Blog 1: What Is Globalization? - Kim minji

 

1. What I Understood from the Reading and Class

Before taking this class, I thought globalization mainly meant that countries trade with each other more and that people can easily access foreign cultures through the internet and SNS. I also thought about it as something related to big companies selling products around the world. In other words, I saw globalization as something happening outside of my everyday life.

However, after the reading by Robertson and White and our class discussion, I started to think about globalization in a broader way. It is not only about the movement of goods and money. It is also about how people around the world have become more connected and aware of each other.

One idea that stood out to me was time-space compression. Because of the internet and other technologies, physical distance does not feel as important as it did in the past. For example, I can see news about an event happening on the other side of the world almost immediately. I can also watch videos or communicate with people in other countries without actually going there. This made me realize that events happening in other countries are not completely separate from my life.

2. The Various Aspects of Globalization

Globalization can be seen in many different areas of our lives.

First, there is economic globalization. Companies produce and sell products in many different countries, and economies are connected to each other. Because of this connection, an economic problem in one country can also affect other countries.

Second, cultural globalization is something I can easily see in my daily life. For example, McDonald's and Starbucks are found in many countries, while K-pop has gained popularity outside Korea. Korean dramas and movies are also watched by people around the world through streaming platforms. At the same time, I can watch Chinese dramas, Indian movies, or other foreign content in Korea. I think platforms such as Netflix and YouTube have made this exchange of culture much easier.

Another aspect is social globalization. People travel, study abroad, and move to different countries more often than before. Social media also allows people from different countries to communicate directly. Because of this, it has become more common to meet or interact with people from different cultural backgrounds.

3. What I Learned from the Reading

One thing I found interesting was that globalization is not necessarily a one-way process. Before taking this class, I mostly thought of globalization as Western or American culture spreading to other countries. However, Korean K-pop, dramas, and movies are now consumed by people around the world. This showed me that non-Western countries can also influence global culture.

I also learned that globalization can have both positive and negative effects. It connects people and creates more opportunities to communicate and exchange ideas, but it can also create inequality and conflict. For example, some people may feel that globalization threatens their jobs or local identity. This can lead to stronger nationalism or opposition to globalization. I found this part interesting because it shows that becoming more connected does not mean that everyone will have the same opinion about globalization.

Another thing I became more aware of was digital globalization. I used to think of globalization mainly in terms of products, money, and international travel. However, information and digital content are also constantly moving across borders. We use Google Drive, Zoom, YouTube, Netflix, and social media without really thinking about them as part of globalization.

This made me think about my own daily life. I can easily communicate with someone far away or watch content from another country, but I may not even know the people living in my neighborhood very well. Globalization has made the world feel smaller, but I am not sure if it has always made my immediate community feel closer.

4. Conclusion

After the reading and class discussion, I now think globalization is much more connected to everyday life than I previously thought. It affects not only the economy but also culture, communication, and the way we understand the world.

I do not think globalization can simply be described as good or bad. It creates opportunities for people to communicate and experience different cultures, but it can also create new problems. For me, the important point is understanding both sides and thinking about how people can stay connected globally while also maintaining their local communities and identities.

Discussion Question:
Thanks to the internet and SNS, we feel closer than ever to people and events on the other side of the world. But has this same hyper-connection made our relationships with the people physically closest to us, such as neighbors and local communities, more distant? Does global connection come at the cost of local connection, or can the two grow together?


* I used an AI tool to refine the wording and grammar, but the ideas and analysis are my own.

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