break it down or permanently destroy it.
In the same manner, the differential success of regulation regimes affected the progress of peoples within many nations around the globe. Thus, some nations are reluctant in surrendering their citizens’ overall autonomy since they are afraid of the possible negative repercussions of social, economic, cultural and other forms of global integration. The major resolution to these changes was the harmonization of principles or the participation of countries to improve and enhance the efficiency of the delivery of products, goods, services, aids, etc.
Global citizenship, “as a heterogeneous and complex affiliation,” has without any moral problems or issues (Myers, 2010). Global citizens’ increased social, economic, and cultural interaction among different nations has led to the propagation of various, deep-rooted changes in the world scenario. This has been evident in that global citizens in most poor or rather third world countries have become more dependent on developed countries and world organizations. In addition, multinational corporations have prominently employed shift in economic power from one nation-state to another (Abendroth, 2009, p. 45), which all have impacted on the global citizens’ way of life. This has been characterized by circulation of technologies, as well as, practices, and ideas.
With the current technological advancement, global citizens are in a position to buy goods from the internet (Gaventa, & Tandon, 2010, p. 102). However, the negative repercussions this kind of process has caused is the decline in national governments’ failure to direct and have an impact in their own economies. A good example could be Japan whose economic shifts can be felt in countries all over the world because of the interconnectivity (Wood et al., 2006, p. 75; Haffner et al., 2009, p. 63).
The lack of influence of the national governments does not mean that they are gone completely; but, in essence they remain “pivotal institutions” as described by Hirst and Thompson, “especially in terms of creating the conditions for effective international governance” (1996, pp.170). Notwithstanding, global citizenship, one way or the other, has issues that remains to be tackled time and over again.
B. Global Education: Open/ Virtual/Online/Distance/ Blended Education
In former times, parents sent their children in other countries just to learn and then return home to share what they learned to their fellow citizens. Postal services (i.e., snail mail) were used for students to receive announcements and lessons on a regular basis. Even for people who were already employed, distance education became invaluable for those who want to be promoted. Workers learnt new knowledge, techniques and skills which they used on their jobs. Whereas, in today’s global setting, distance education has many unprecedented possibilities as it promotes various educational opportunities that bring knowledge closer to learners. It has become a well-known educational mode because learners can take classes at their own pace. In addition, there is no need to go in schools regularly. In most cases, students have the chance to learn from world experts who hail from abroad.
Most countries across the globe embraced distance learning because of the emergence of new technologies (e.g., television). In order for some countries and universities not to lose their best students, they rather invite and/or hire foreign experts to their institutions. This way, students no longer have to go abroad. Further, with globalization in today’s world, access to education that sets the global standards (e.g., edX.com) has somewhat bridged the gap, especially in countries where student cannot afford to study abroad.
Using a computer and internet connection, studying at one’s own pace and free of charge in these world-renowned educational institutions was made possible. Today, as ever before, individuals who have the proficiency and knowledge to become well-equipped in programming, sciences, globalization, and related disciplines, these edX institutions are just mouse click away.
Moral Problems Posed by Global Education
Despite the fact that the internet has provided many advantages because it serves as the global information superhighway, it has without any negative effects. Through the internet, the world’s computer networks and telecommunications has connected everyone who has access to it. From education, world politics, economy, social networks, and other means of interconnectedness, the internet has increasingly grows in popularity from the first down to the third world countries.
Although the government can exercise much control, prevention, and regulation of internet resources available to its global learners, not to mention their constituents, virtual cross-territorial boundaries are hard to police. Even the public who are supposed to serve as the self-police to protect themselves and safeguard their children are also victims of cybercrimes because they also patronize in hideous ways these illicit and illegal forms of online contents. Furthermore, internet service providers who are considered as the primary gatekeepers over the internet are not all pro-active and abide by the set cyber-laws and regulations.
In social networking sites, which professors and students’ use, some are not very much fully aware of their online privacy, unless they learned it beforehand or where told to. Because of the presence of online crackers / hackers, there is a possibility that these peoples’ account may be sacrificed. When they do online browsing, coupled with e-transactions, their personal details may be stolen from them and then used by unauthorized users for malicious purposes. Even innocent students’ online creations (e.g., photos, videos, etc.) can be a target by anyone who may accidentally yet purportedly used them publicly.
Hence, many educators are fearful concerning the negative effects of the internet because they argue that face-to-face classroom discussions and interactions will decline; thus, causing quality education to be sacrificed for its learners. The reason for this worry is because the presence of too much information over the internet. With too much information comes the devaluing and inaccuracy of information. Many students cannot always distinguish between accurate and true information from illegitimate sources. Instead of using sources from reputable sites, there is a possibility, for instance, that they use information from non-reputable academic or scholarly websites and therefore plagiarize, either intentionally or not.
