Group+3+Midterm

Elizabeth Lawson, Alan Arndt, Elaine Barnett, Mia Alvarado, Jasmine Gonzales.

Question Leaders: Jasmine (1), Lizzie (2), Elaine (3), Alan (5), Mia (6)


 * 1. What is globalization? Describe some of the differing characteristics of globalization offered by experts from the course readings. What are the various dimensions and dynamics of globalization discussed thus far in the Eitzen & Zinn book? Provide some description of each dimension and/or explain the 'dynamic' nature of globalization in some detail. What might be the benefits of globalization? What are the dangers or cautions of globalization? Include examples from the films, related readings and other sources. **

Globalization is the import as well as the export of multiple cultural factions such as ideas, politics, fashions, and economic sectors between countries. The recent rise in vast technological nuances, especially the social sect (Facebook, Twitter, smartphones...etc.) has given rise to a more globalized generation of citizens than ever before. Our current ability to posses a number of technological mediums by which globalization spreads has the ability to engender unprecedented positive and simultaneously negative globalized effects.

Human trafficking is one danger of globalization that sometimes goes unnoticed. Globalization has allowed for people to communicate around the world and create these trafficking rings. This video explains the relationship between globalization and human trafficking: []. As globalization continues to grow, our awareness of global issues will also grow. Even within the past few weeks, there has been a viral movement called Kony 2012. This movement is about an African leader who many consider a war criminal and how he needs to be brought to justice. Without globalization, our awareness of this issue would not exist and nobody outside the area affected would even care.

Economically, globalization has influenced the way the U.S. produces goods. We have invested billions in other low wage countries such as China in order to produce more goods for less of a cost. We are able to make higher profits because people in these other countries will work more for a fraction of what is paid here. This can also be identified as a “global assembly line” (Eitzen & Zinn, 2012, p.3). As said in the video, The Corporation, the bottom line of the corporate world is money. Profits come first and there is no such thing as “having enough”, according to these successful companies (The Corporation, 2003). According to this video, [] many Americans are unaware of where our products come from, who makes the product and how little they are paid. The usage of the beads in America is for recreational purposes, however, this small unimportant plastic product is made by the hard work of factory workers in China. Working conditons in the factories are often dangerous and workers are forced to work long hours with no breaks or free time.

Due to globalization we are more closely interconnected than we ever have been before. Today, hopping onto a plane and traveling to the other side of the planet can take less than twenty four hours. While increased exposure to other cultures is good for our society, it also opens up pathways for diseases to run rampant globally. Whereas, it took several months for the Asian Flu Pandemic of 1956 to spread from Singapore to the U.S. Viruses can now travel from one continent to another in a matter of hours, making a pandemic in any country a potential global threat.

The idea of globalization is not something new nor is it an idea that has changed much over the years. In 1946, there was a news reel called "Our Shrinking World" that discusses globalization starting from the invention of the wheel all the way to 1946. Watching the video, [] (Young American Films) and realizing that it was made 66 years ago, its surprising how our view has both changed and how it has stayed the same. It has changed in the way that we now see globalization more in economic terms. The reasons listed in the video are the ways that we should be viewing globalization and that is how it has stayed the same.

References:

Abbot, J.(Producer)(2003). // The Corporation // [DVD]

Eitzen, D.S., & Zinn, M.B. (2012). Globalization: An Introduction. In D.S. Eitzen & M.B. Zinn (Eds.) // Globalization: The Transformation of Social Worlds // (pp. 1-9 inclusive). Belmont: Wadsworth.

Young America Films. // Our Shinking World //. // YouTube //. Airboyd.tv, 1946. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. <[]>.


