This week we have been discussing Globalization--what it is, how it manifests itself and how Thomas Friedman's concept of The World is Flat plays into making our world progressively smaller. On this blog posting, I would like to hear your comments on whether you think Globalization is a good process or whether it has some problems associated with it. Please keep your comments to approximately one paragraph and try not to repeat too much of what other students have already posted.
Mrs. Smith
9/8/2011 03:48:46 am
When you post, please leave only your first name!
Nehal
9/8/2011 07:23:37 am
I think that Globalization is both good and bad. The main positive aspect of globalization is that it allowed us to become a smaller world and made communication a lot easier. By making the world smaller, it gave us the opportunity to get things done and get them done faster. One way that people can communicate faster is through the internet. Like Thomas Friedman and Mrs. Smith always say; "Anyone with a laptop and a brain can rule the world". Also, it is amazing how fast news travel now. I could be sitting in Egypt, drinking my cup of coffee, and watching the events of a protest that just happened 30 minutes ago in New York. However, globalization has many negative aspects. Even though lots of people have internet now, not everyone does. Everyone doesn't have a TV set. So even if globalization is making the world smaller, some people are being left behind. Another bad aspect of globalization is that life now moves too fast. If you get an idea, you have to introduce it fast before someone else gets it too. Like Thomas Friedman says, "If it can be done, it will be done". Life is moving so fast that we no longer have time to enjoy it or even think our idea through.
Autumn
9/8/2011 08:53:42 am
Globalization holds the effect of having both a positive impact and a negative impact. The negative things of the effect pale in comparison to the good things, such as universal communication. What I mean by that is the ability to contact any person from any country at any time. An idea that had once seemed impossible. It has made a level economic playing field for every young chap out there that thinks of an idea, and as soon as they have that idea, they better make it happen because, as Friedman said, in just the next second, it could be gone. Thanks to Globalization, we no longer have to worry about manufacturing for the millions with limited resources, because we have the whole world to choose where to manufacture from! Globalization has brought the people of the world together, yet at the same time, has divided us. You may find that the less fortunate, or financially inadequate have missed out on this whole day, and may not have enough time to catch up. Why, with the rate we're going at, 2020 might be the next wave we were waiting for! We are leaving more and more people behind, third world countries that have yet to experience the technology of today and understand the very concept of Globalization. Not just that, but sometimes information that was not meant to be released, gets out there in the Internet world, and then boom! The whole world knows in just the click of a button. Another negative effect of Globalization could be the material that is essentially being globalized. Sexual content, violent images, disturbing pieces of writing-these things also become globalized, and they do impact our world greatly. It is all in perspective, really, of how you consider things. With great things always come sacrifices and this is well known. Let us hope that the good may surpass the bad.
Adam
9/8/2011 05:17:51 pm
I think globalization is both good and bad to its own extent. Since both of these aspects can create the same amount of impact as one another, I think it is definitely important that globalization forms on the side with benefits, and in any way avoiding the flaws it can carry along the ride. As Thomas Friedman said with creativity, anybody with a computer and the Internet can create a business, simply meaning an individual now has the capability to start something big. The benefits of technology allow globalization to happen at a much faster rate than before. Tourism is a contributor since it allows foreign people to explore different countries themselves, giving them their form of experience in those countries. It allows the expansion of creativity and inspiration to work, and that is what can truly create great businesses amongst other things.
Ranna
9/8/2011 07:32:03 pm
Everything in life has advantages and disadvantages. Globalization is one of those things. I think the main important thing of globalization is technology because by using the internet, families and friends are allowed to communicate and stay in touch, no matter where they are. Another important thing is that people can use their imagination to do anything they want. Thomas Friedman’s Iron rule stated that “Whatever can be done, will be done.” That is both positive and negative. People can now use their imagination and create what they want but the problem is that when they get an idea, they have to announce it fast before someone else gets this idea. Another problem with this is that many poor people don’t have computers and internet. They might have many ideas in mind, but they won’t have the tools to create it. Those people are separated from the rest of the world and globalization and have a different view of the world than people with technology. A really strong negative impact of globalization is that there are many false things about people and countries being stated on the internet. People are allowed to write things about other people, but they shouldn’t write false things that would make other people believe it. A good benefit of globalization is that it made the world closer and many people know what’s happening in the world just by the internet, television, newspaper, radio, etc. Again, this also has a negative impact because the people who don’t have internet or a television won’t be able to really know what’s happening in the world as quickly or might never even know. If globalization is done in a way that will benefit everyone in the world and not leave people behind, it will be a great advantage to the world today.
Sarah
9/8/2011 09:39:19 pm
Globalization interconnects people around the world to each other. I believe it is both a good thing and a bad thing. Television, the Internet, tourism, restaurants, and travel all are factors of globalization. Television allows people to see different cultures in foreign countries around the world. The Internet allows people to communication with each other and it promotes education, due to information about foreign countries being on the web for public access. Tourism allows foreigners to explore different cultures and countries and experience new things. Restaurants provide foreign foods from countries around the world. At last, travel allows people to get to different places, faster and easier, to connect to foreign countries. In conclusion, globalization allows people to get information faster and easier by means of new technology and thus improve their education. It also allows ordinary people to put up their own information online and people from around the world can access it, comment on it, and spread it. For example, the Egyptian Revolution and the Tunisian Revolution were both “Facebook Revolutions” because they started and spread on Facebook. Both governments actually shut Facebook and the Internet down for a while because of all the communication and planning of when protests were going to be. With globalization, soon the whole world will have access to the Internet, information on the Internet, and technology to spread information about themselves, their countries, etc to make their lives easier with the information of new technology (and they save time). Business also thrives on the web because of technology and the world being connected, allowing industry to expand all over the world. A man in Peru can sell plates online now and is even thinking about making his plates in China because it's cheaper. As Thomas Friedman said basically said, “Wish it, want it, do it.”
Farah
9/8/2011 11:25:47 pm
In my opinion, globalization has more pros than cons. Thomas Freidman mentioned his concept of "The World is Flat" in one of his speeches. I agree with that concept because globalization made the world flat by connecting people. One of, and the most important, pro is that someone in Southwest Asia can easily buy anything, for example, a t-shirt, sold in the United States made in Brazil with Egyptian Cotton. Globalization 1.0 is when countries got to communicate and exchange products together. Globalization 2.0 is when companies started connecting. For example, PCs and Macbooks could actually read each other’s programs. Gmail users could send emails to anyone in the world including Hotmail users and Yahoo users. This is something that brought the world together. However, just because the world shrunk from size large to medium and then from medium to small, doesn’t mean it’ll stop there. Globalization 3.0 shrunk the world from size small to size tiny because individuals started connecting with, travelling to and being involved in the other countries’ business. Thomas also mentioned the 4 flatteners that affect Globalization which are personal computers, Netscape, the internet, and the ability to upload anything to the internet as opposed to just downloading stuff. He also mentions four business rules of iron. In my opinion, the most important rule is that whatever can be done will be done. This means if you won’t do your work, someone else will be there to take over your place, do the work you were supposed to do, and keep the profits to himself/herself. This rule inspires people, including me, to work hard if they want to turn out to be rich, famous, etc. The cons of globalization include people stealing each other’s ideas and taking credit for them because of the first business iron rule. Another con is that people know everything about each other. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. It’s a good thing because it gives other people a chance to work and it’s a bad thing because people shouldn’t be taking credit for other people’s work. Imagine spending 2 consecutive weeks studying and then someone who didn’t study at all sat next to you and cheated off of your paper. How would you feel? This is the exact same thing with the iron rule. I agree that “size tiny” is very small compared to “size large” but that doesn’t mean it is small enough. 1/3 of the world’s population doesn’t have access to the internet which isn’t fair. We need globalization 4.0 to shrink the world from “size tiny” to “size miniature”.
