What is Globalization ?

In the broadest term possible, I consider globalization, interconnectedness.  Lechner's website offers several comparative and contrasting definitions which ultimately draw back to a positive, negative or specialized version of interconnectedness.  For example, he cites authors who claim globalization is economically based, socially based or politcally based.

The fourth bullet on Lechner's site, which quotes M.Albrow, is a definition I find to be the most agreeable.  It incorporates economic, social and political themes of global interconnection.  However, in the definition, Alborow condemns globalization as an "exercise in increasing influence over peoples lives," which has a hand in "shaping, human activities."  He says the purpose of the "globe" has become to have a hand and influence on and over people.  (The Globalization Website)

This fear of globalization as a connection which uses people for it's gain, is echo'd in Beyond globalization theory.  Curran and Park concede that western influence is indeed powerful, propelling itself across national borders, but that at a national level, that influence is not necessarily permeating individuals to a level of detriment.  In fact, "Detailed comparative schedule analysis suggests that most television programs on mass channels are not imported,  but produced nationally." (Curran, Park 11)  Television, as described by Curran and Park, reflects interest and entertainment styles of the nation, a nation which, discussed in "Aims," has more power over itself than the "globe." (The Globalization Website)

In their concluding argument,  Curran and Park put the nation over the global in reference to political, social and, economic influence. This is a positive aspect to globalization, it soothes fear that a global world will shut down the local one.  In Norris's article however, globalization can also be negatively defined in it's future potential.

He uses statistics to demonstrate the disparities between internet access in nations like "the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany"  and " Turkey, Mexico, and Poland."( Norris 3)  This disparity will further the "center-periphery distinction," i.e keeping societies in their respectively high and low socio-economic status.  In being highly interconnected a society can prosper politcally, economically and socially because of the increased availability of resources and opportunities, whereas the less connected societies suffer increasingly because they are stagnant and isolated.

Works Cited
Alborow, M. "The Globalization Website - Issues." Welcome to the Department of Sociology - Department of Sociology - Emory University. 2001. Web. 05 Oct. 2010. <http://www.sociology.emory.edu/globalization/issues01.html>.
 Curran,James/ Park, Myung-Jin: Beyond globalization theory. In: Curran, James/Park, Myung-Jin (eds.):De-westernizing Media Studies, pp. 3-18
Norris, Pippa: Information Poverty and the Wired World. The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics Volume 5, Number 3, Summer 200.