 * 2. What does Williams (Rothenberg, 2006) mean by 'empire as a way of life'? Explain his use of this term in some detail. How does he distinguish between imperialism and colonialism? How have both colonialism and imperialism shaped our modern world and our current concept of 'globalization'? (Greene, Kloby, and Rodney). How has it shaped views of race and racism? Give some detail about the ways your own understanding and definitions of colonization, globalization and imperialism have changed as a result of these readings and our class discussions. Offer some exmples from the readings or your own research and experience. **

Empire plays a large role in each individual's life starting in the early developments of society. Empire stems from the never ending desire to control another's actions, thoughts, feelings, and/or class. The culture of our society has made it almost impossible for lower class individuals to obtain upward mobility referring to social class. For example, placing high value on college education guarantees that some individuals will never achieve a high level of wealth and will have limited opportunities for employment because they cannot afford to attend. This allows wealthy people to hold a level of prestige and privileges our current society strongly values.. There is a significant correlation between William's "empire as a way of life"(Williams, 1980) and Marx's (Cherlin, 2005, p. 30, 31), conflict theory. It relates to empire because it states that there is a constant battle between the "haves" and "have nots" of society. This can lead to dominance over an individual's resources and can increase the amount of disadvantages they face.

While colonialism and imperialism both have multiple meanings, Williams describes colonialism as empires colonizing an area that has not been occupied or "...populated by people who cannot resist the invasion..."(Williams, 1980). Imperialism can be described as a relationship between two countries where the larger, more industrialized country has political and economic control of the weaker country, such as the relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico. Imperialism and colonialism both have supported racism not only during the colonization of the New World and other lands,as well as in today's society. For instance, in the colonization of Africa the treatment of the natives was purely based on the racist views of the Europeans who were colonizing the continent. Another more obvious example is the way the Europeans treated the natives during the colonization of the New World. Because the natives were not Christian, they were viewed as lesser people than the Christian Europeans that were colonizing the New World.

Therefore, it can be concluded that empires are created to spread the influence of those in power. One of the most well known empires is one that has etched its gruesome method in its attempt to exterminate those of Jewish race; the Nazi German empire. For many empires, it was the raging hatred and racism toward a group of people, the oppression of those people, and a lust for power that fueled the spread of their influence. However, we also see that it took the uprising of a more powerful people to overthrow the oppressive empire. Thus, it is necessary that a people devoted to liberty and the pursuit of happiness be ready and willing to fight and stand for the oppressed.

References: Cherlin, Andrew. (2005). //Families//. New York, NY: Mcgraw-hill. Williams, W. (1980). Empire as a Way of Life. In P. Rothenberg (Ed.) //Beyond Borders,// p.81-88. New York: Worth.


 * 3. The idea that the 'developing' or so-called 'third world' countries can 'catch up' by following the same path of industrialization, technological progress and capital accumulation that has been practiced by an industrialized 'developed' world is a pervasive idea in Western politics and economics. Mies calls this a 'myth' and offers her views about this assertion. Why does she (and Rodney) refute the 'myth'? Explain their position and give several examples that substantiate this argument from our readings and from your own experiences and related research. **

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To me, Mies' explanation in this article is a way of saying “the rich remain rich and the poor remain poor”. These “developed” countries have attained these riches of technology and economy by colonizing other nations. The Spanish colonization of South America was used as a way to exploit the land and find valuable minerals, silver and gold. The exploitation of land by the United States around the world for oil fields allows for the US to keep consuming the amount of energy we “need”. These underdeveloped, “third world” nations cannot “catch-up” to these already developed countries in the same manner because these “third world” countries are the ones who were colonized in order for the colonizers to gain development. How can the colonized, colonize other nations?======

According to Mies, the development of third world countries by developed countries at the cost of the third world country’s identity. The developed country’s lifestyle, values, and identity are forced to be the only one that the colonized country sees and therefore devaluing their own lifestyle, values, and identity. This is evident in the colonization of the New World by the Europeans. The identities of the native peoples were devalued and the identities of the Europeans were the only one allowed as the Europeans took control. When a more powerful entity takes control and seems benevolent for doing so, their ideology infects the less powerful entity. Therefore when a more developed country 'develops' a third world country the culture changes. They begin to strive to be more like the first-world country, not just in terms of wealth and development but in terms of aesthetics and mannerisms as well.