Baheya
9/9/2011 12:05:25 am
Globalization can be both, good and bad. But in my opinion, there are more postive aspects than negative ones. Thomas Friedman's book explains how globalization happened and what are its effects. Our world getting smaller everyday... Globalization is all about the interconnectedness between countries and individuals. People are getting closer and closer because of technology improvements that facilitated many things recently. Many important things changed with globalization, one of them is education. Trade,industries and business between countries became really easy. Communication of people in different countries in the world is also a really positive effect of globailzation, people are so close even if they are in very different places, not like a long time ago, people couldn't comunicate like we do right now. News travel faster than ever through the internet, TV and newspaper. Language, clothes and sports are almost the same in all parts of the world: products of America are found eveywhere and English is spoken in most of the countries. I guess that those arguments prove that globalization is good, but everything has some negative effects. For example, government's desicion in a country can really affect another country in a bad way. I generally think that it is a good thing that happened in our world, because without it, many major events in the world wouldn't have happened. Our world is now size tiny... Without technology, we can't survive in this world.
Priyanka
9/9/2011 12:24:30 am
Globalization is the process of increasing interconnectedness between societies such that events in one part of the world more and more have effects on people and societies far away. Everything has something good about it and something negative about it. Everyone has a different point of view towards globalization. Globalization is good because you can stay connected with people all over the world. If you have an idea you can share it with people faster. Globalization also helps in business. You can expand your business and have people all over the world work with you. However there is also a negative side to globalization. Some people are still behind. They don’t have the access to Internet and are not aware of what’s happening. Another negative aspect of globalization is that rumors spread much faster and some rumors can ruin someone’s career. Globalization can be very good but also has some negative points.
Faisal El Jawhary
9/9/2011 07:06:56 pm
My answer to this is both globalization is good and bad!!
Omar
9/9/2011 09:49:37 pm
Like everything in life, globalization has its advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on where you stand; are you living in a first world country or are you living in a third world country? Of course if you’re living in a first world country you’d probably think globalization is great, probably the best thing that ever happened. But just open your mind for a mere second. Imagine yourself living in a third world country where the access to things we take for granted, such as the internet, cell phones, air conditioning, shoes etc… are not a “given right” but a given privilege. What is globalization first of all? Globalization is the integration and the interaction between companies, people, and countries. Some of the positive things of globalization are that there is a wide range of products worldwide. Such as Adidas shoes, iPods, and Macdonald’s franchises. Globalization has also helped us to produce greater and much safer technologies. Another advantage would be that competing companies cause inflation to be kept low. And that has an effect on the number of job opportunities people can get. Like what Thomas Friedman said, globalization has made the world flat; meaning people all over the world can communicate easily, where someone across the globe can seem to be right next door. And that gives us the opportunity to have an insight on other cultures. While globalization has a lot of positive aspects it also has some negative ones. Globalization can widen the gap between the rich and the poor in many countries. Some companies take advantage of the need of jobs in third world countries which is done by paying the workers very little wages and forcing them to work in terrible conditions. And that leaves the worker with little to say because they’re in need of the job to earn money. Globalization can cause the loss of cultural identity because of westernization (Could be view as being good). First world counties might also suffer due to loss in jobs because companies are hiring cheap labor in third world countries. In my opinion, on the long run all of those disadvantages will leave the economy in a perplexing dilemma. Only time can tell.
AbdelRahman
9/10/2011 12:23:43 am
Globalization can be both good as well as bad, depending on who you are and where you live. It is good because it brings people together; it gives them the chance to explore new things in the world. For example, people from all over the world are able to buy things from the United States as well as other country very easily through the internet and other ways, things such as; clothes from Nike, phones from apple and blackberry, food from Macdonald's, as well as many other objects from different places. While globalization has a good side, it also has a dark and devious aspect. Think of it this way, if you are a worker somewhere in Asia where the costs of labor are low, you are getting paid minimum wage to do the same job as someone who works in the united states and earns at least four times what you earn each year. While this situation is incredibly lucrative for the employer, it is insufficient and unfair to the employee. So like almost all things in life, globalization has both a good side and a bad one, and it’s up to you to take advantage of that.
Raya
9/10/2011 02:12:36 am
Globalization has both merits and demerits. The advantage of this process of interconnectedness is the growing spread of development in corners of the Earth. Now, more people are getting connected to the people, ideas and, news of other parts of the world. Globalization has given great opportunities to the individuals or groups of people to spread their own ideas to the whole world through the web (.coms) like Thomas Friedman said. It also gave an individual the ability to built his/her own company and made this individual to be one of the ‘global economic players.’ It improved the communication as well as the economic growth and made the countries dependant on each other. It creates an understanding among the countries that relieve the likelihood of wars and battles. However, first, people misuse this interconnectedness by spreading detrimental ideas or bogus facts through the websites. Second, diseases can spread globally though the increasing trading and tourism. Third, according to the Iron rule of business ‘whatever can be done will be done’, said by Thomas Friedman, one has to sent their ideas before anyone else sends it and takes the credit. This increases the competition globally. Fourth, as all the countries are interdependent, if one country struggles with their economy then the other countries will also have an effect. For example, the US economic crisis spread globally making some other nations that are economically linked to the US economies are also suffering from crisis. Fifth, through globalization a country that is fully developed can control and dominate a developing country. Sixth, unemployment is also growing as markets are growing and factories are becoming more efficient. So, lesser people are required to work in a factory and also there factories lessen the wages of the employed people. Globalization is digging a big gap between people who are connected to the world and people who has no ways to connect to the world. It is also making a gap among the rich and the poor. Yet, this process of interconnectedness is helping a big part of the world to develop more and more and getting other people also connect globally.