In addition to the preceding statement, there are teachers and students who use the World Wide Web as a productive resource and tool, but there are also those who may use copyrighted, patented and proprietary materials, which could be forms of plagiarism. Aside from the internet as a virtually limitless resource of information, many students use it only as a place to browse, email, chat, and play games. On the other hand, there are also learners who are not competent enough for self-directed and self-paced learning. They prefer to have face-to-face meeting with their teachers in the classroom. They feel isolated without the presence of other students. They find it hard to adjust to a virtual teaching-learning setting. Because of this, they still revert to the traditional form of instructions although there is the hybrid distance/online learning setup.
Even though it was envisioned that each student should have a computer, the cost of computer, internet, and related devices in every classroom is still expensive. This is not to mention the cost of maintenance for repairs, as well as, in paying electricity, computer instructors, and other experts (e.g., programmers). Likewise, the expense of training teachers to acquire computer knowledge for them to teach the subject to students is still expensive; worse, no budget is allocated for them.
C. Global Organization: The UNICEF
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), an international development agency, is the main UN agency that protects and promotes the rights of children worldwide for them to have improved health and education (Perez, 2009). Its establishment took place in December 11, 1946 after World War 2. It has now nearly 200 member-countries. It supports and works closely with the UN development goals of controlling diseases and mortality among children (UNICEF, 2013). These goals are in aligned with UNICEF’s advocacy to help even in the antenatal and neonatal cares of pregnant women, which includes the breastfeeding period of their infants.
UNICEF collaborates with other UN agencies, donor organizations, national agencies, local governments, and non-governmental organizations to achieve its mission of improving the developmental readiness of children to attend and participate in basic education. Aside from educational opportunity, it is also involved in the promotion of gender equality, prevention of mother-to-infant transmission of HIV/AIDS, children’s protection policy development, and other forms of partnerships for the rights of children. From the time of its inception hitherto, UNICEF has conducted various humanitarian aids, efforts and/or actions for children worldwide.
Moral Problems Posed by Global Organization (e.g., UNICEF)
UNICEF, and with today’s Information Age, has made it possible to advocate at a worldwide scale concerning the plight of children. UNICEF has made it possible to look after the welfare of its primary global recipients –the children. With the participation of different countries, organizations, and individuals around the world, UNICEF has achieved and continue to achieve its goals of protecting children – as global citizens – especially, the least advantaged and vulnerable ones against abuse, harm, maltreatment, inequalities, child labor, malnutrition, and so on (Edmonds & Pavcnik, 2005; The New York Times, 2013). It has also done significant works in its cause for global peace and development efforts.
UNICEF have collaborated with international organizations (such as the World Health Organization) just to improve local access of children and their parents to basic health and life needs (e.g., water, sanitation, health, and education) (WHO, 2012). With this, it is evident that UNICEF’s contribution to the world is evident in its own culture of intergovernmental dependence and collaboration to eliminate negative factors that impoverish nations and their peoples (Horton, 2004). Despite of UNICEF’s global efforts to help children in developing nations, the issues remain for the least developed countries (e.g., sub-Saharan countries) where the mortality rates of children are still high.
IV. Summary and Conclusion
This essay has answered the questions above. The discussion revolves around the important characteristics globalization and its many facets, such as citizenship, online education, and global organization. There were moral problems, concerns and issues regarding the positive and negative effects of global citizenship, internet education, and world organizations in peoples’ lives – whether economically, politically, socially, culturally, etc. Global citizenship was linked to individual, organizational, and governmental interconnectivity and interdependence.
On the other hand, online/distance education has increase more in prominence because students get the most benefits than traditional classroom instruction. With the advent of advanced technological tools, students can attend classes either online or face to face. In times past, the lack of one-on-one meeting is an issue in distance education. These days, students can work personally in a online collaborative environment to construct knowledge. Due to globalization and online education, virtually physical limitation is no longer a challenge. Students can work anywhere as long as they have their computer plus internet with them.
Lastly, more than six decades after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the global landscape has changed direction affirmatively, drastically, such as the founding of UNICEF, which have made milestone strides to help children in need and disadvantaged due to poverty, gender inequality, HIV/AIDS, abuse, illiteracy, etc. Because children are the youngest of the global citizens today, the global impact that UNICEF has on various countries continue to be seen at an unprecedented scale and continue to be so.
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