Mies states looking "at the history of the underdeveloped countries...can teach us that this catching-up development path as a myth..."(Mies, 1993). Even in the early development of America, European colonizers(developed country) fought to reform the Native Americans(underdeveloped country) way of life to more resemble theirs, claiming it was the better way of life. They believed that the Indians would benefit from learning their own language, customs, and the Catholic faith. However, not all Native Americans wanted to adjust to the so called "good life" and were much happier before they were colonized. During this process, many tribes were split up, killed, or fell ill with foreign diseases that the colonizers brought from the Old World. Because of all the negative outcomes, one could question whether it was really beneficial for the less developed natives. This supports the "myth" that colonizing underdeveloped countries or groups of people does not always have a positive effect.

There's nothing 'mythical' or wrong with looking at developed countries and seeing what it is that got them where they are and striving towards the same. Certainly, our country has this grand view of 'bigger is better,' and 'the more you have, the better.' I see that the result of this viewpoint, creates a great mass of minds that can become pompous in their thinking, believing in their own power. However, I don't agree that the success of the developed country is completely wrong. We have a very rich history of great leaders who stood when others wouldn't. I think it's important to not just look at our country's shortcomings and coming to the conclusion that it would be a 'myth' to strive towards it and hope for the kind of freedoms we enjoy here. Our history pages have a lot to teach us but also a lot of really positive examples whereby which the rest of the world and our present generation could learn from.


 * 5. Jan Pettman say, "within conventional histories of colonialism, women are largely absent"? How does her attempt to reclaim women's history enrich, complicate and transform our understanding of colonialism? Using current examples from the economic, political and cultural dimensions of globalization, how are women still absent or misrepresented in globalization? Provide some examples. **

Pettman makes many claims about the role of women in colonization. Her main claim is that their role was mainly a domestic role and goes so far as to call women "culture carriers" (Rothenburg, 2006, p 145) in their family and other groups. Pettman (Rothenburg, 2006, p.145) states that "they negotiated complex relations and contradictory pressures and identities, interpreting their worlds with reference to personal though socially located ideas and values." She claims for the most part, women were invisible during colonization. She also states that women were sometimes judged as being more racist than men. Men did sometimes face persecution, according to Pettman, when white men both lived and loved the colonized women.

Sexual politics of colonization develops from globalization. Pettman explains “colonized women’s sexuality was variously represented, in racial gender stereotypes”(Pettman, 1996). One of the most recent examples I have seen is the newest ad for Carl’s Jr., fast food restaurant. The commercial itself emphasizes more on the women’s provocative outfit and voluptuous body than the product itself. They are clearly attempting to sell their product through the young woman. Society is drawn to the seduction that is marketed through media which often leads to the hyper-sexual view of women. [|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdGsKzmCgB0.]Gender stereotypes are determinately part of the perceived role of women in colonization. In the end, it is all about control and how there is a need for some men to control women and they are just seen as objects. The Carl's Jr video is a definite display of this. During the colonization of Africa, women were stereotyped as idle, pampered, petty, parasitic upon empire, and tended by servants who were mistreated.

One reason women are misrepresented in globalization is because so few women in the workforce have a high-ranking job with multi-national companies. Though women make up for more than half of the workforce in the U.S., only around 15% of them are corporate officers. This also means that women are under-represented globally and in an economic sense. For the most part, the perhaps enlightening female perspective on ideas and business plans goes unheard. The simple fact that these women are employed in a male-dominated workplace also fosters negative stereotyping and may make the men that work there dismiss the women's opinions and original thoughts.

Through globalization we are able to see the different ways in which women are viewed and represented across different cultures. Historically, women were often treated as a debased object. Today, we see that this view of women is still held in high regards, often times ruthlessly demonstrated across many cultures and countries through brutal means. For example, in China sixty million females are silenced by a mass infanticide ([]). Across the Middle East, "honor killings" are executed against women, wives, and mothers for resisting male authority. If any woman could understand what it means for their voice to be absent or misrepresented, it would be these women, whose stories call out from a grave dug by a people of corruption.

These "honor killings" and other brutal attacks against women are a daily occurrence in other cultures, but they rarely if ever cause mass riots and protests. However, the burning of the Qur’an caused mass riots, protests, and a death count of close to thirty. ([]). Understandingly, the burning of a religious item is upsetting, but when a book being burnt causes more of an uproar than the attacks on women it just goes to show that those women have been overlooked in other cultures and societies.