Hania
9/10/2011 02:52:38 am
Globalization in my opinion started a very long time ago, when humans started trading what they had to offer. As Thomas Friedman said globalization started with countries and nations and then got even smaller to companies and further progressed to what we have now, through individuals. It's incredible and mind blowing how ONE person can change the world by creating something through his pc and making it international for everyone in the world to have a chance to have it. Globalization leveled the playing field for everyone, giving almost everyone an equal chance at creating something and making a change. "What can be done will be done" Thomas Friedman said in one of his speeches. I believe that globalization has its pros and cons. The same way good news can travel around the world in seconds, same goes for rumors. Internet can be used for great things and terrible things at the same time. But its become an essential to almost every person's life. It has truly changed the world forever. And not just the internet so much more, the ability to reach anyone in the world with your fingertips. You could be wearing a shirt right now that could be designed in America, made in China, by Egyptian cotton, and is sold in Rome. Without globalization we wouldn't have access to all the things we use on a daily bases. I also believe that we still have a long away ahead of us. People's imagination and creativity made everything possible and easier to make! "your only competition is your own imagination" another thing Thomas Friedman
Youssef
9/10/2011 03:05:51 am
The rises of technology lead us into a world of wide imagination. Individuals can rule the world by using technological devices. The interaction between diverse amounts of people throughout the globe introduced to us the concept of globalization. Globalization has both a light side and a dark side. It can be helpful for ones and a catastrophe for others. Most of the leading countries use the globalization concept due to their strong economic position and aid them in increasing their power. On the other hand, low-income countries don’t have the technological abilities to participate in the global interface. And, if these countries remain isolated from the new world, they will suffer economically. The greatest advantage of globalization is that individuals can be the masters of their own worlds. New technology aids us into having wide imaginations that indicate us to creating our own perceptions. But, the regulated laws provided by the government limit the freedom of actions done by investors and corporations. Finally, the idea of globalization will arouse as poorer countries interact and governments diminish these regulations.
Ashley
9/10/2011 06:24:13 am
I believe globalization is mostly good along with a few bad parts. The good part is that the world is now a smaller place to live in. It has allowed us to accomplish things that wasn't really possible 10 years back. We can now wear jeans from USA and shirts from Europe and maybe shoes made in Japan. We are now connected to the world because of the internet and receive news from around the world for free. Now, a good idea can make you go a long way because of the internet. The bad part about globalization is that a lot of people are not actually participation in the mass change. This is mainly because of where they live and the lack of money. So, those people are really falling behind in the game. The rise of globalization has also caused the fall of outdated technologies. For example, newspapers and etc. All in all, this "revolution" is causing our world to grow into in a smaller world.
Mounzer
9/10/2011 08:57:34 am
I think Globalization has both pros and cons. Globalization is a good thing because it lets us connect with people around the world and lets us know what's going on in the world around us. Before, you had to read the newspaper or magazines to find out what was going on around the world, and now we can just go on the Internet and discover what's going on in five minutes, yet the problem with internet is there are many things that are stated on it that is not correct. For example Wikipedia has many false facts about people, places and many other things. Something else I wanted to bring up about globalization is it brings people together, for example if you have relatives in other countries you can easily reach them through the Internet. An example of globalization is when someone located anywhere in the world, can buy products from the US or any other country. Its cons is that Globalization is great in the leading countries, yet other countries that re poor don’t use the concept of globalization, they don’t have the technology to use. If only you have a laptop and Internet you can make miracles. In my opinion this is a good thing because it allows the world to be connected and allows more people to be involved in what's going on in the world. As Thomas Friedman says, "Anyone with a laptop and a brain can rule the world." Globalization is what allows this statement to be true.
Nadim
9/10/2011 09:44:09 am
In my opinion, globalization has both positive and negative aspects, but the pros of globalization vastly outweigh the cons. As Thomas Friedman said “The global economic playing field is being leveled.” Which leads us to his theory of “the world is flat. Meaning that everyone has an equal chance in life, and the probability of more than one person coming up with the same idea, is very high. It all depends on who actually follows their ideas, and the result of that is competition between individuals all over the world.
Hussein
9/10/2011 04:33:14 pm
“The simple definition of globalization is the interweaving of markets, technology, information systems, and telecommunications networks in a way that is shrinking the world from a size medium to a size small,” as Thomas Friedman once said. I believe that globalization is a little bit of everything. For some people it is great, most others good, and a minority despises globalization. Little does anyone know that globalization is something you can't avoid. You are inevitably promoting it whenever you do the smallest task, whether it is switching on a kettle that has been assembled in China, or driving to school in a Japanese car, typing on a laptop that has been designed in the United States and assembled together in China, as little as writing with a German pencil. All of these actions provide to the concept of globalization. For me, globalization is an excellent thing. For me, globalization is going to an American school, with international students, being able to travel around the world and experience different cultures, being able to contact people that are thousands of miles away instantaneously, using technology that has not been developed in the basement of my country. I am for globalization to a certain extent until it starts changing cultures to suit peoples demands.
Nehal: Reply 2:
9/13/2011 03:04:13 am
This video that we have been watching these several days have influenced the way I view advertisements, the way I look at brands, and the way I will shop in the future. Next time I go to a Nike shop and pick a pair of running shoes, I would immediately think of the poor person who had to suffer immensely just so I can wear these expensive shoes. I can clearly see now how manipulative some advertisements can be. Getting a pair of Nike shoes won't make you run as fast or as agile as Michael Johnson. Another thing that the video made me realize is how advertisements are practically EVERYWHERE you go. They are in the streets, on television, and even on the internet now. Go to the search engine Google and type in "the best running shoes" and you will find advertisements for a dozen of brands; mainly Nike and Adidas. What I found extremely interesting is how people who run brand companies target the younger people (in their early teens). Like Mrs. Smith said: "Get then when they are young." That way they can be assured that you will still be using their products even when you are 50-60 years old. You would also probably advise your sons and daughters to get those same products. Another good idea portrayed by this video is how nowadays the shopping mall represents the town square. It is where people mostly meet and become influenced by the advertisements of brands. In my opinion, we should start using local/Egyptian brands. For example, Mobacco has amazing, high-quality, and reasonably priced products. There is also the underwear company, Cottonil, which as far as I know, produces products that are 100% cotton. It is time for us to start supporting these companies because if we don't soon, "they would eventually just disappear and we would be left with nothing but the extremely expensive international brands."
Nehal 2
9/13/2011 03:09:21 am
This video that we have been watching these several days have influenced the way I view advertisements, the way I look at brands, and the way I will shop in the future. Next time I go to a Nike shop and pick a pair of running shoes, I would immediately think of the poor person who had to suffer immensely just so I can wear these expensive shoes. I can clearly see now how manipulative some advertisements can be. Getting a pair of Nike shoes won't make you run as fast or as agile as Michael Johnson. Another thing that the video made me realize is how advertisements are practically EVERYWHERE you go. They are in the streets, on television, and even on the internet now. Go to the search engine Google and type in "the best running shoes" and you will find advertisements for a dozen of brands; mainly Nike and Adidas. What I found extremely interesting is how people who run brand companies target the younger people (in their early teens). Like Mrs. Smith said: "Get then when they are young." That way they can be assured that you will still be using their products even when you are 50-60 years old. You would also probably advise your sons and daughters to get those same products. Another good idea portrayed by this video is how nowadays the shopping mall represents the town square. It is where people mostly meet and become influenced by the advertisements of brands. In my opinion, we should start using local/Egyptian brands. For example, Mobacco has amazing, high-quality, and reasonably priced products. There is also the underwear company, Cottonil, which as far as I know, produces products that are 100% cotton. It is time for us to start supporting these companies because if we don't soon, "they would eventually just disappear and we would be left with nothing but the extremely expensive international brands."
Sarah 2
9/13/2011 03:38:39 am
When watching the video in class about the effects of globalization, some bad factors had emerged and set off a spark in my head. In the video, a lady discussed advertisements, brands, and how they are all over the place, globally. Every where you look, whilst walking on the street or out the window, you will see advertisements and big billboards trying to sell you something. Just look at Times Square, with the advertisements spread all over the place, high up on buildings. I think that you both HAVE a choice and DON'T HAVE a choice to succumb to these advertisements and buy their products. You have a choice because, well, it's your own money and you have free will, as well as common sense to buy what you really need or even want. You have the sense not to buy something just because everyone else is buying it. You do not have the choice in choosing what you buy because sometimes certain companies will make only one product and other companies do not have this product. This actually does give you a choice: buy it or never have it because there won't be another anytime soon. I'm kind of contradicting myself because whilst some companies might not all have the same product, they might have similar products that you can buy, but if you want the best of a certain product, then you have no other choice then to buy that product from that company. Many people don't believe in false advertisement and I am one of those people. If I see a guy shaving on TV and see a girl next to him, I'm not going to tell all my guy friends or brothers to buy this product to get girls. Some advertisements are actually good, like the new Mercedes commercial (where the car drives and drives in a circle on the tunnel walls), because it is credible and they show how it is credible (such as having a Nascar driver drive the car, showing how they measured everything and test the microphones, etc). On another note, malls today are basically advertisement factories of the same brands repeating over and over. I love certain companies that are famous world wide, like Hot Topic, but I hate wearing clothes that have brands on them (like shirts that have Armani written on them). Companies that are local/ traditional are disappearing and this is a bad thing because then countries start to lose their culture. The bad effect of globalization is that it will make the whole world the same. Also, kids are being sucked into this equation because they are introduced to advertisements and brands when they are young. I remember when I was 9 and I really wanted an Ipod Mini because everyone at my school had them. I ended up rarely using it and it had gone to waste, but my point is that it's not smart to buy something just because everyone else has it.
Autumn 2
9/13/2011 06:23:44 am
The word "impacted" may be an understatement for how I feel after watching "No Logo". I was astounded after making the discoveries I have made today. It never entered my mind that the clothes or accessories I wear are actually being made by, practically, slaves in foreign countries like Brazil and Japan! To see the inhuman treatment, the injustice that is currently being done to these people-I am beyond shocked. The need for a company to become a super company has increased, by the looks of it, by 200%. Nothing seems more important than having us buy. their. product. And the problem is, very little can affect these super companies. After hearing malls today being referenced to past town squares, I really understood the difference. Malls have become these trapped areas of recreation that do everything that they possibly can do, legally, to make you buy their product. Everywhere you turn you see "50% off", or "Buy one get TWO free". It is a battle with no mercy, and only very few will survive. Some you may know, like Lacoste, Abercrombie & Fitch, Gucci, Fendi, Juicy Coutoure, ect. They are the prime operators of Globalization, in that sense. There are so many other clothing stores that are not getting half the exposure these stores are getting, and their products are just as good, if not even better! A good example I would like to reference would be Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut, as we all know, are a fast food chain that have become global from a long time ago. The problem is, once they received all the fame and attention, Pizza Hut has lowered it's quality of pizza, therefore delivering and over priced, mediocre pizza. Lost was the idea of thick crusts and acceptable amounts of cheese. I'd rather eat the box it came in, than it the actual pizza, and I am very close to being serious. Now, this is from my experience with the Pizza Hut in Egypt. It just amazes me how something so ordinary-tasting, as you may call it, still stands as the best pizza place in the world. How? Logos, advertisement, media control. The Pizza Hut logo is no stranger to most people when it meets the eye, neither is the commercial. Companies have gone to certain extremes that are quite frightening. What's next? What happens when we run out of these supplies that make our top-of-the-line clothes? Then what? Could this be the makings of the next World War, an even greater fight for power? The power to be the one company to literally own the world? I liked the phrase that I heard today, "The world is not for sale". This is true, and for some industries, this still doesn't apply. An example would be WallMart. Tell me one thing these people don't sell and I will never buy from there again! They have become what many other companies want to become, or at least strive to. Like Disney, they want more and more followers, more people to buy from only them. This, what we are witnessing today, will be what we shall explain to our children and grandchildren. When the world had other companies and stores selling products, when you were still able to go to the local vendor on the corner of your street and buy a kilo of grapes. Maybe by that time, in the future, the world will have one company that we all feed into, without even a whisper of protest, which will be ultimately muted. We should use our rights while we have them, and take advantage of our voices that must be heard! Why wait and let the world decide what we want and what we need? We are still people, and we know exactly what we need. Just like most things, if left to linger, nothing will change, and what will happen will be inevitable.
Nadim 2
9/13/2011 06:42:54 am
The video that we have been watching in class has really changed my perspective on brands and advertisements. At first we would buy a brand because of a certain trust that has been established over the years. But now we buy brands because of the idea that is sold along with it. We saw a couple of examples of Brands that were all selling ideas. Virgin Megastore was selling the idea of independence and freedom. Car ads are selling the idea of road trips, blasting up the music, and singing out loud with your friends. Disney was the selling the American dream. It has gotten to the point where people have started living in the brand. Like Disney’s Celebration Town and the Mcdonalds Hotel in Switzerland. Trusting a brand isn’t the main reason why people buy products anymore. I think that everyone is free to do whatever they want with their money. As long as it’s your money, then no one has the right to tell them how to spend it. I personally think that advertisements influence your decision on buying a certain product. Advertisements are everywhere you go. You find them on the streets, the radio in your car, the television at your house, and even in public bathrooms. Something that I found really interesting in the video, is how malls are built like Town Square. I’ve been to many malls, but never before have I realized that there was a certain purpose behind the designs. Mrs. Smith brought up a really good point in class about how your aren't supporting your local economy by buying foreign brands. I think very few people look at it this way. If these local brands aren’t selling then eventually we will be stuck with all the expensive brands, because the rest are shutting down. Something else that i’ve learned from the video, is how people buy brands without knowing the hidden truth behind the making of that product. People started losing their jobs, because they were being replaced by cheaper labor, who were basically people being stripped of their civil rights. The video and class discussion, have really changed my thoughts on brands, and I am definitely going to try to support local companies and stores.
Farah 2
9/13/2011 07:16:00 am
Just because people think branded clothes/products are bought by show-offs, doesn't mean that it's necessarily true. I agree with their way of thinking because yes, brands such as Nike and Adidas don't actually make their shoes/clothes, but instead, they buy them from non-branded factories. However, we cannot blame them for wanting to make higher profit. We're paying for products of good quality and that's what we're getting because instead of buying less expensive raw materials, they cut down the wages of the workers. In some places such as Thailand, Philippines, China, and Indonesia, people don't require high wages. This is considered belittling, but it is their choice. If Chinese people, for example, ask for higher wages, the companies will not disagree. People give in and accept the lowest wages there is to offer; therefore, nobody will offer higher wages. I am aware of the fact that the raw materials that are used to make branded clothes are almost, if not exactly, the same as those used to make non-branded clothes; however, we do have a choice. People shouldn't be judged on whether or not they prefer branded products over local/non-branded products. If they have the money, then they have the choice to spend it however they may please.
Faisal 2
9/13/2011 07:37:34 am
Watching this video in class made me think twice now about buying anything. Now i know how things work around those stores with all the advertisements and commercial like NIke, Apple, Adidas ect. Lets take the Axe commercial for example..to be honest why do 95% of men buy Axe? because of the girls in all the ads, if there weren't any then you wouldn't find anyone buying them. the main point for No Logo is to take choice outside of the equation. you make the choices not he ads and logos, your the one with the money and brain. lots of innocent people protest for the ads to stop or new jobs or whatever all this is what makes globalization REAL in this world.
Mounzer 2
9/13/2011 07:45:17 am
After watching the video today in class i understood the hidden tricks of advertising brand names. People buy products after seeing the commertial or advertimsnets because of the idea behing the product. For emaple: Nike, they sell shoes ans assure you that you would run faster, or jump higher, but the probability that with or without nikes you wount run faster or jump higher for basketball players. Its kind of like they are tricking us into buying their product. When you see commercials of cars, they show you the advantages of having that car, such as having roadtrips with your friends and Pumping up the music. Another example is Gillette, the shaving cream, in almost all of their commertials, there is a hot girl with them(just because they use Gillette) and you probably wont have a hot girl stand next to you because you use that product. In the video it talked about somehting really intereting, that malls are like town squares because you would find everything there. People used to go to town square to meet up and talk, and now instead of going to town squares, they would go to the mall. Malls have the same rues that apply to town squares, except that people are not allowed to protest because its a private property. The reason for that is because they wont want anyone ruining their success. Just thinking about advertising makes me think about times square and all of its billboards advertising many different products. One thing i found was very shocking, is that nike fired many people, and hired cheaper labor. Watching this video taught me many things i did not now know about in advertisment
Omar
9/13/2011 04:46:53 pm
After watching the video about globalization for several days now I understood where the switch from buying from local shopkeepers to buying from well known stores or brands came from. The bands first started by instilling trust in there products after gaining there "followers" then they were in business. Something I found very interesting is how architectures have designed malls to look like town squares. Originally town squares were made for people to meet and talk about pretty much everything, but now the town square designed within the mall is used to make the public talk about the shops within the mall. Talking about new shops, sales, products etc... Something that has altered the way I view shoes is the suffering the workers were put through to make my shoes. The next time I go buy a pair of shoes I'm sure I will remember that the shoes took a lot of suffering the workers were put though to get only $1 per day like in Asia to assemble. That was something I also found interesting is that if we disassembled the shoes we might find out that all of its parts come from different parts of the world. Today when I was coming to school I realized an advertisement for Gillette which immediately made me remember our class discussion where we realized that all the videos have a girl in the background that likes shaved, smooth faces. This manipulated all the men into buying Gillette products so that women would find them more attractive.
Youssef 2
9/13/2011 05:23:24 pm
The number one reson that most people use to buy stuff is by the brand name. After watching the "No Logo Globalization" video, I found out that many shopkeepers are not benefeting from selling their products due to the lack of interest from costumers. Also, the salaries paid for factory workers are very low which is considered as being repugnant and inconsiderate. The top Companies like Nike, Polo, Tommy Hilfiger, etc. choose to get their products done in factories outside the U.S.(specifically Eastern Asia) due to cheaper labor. Although many workers are affected by brands selling their products excessively, most people tend to buy their needs from the top brand names. Advertisements persuade most of us to buy the products because we all think that by buying them we would get the best results like being too erratic or attractive to the other gender. That's how our minds work, atleat for now. Therefore, will we still be opinionated and firm about only buying from brands or will we be considerate and try buying from other shops that are not brands?
Ashley 2
9/13/2011 05:23:33 pm
The video that we watched in classed talked about famous brands and hsowed how they have literally started ruling the world. Also, I have learned that famous brands get their stuff made in sweat shops wehre the wages are really low and they support child albour. THis is all so they can get more profit from their products. The debate is that you dont have a choice anymore to buy non branded products anymore. I disagree with that statement because its your money you get to decide where you will invest it. All they try to do is advertise their prouducts inside our heads. Most of times this way works pretty good. After watching this video, i have realized the real story behind the famous brands.
Raya
9/13/2011 05:29:00 pm
I think that people should have their own choice of buying items they need from whatever company they want from. However I also feel that there are some people who just want to buy items from a popular company like Nike so that they get a good image. The completion amongst the companies and the logo is increasing rapidly. There are many other good companies that produce high quality items but do not have the ability to compete. I think this is because they do not have the ‘cool logos’ that can make them popular. Therefore, some people have this impression that these companies are not popular and they do not trust their products. So, I think that people should also try and examine the products from these companies, which are not so popular and without logos, and decide whether it is trustworthy or not. In my opinion, there should not be any logos because they cover the capabilities of other companies that are unable to compete as they don’t have good logos. Now, there are some companies that are on the level of competition. There is a possibility that, time by time, there might be very fewer companies left to compete against each other and due to that the range of products might decrease.
Hussein 2
9/13/2011 05:48:27 pm
Branding and advertising is one of the biggest techniques that businesses depend on. The brands and the ads' goals are to make you WANT to buy the product. They do that by showing you that you can't live without it. Even though that is not true, they only show you the best side of the product and that you will use it everyday/alot. They use pathos to manipulate your thinking. They view all the factors that sex, money, greed, popularity has when you buy that product or go to that certain store. These ads usually always never have any logic, but that is overthrown by the fact that you will become famous and cool. As Nehal wrote, if you wear a Nike shoe, you will never run as fast as Micheal Johnson. Therefore most ads make unsound arguments to show that the audience has the capability to be manipulated by public figures and actors.
Ranna
9/13/2011 05:59:47 pm
The No Logos video really made me think about where I get my clothes from and who makes them. I never really thought that I wear clothes that poor people make and are paid little money for. I think people have the choice of buying something or not. Just because the logos are nice, doesn’t mean the people have to buy from there. So, I think people are smart enough to know what to buy and what has good quality to buy. People shouldn’t go around buying stuff just because their friends have it or it’s popular. They should look at the quality and know what they really want. When I go buy things, I look at the quality and what I really like, not what others like and have. Also, the competition is high and companies that don’t have good logos are getting excluded.
Priyanka 2
9/13/2011 06:00:13 pm
No Logos! Have you ever wondered why you are buying a brand and how the brand you are buy is made? We buy brands because we trust that specific brand. Sometimes we are unaware that we are buying a brand because it’s in the fashion now. Like when we think about buying shoes the first brand that comes in mind is Nike because when we watch ads on TV we think that if we wear Nike shoes we can run really fast. I think that people buy brands because the trust on that brand. It better to buy brands that you usually buy from because you are comfortable with that brand. I think everyone should have their own choice to buy the brands they want. Brands are there for a reason. They get famous for a reason and I think everyone has their own freedom to buy whatever they want.
Baheya 2
9/13/2011 09:33:27 pm
We have been watching this video called No Logo for the last couple of classes and it has changed my thiught completely about stores and advertisments. The women said that business owners us ethe shopping mall as the center of everything. they use advertisments and shops to capture people's attention and people wouuld get iinfluence by the ideas and they would like to buy their products. She also said that people sell the ideas not the products, and the brands are there to make people comfortable and peolpe could trust that it is good quality.The problem with that is that international stores exclude local brands. I liked this video beacuse i never about logos in this way. I hope we would watch more videos like this.
Hania 2
9/13/2011 10:09:55 pm
These last couple of classes we have been watching the video called No Logos , I personally think people do not have a choice in what they buy because the corporate world create an illusion that made people feel like they're surrounded by the things they like and are used to but in reality they have created an atmosphere and products that you" need" to have and you want to have. And wherever you go you are surrounded by advertisements. I really like this video and it shows you what people go through so that you can wear this shirt!
Hania 2
9/13/2011 10:29:24 pm
Sorry, I sent it off without completing it, as I was saying I liked this video because it opened my eyes to what is happening in the world today. I realized that the media and the corporate world is such a huge part of our lives without us realizing. They are selling ideas to people not products take wal-mart for instance. Wal-mart paints a picture to people that it is a family store and because that is it's atmosphere not everything is allowed to be sold at wal-mart, companies think before signing a musician or change the cover of a music album. All of these aspects that we didn't even know of change our everyday lives.
Adam
9/14/2011 02:34:29 am
In class, we watched a video called "No Logos," going in depth on how the industry works in making our products, and how they work under certain logos. I am against logos as they make people think that if you buy certain products from that particular company with the logo, you can accomplish certain tasks, which is in a way true in its own extent. They say that they are selling "ideas" to people. Companies like Nike make people think their products can give them athletic skill and support, or Ikea giving people the thoughts that they can be their own architect. These are all advertised in ways that can get people to buy those products. The problem with this is that they don't know who's making those products, or simply what's behind the scenes. The big problem that I find in all of this is that people don't really have a choice on what to wear or what to buy, and that advertisement is not really hidden because in any way, advertising is everywhere. You don't have a choice with something you want, because whatever you buy is a form of advertising a logo, and at the same time, you only fill the pockets of that business with your money. Another problem is that younger women are chosen to work in factories because they are "easier to control." It shows that the business wants power and in a sense dominance at its topic and its production ways. However, there is an extent of choice that people have as they can buy from any of the stores with logos, and promote a variety of them at the same time. Which is in a sense, still maintaining the same problem with promoting logos and filling businessmens' pockets with your cash. I never thought about how the products and clothes I got were made, and the risks that many people had to go through to make products as simple as a pencil or clothes like t shirts and shorts. These aspects that companies have give them a sense of advantage over people as they, as the media, have a sense of control over everyone, but they are all in a sense competing for dominance as the ultimate company of their setting (Nike with sports, Ikea with furniture, etc.). I think that there needs to be a drastic change in the system that companies have implemented on their workers and on us before things go awry, and before people become completely under the system's form of control.
AbdelRahman
9/17/2011 03:05:28 am
Watching this video, "no logo" completely changed my understanding of the concept of marketing or branding. I learned that world famous companies such as Nike, Adidas, MacDonald's and others don't just sell a product, they also sell an idea. For example, Macdonald's is associated with the idea of family and bringing everyone together, Coca cola tries to give the idea of youth, fun, and enjoying life, IF you buy their product, which is of course not a fact but they make it convincing to a allure more consumers. From my perspective, i think that everyone has a choice regarding what to buy and what not to buy, whether they exploit that choice is a whole other subject. Everyone always want the best thing out there, not because it is cheaper or more comfortable, but mainly because it is so famous that everyone has it. People buy products from Nike and Adidas, not because they are the best thing out there, although they usually have high quality, but because when you are seen with a Nike shoes or t-shirt, you are thought of in a different way than if you are seen with any other, cheaper, product from somewhere like china or Vietnam, even thought the less expensive product may be better, but not as famous as Nike's.
Farah
9/17/2011 10:39:34 pm
Speed is among many things that are valued by Americans. It is very important to them because in their world, time is money. Bill Gates was being interviewed once and he said that time is so important to him to the extent that if he dropped $1000, he won't pick them up. The reason why he won't pick them up is because he believes that the time spent picking the money up can be consumed more wisely and will make a lot more than $1000. Fast food restaurants such as McDonald's will make you think that your time is as important to them as it is to yourself. That might be true in some cases, but not in others. The reason why they care about time is because they don't want to waste their time with one customer. The time spent with one customer in a fancy restaurant is the same time spent with 3 customers with 3 customers. All they care about is how much they make in profit.
Ranna
9/18/2011 12:13:48 am
Americans have many values that have spread around the whole world through globalization. I think the most important value is individualism. Americans think that you as a person are very important, even more than family. Many cultures however view family as the number one in importance. When people from different parts of the world start acting like Americans and think that individualism is very important, problems may occur. They may go against their family or even lose them for their own good and they will go with what benefits them as an individual. But I believe individualism can also be good because people are supposed to be allowed to be different and do whatever thy want. Of course they shouldn't do it in a way that will affect their relationships with family and friends. They should be smart and know what is good for them and their family. People also like to know stuff about other people. Through Facebook, many people can see pictures and know just about anything about someone. People are supposed to have freedom of information and they should be able to have anything they want about themselves available for others. It's their decision to do whatever they want.
Sarah 3
9/18/2011 12:50:22 am
I think the most important value that Americans cherish is the ability to get information. One example is an ad for Twitter, in which there was a man holding a cup of coffee and sitting at his laptop. A new tweet appeared on the screen and the man instantly raised his mug. Suddenly, there were tremors (most probably an earthquake). The man had saved his cup of coffee. This value is very important because if the man had not seen the new tweet, he would have spilled his coffee. Some more examples are Facebook being censored in Egypt for a while during the revolution. If this happened to Americans, they would be furious because they have different values, like the right of free press and getting information, as well as being able to contribute to it. Americans, not to be stereotypical or racist, do whatever they want and do whatever they want because they can. They also value the individual more than the family in its entirety. Other countries do not have the same views as the United States, but globalization is making it so that other cultures take in these views and sometimes assimilate them instead of their own diverse culture. This is both a bad and good effect of globalization.
Baheya 3
9/18/2011 02:26:47 am
The impacts of Americanization on the whole world have divers values. But in my opinion the most valued one is individualism or maybe the fact that people want to be like an "American ". Everywhere around the world, there are those teenagers who want to be like their favorite actor or someone they like, they want to dress, and walk, talk and think like them. Most of the times those actors are American. In this way, people spread Americanization and this, in some countries may exclude their local traditions and cultures. For example, in some countries, family is considered more important than a person, or individual, and when people start thinking in an American way, they will change their thoughts completely about how they should act independently and going totally against their parents' orders. This is very common in a lot of places in the world. Another value important in globalization is the speed. There is a difference in cultures, some countries like to be fast in their daily routine, but others like to relax and take their time. This is the case in Italy, people like to sit in a cafe, drink their coffee and talk with their friends, and for them it is their time to relax. But in American, Starbucks is their for them just to take their coffee and GO! There is no time to waste; they run to work, then go back home without wasting their time. Everyone has their own culture, but this will not last for a long time, sooner or later all the cultures will disappear under Americanization and we will all be the same, and do the exact same thing.
Adam
9/18/2011 02:34:09 am
Learning about the cultural impacts that the world has gained from globalization, I think one of the things that has definitely clashed with various cultures is democracy. It's a form of government which I believe has a sense of stability and freedom that people can have, and as clearly seen, the revolution was very much to get Mubarak out so they can start a democracy. Other countries like Syria, Libya, amongst other countries in the Middle East, are pretty much going for the same goal. Americans also have the ability to receive information that is pretty much open to everyone. It can be upsetting to them when something is censored or classified because they don't know what's going on, but, there are always bigger pieces to the puzzle that explain that censorship. Americans value themselves as individuals, which in my opinion is a good thing if you have goals of your own that you would pursue on your own preference, whereas other cultures are more family-oriented, which means you pretty much have to stick with the family and what not. Because of globalization, various aspects of all cultures find their ways into each other and can sometimes alter the course of that certain culture's evolution, changing it any way and form. The only problem is what the change will bring, either being beneficial or taking a turn for the worst. Otherwise, it would with no doubt be a wonderful thing to see various cultures taking aspects of each other and making use of those implementations.
Nehal 3
9/18/2011 03:36:37 am
As we have learned recently, there are many positive aspects to globalization. Today, however, we discussed a major con of globalization; loss of cultural heritage. One of the main aspects of cultural heritage's loss is Amercanization. Amercanization is how the spread of American co operations into countries affects their cultural values and traditions. For example, when an American company starts distributing its new dairy milk in supermarkets in a village and many people start buying. This had a good side because they now pay a cheaper price. However, this may affect the local farmer who used to milk his cows and sell their milk in the local supermarket negatively. Also, Amercanization spreads many values that some societies disapprove because it might hinder their culture. The most important value spread by Amercanization is speed; speed in work, speed in eating, speed in getting things done…etc. Some people don't like this value because it clashes with their relaxed, slow-paced lifestyle. Another aspect spread by Amercanization is the pursuit of money. Amercanization encourages people to leave their life, their family, and even their ethics behind just to get some cash. It stresses on the idea how money gets you respect, power, and happiness. Some, if not all, societies disagree with this concept. Most societies value family, ethics, self-respect, and being happy with whatever you have (modesty).
Hussein 3
9/18/2011 03:43:25 am
The Clash of the cultures is one of the most negative impacts of globalization. "Americanization," when people can't hew to their values, is a very popular case among, mostly, teenagers in Asia and the Middle East. That mostly depends on Hollywood, the city that casts all kinds of ethnicities and races but only exports movies that represent the American society. Another thing that is impacted by globalization is the export deficit in the US. This turned the USA from being an exporting country to an importing country, limiting most jobs to the service industry. Americans strive for the pursuit of wealth, fame, speed, individualism, openness, and freedom of information. This is all because of globalization.
AbdelRahman
9/18/2011 03:48:56 am
I think that the most important or cherished value that the Americans have is individualism. To take pride in one's self and actions. to believe and actually BE unique, special, one in a million. That is what being an american is all about. This however is not always a good thing, in many countries if you tried to be an "american" and valued yourself above all, that may be seen as selfishness, cockiness, and maybe even an insult. many other values that the Americans have, such as sex, drugs, alcohol use and others, are considered illegal and forbidden in many countries, especially Arab countries and the middle east, this also is another example of clashing of cultures.
Omar
9/18/2011 04:07:35 am
Something that has been a real eye opener for me is how cultures that value family and family traditions are starting to diminish. Living in Egypt has given me the opportunity to realize such a problem, before I would always empty out my Fridays for my family, where the whole family would gather around to have lunch. As I grew up, I would always hear, “Yom el gom3a yom 3aily”, meaning “Fridays are family days.” But now I hear most teenagers saying, “Fridays for family, pshh that was a long time ago.” Something else I realized to be true (in the article Globaliztion 101) is in Italy where normally Italians would sit down and chitchat while having their daily coffee. But now with the American “on the go, fast” coffee the practice has been altered. All of this is mainly because of Americanization, where the influence of the United States’ culture, technology, business practices, or political techniques are practiced by other countries. But there is also a good side to everything. While Americanization has made some traditions change, it also created more competitive companies, also meaning more job opportunities and so on. So the next time you think of globalization remember that the United States had a big role in creating globalization.
Raya
9/18/2011 05:34:37 am
Due to Globalization, and especially the spread of Americanization in worldwide, individualism has become significant to the people who are open to the globalization. There are countries that value families more than they value an individual. Individualism is both good and bad. It is good because each individual regardless their family position in a society has an equal opportunity as any individual. If a person with poor background has true talent then he/she gets equal success parallel to a person with a good background. So, it judges an individual with their true talent rather than their status in the society. It is bad because due to this individualism, some individuals ignore their family values. For example, a person’s family values teach him/her to work hard to get success. But due to individualism, this person might think about himself/herself and get an easy way to succeed. Without working hard, this person can gain success and wealth. So, I think in a way individualism gives rise to another value that is pursuit of wealth and success. The individuals think about themselves only, and how to become wealthy. Now a day, there are many individuals who ignores their family or national value such as to work hard to gain success and they look for an easier way to be wealthy and to succeed.
Youssef 3
9/18/2011 06:29:41 am
Globalization had several cultural impacts on all countries worldwide. A key player in the clash of cultures is the USA. The concept “my country’s heritage” is diminishing day after day. The activities done in America have a huge reflection on other countries that led our daily lives into being similar as theirs. For instance, I don’t listen to Arabian music recently. On the other hand, I check music websites daily to see new songs released by Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, and Usher. Even I don’t use my primary language, Arabic, a lot in my readings and writings which resulted in weakening my Arabic literature. I use English most of the time when I write due to the fact that I am a student in an American school in Egypt! One specific example of the clash of cultures is the sharing of information and individualism. Nowadays, most of us teenagers think continuously about our public image and how others reflect on it. Being simple is not used a lot currently like in the past. New online creations like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace have affected us in various ways. First, I think about what information I will share publicly that will make me stand out and turn out to be a casual lad. Second, I need to update my pictures so my friends could comment and say “ Love it ;)” especially friends from the other gender. Third, I need to add too many friends; therefore people could vision me as being popular. Fourth, I need to choose my tweets carefully. EVERYONE PLEASE RETWEET! All of these factors are part of our daily lives. The Western ideas have reached our minds and are sticking inside. As I said before, for most of us people, teenagers, individualism and our public image are our lives’ number one choice of thinking.
Faisal 3
9/18/2011 07:17:49 am
globalization is all over now. lets take Macdonalds for an example. name me one country that doesn't have Macdonalds..you can't because of globalization it everywhere and it has everything. now there are no more long breakfast's at home and coffee, its all on the go with the mac breakfast..sausage macmuffins and pancakes and coffee is what they offer to everyone for breakfast, look at what that has done to us now, more money spent on fast food then healthy and less time stayed with families because of that. another good example is Starbucks...now you can never go in and not find a drink you would not want, no more making coffee at home and sitting on the couch..its all globalization you go order one frappiccino cream base caramel and then you have a sitting environment with free wifi and none can tell you to leave..isnt that globalization or what ??
Nadim 3
9/18/2011 08:27:32 am
Mounzer 3
9/18/2011 08:42:03 am
Globalization has a negative impact towards people’s culture in lots of ways. Americanization is when a country is influenced by the United States, so yes, Americanization does affect is, because lots of countries look up to them. Another negative aspect on Globalization Is that in some families, some family members don’t stay together as much. You might ask why? Well that because maybe the mother wants to get a fast coffee from Starbucks, maybe the Son wants to go have a fast breakfast at McDonalds. Why not, they have great food and is done in a matter of minutes. I also agree with Omar with what he said, about Friday being a family day. When I was 7 years old, I wouldn’t dare go out on a Friday. Now I don’t think there is something called family day anymore. Another thing, all around the world, there are teenagers who look up to someone famous, and because they look up to him, they dress like them, walk and also try to talk like them, its ridiculous! And whoever that famous person is, it’s probably going to be an American. Music is also a problem, the reason I don’t listen to arabis music is due to Americanization. All the music I listen to is mainly coming from the US, not from Egypt.
Hania
9/18/2011 04:12:15 pm
globalization is spreading faster and faster day after day. And one of the main purposes is americaniztion it is mind-blowing how much everyone's everyday life is affected by it. speed is almost the most important thing in american life, that is why they created the term fast food. Take starbucks for instance, it is made to take your coffee quick and to go. But the Italians dislike this concept because they think they should sit and relax and take there cooffee with friends ant talk. Sometimes globalization isn't always a good thing because in some countries are losing there cultural traditions and adopting American culture. Like food comes late in other countries Americans dont't like that the food is taking so long. Something else that has been affected by globalization is Internet and Facebook because people want other people to know what they are doing second by second of everyday like uploading there pictures of there vacations. And the fact that people respond on Facebook faster when you say you are sick than face to face. People are slowly staring to lose how to interact with people face to face.
Priyanka
9/18/2011 04:31:05 pm
Americanization has a huge impact on globalization. Many people now adapt to the American culture because they have seen many successful things happen. Like Puritans said that if we are successful then the whole world would want to be like us. We have adapted to the clothing of American culture and many more things. Now speed is the most valued thing because everything is going by so fast that you don’t have time to eat properly. That’s why they have made fast foods because people who don’t have time they can quickly go there and eat. For example McDonald’s has a drive thru for people who really don’t have time even to walk in and order. Another example is Starbucks. In Italy people like spending time drinking their cup of coffee and talking about things happening in life but in the Americanized way you just go to Starbucks pick up your coffee and leave. Many things have changed in globalization like culture. People nowadays prefer the Americanized way more than their own cultural way.
Ashley 3
9/18/2011 05:24:20 pm
The Americanization value of work ethic is probably one of the most important one. The biggest example is that there is only 2 weeks of vacation per year in America. They are on time and value the work the most as the most important part of their life. This goes against other values from diffrent cultures. For example, for egyptians the most important part of their life is family, unlike work. So, if an american company opens in egypt they would be dissapointed with the efforts put by the people here. THis is where the diffrent cultures would clash.
Autumn3
9/18/2011 05:29:36 pm
An extremely important American value is being beautiful. And I mean this in it's most literal sense, Americans love beautiful people. People with large eyes, full lips, small noses, perfect skin, long hair, tall, skinny, and are volubtious. They want the perfect walking doll, because every woman is Barbie, and every man is Ken. We are blinded by the illusion that the perfect person is people that look identical. An example of the perfect woman would be, Angelina Jollie. Complented with her perfect husband, Brad Pitt. There is some disease, or some hidden drive that pushes us people to want to be just like them. Rich, famous people, are attractive people. They may not have started out looking attractive, but with a lot of money, a scalpal, and a cosmetics surgeon, you could be the most gorgeous person in the world (at least by their standards). I believe that this way of thinking is completely wrong, I think that beauty is indeed, in the eye of the beholder. Beauty cannot be made with man made tools, it is inside a person, and shines through whatever skin they are wearing. Plastic Surgery has sky rocketed in the past few years, and it is all because of the new system of Hollywood, which feels that it is completely necessary for everyone to look shiny and plastic cut. This is not a normal way of life, and I believe that it is getting out of hand. What with teenage girls starving themselves to become very thin to match the girl in the magazine, or the boy who fills up only on protein shakes to gain the muscles he sees the men wear on STONE magazine. Sooner or later, the world might be a place with only pretties, leaving those who are "normal" beind.
alaa3
9/18/2011 05:48:45 pm
The American value of fast food,I believe, is split into two points of view. I think it is not the manufactors falt for the speed at which fast food is diliverd. If I was owner of the Starbucks coffee cafe, I would want to serve my costumers with fast speed. Time is money, So the faster I bring the product to the buyer the faster I get money. but at the same time it is not only the manufactor that wants to serve with speed, it is mostly the people who want speed. America is a busy nation that bearly have enough time to eat breakfeast in the mornning, let alone sit down to drink a cup of coffee. It is the people of America that chose this life style,not the producer, although they don't mind the speed. Leave a Reply. | AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesMay 2012 Categories |
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