Overall, women have played a significant role in the colonization by Europeans. Their role, unfortunately, has been neither recognized nor has it been positive. These roles were placed upon them by men. The role currently held by women has changed in developing countries has not changed very much. Women are still viewed in a less positive role than of the role of men. In developed countries, the role has changed to one that is more equal to the role that men have. They have an influence in economic, political, and cultural dimensions of that culture.

References:

Pettman, J. (1996). Women, Colonisation, and Racism. In P. Rothenberg (Ed.) // Beyond Borders, // p.142-149. New York: Worth.


 * 6. Compare and contrast Eduardo Galeano and William Appleman Williams' assertions about the ideological justifications offerred by colonial powers for their colonizing of others. Why were these justifications so effective? Compare these historical justification for colonizing others with the economic, political and cultural dimensions of globalization today. How are they similar? Provide some examples. **

Williams' provides evidence of how the English and Europeans justified colonization, one was by the way of racism and the other was through religion. In //Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in// America Juan Gonzalez states that the role of the English colonizers in the Americas was to "...conquer, occupy and posses the lands of the heathens and infidels..." (Gonzalez, 2011, p.13). The English viewed the Natives as an inferior race because their skin color was dark, which also led them to believe that they were heathens who needed to be converted into Christianity, because in Europe heathens were "...on sight generally darker...and hence visually tainted by the domestic force of the Devil who was always presented as black." (Rothenberg, 2006, p.84).

====Williams' article provides the justification of the English conquerors and the colonization of North America by the English settlers. Galeano’s article, however, looks at the Spanish colonization of Latin America, which differs greatly from the colonization of North America. As stated before, the role of the English was to conquer the land by either wiping out the indigenous population or converting them to Christianity. The English never were to acknowledge the Natives remaining in North America; those natives were pushed into their own communities and the “free colored class was considered an abnormality only barely tolerated” (Gonzalez, 2011, p.20). The Spanish colonizers, however, acknowledge the Natives and occasionally mixed with them and interracial marriage was sometimes tolerated. So while the Spanish did not colonize on the basis of racism, they did justify the colonization with the excuse of religion. The Spaniards claimed that they (the Natives) deserved the treatment they received because “…they do not believe in the miracles of Jesus Christ” (Rothenberg, 2006, p.137). The Spanish colonizers were to teach the Natives the role of the church and the Catholic faith.====

====A lot was done in the name of Christianity and Catholicism during the colonization of the New World and it is nothing new. All of the Crusades were done in the name of Christianity. The use of Christianity was so effective during the colonization was because of the ignorance that the Church enforced on their followers. For the most part, the Church was a heavy influence in everyone's lives and by spreading their teachings to the people of the New World, it seemed very justified. They probably felt like it was important to convert the native people of the New World because not only were they "saving" the natives, they were "saving" themselves by doing God's work. "All European settlers justified the Indian conquest and genocide as God's will..." (Gonzalez, 2011, p.13).====

Looking into current affairs, the Islamic religion is rapidly spreading worldwide. Like Christianity in the colonization of the New World, Islamic religion has made an impact on the evolution of American Society. Even before New World colonization, Islam sought opportunity to spread their faith, culture, and political beliefs throughout the North American continent. Their strategy today is to establish relationships with the press, politicians, schools, and churches to "...introduce Islam to a wider audience"(Yahya, 2010). Each day the globalization of this religion is becoming stronger.

Attacks on America after 9/11, in the name of Islam, have been numerous. We see that just as the people accepted ignorantly what the Catholic church told them to believe (until the spark of the Reformation), Islamic influence is spreading in more ways than many realize. Out of ignorance or fear of offense, many, as in colonies conquered in times past, will dismiss obvious attempts. Recently the attempt of implementing Sharia Law into an American court system was justified in that it was 'subject to individual and communal interpretations.' (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/09/federal-appeals-court-considers-sharia-law/). Also, a study done by a research institute, shows the explosion of converts to Islam in the United States after 9/11 ([]).

During early colonization the English settlers also established Democracy within North America. The democratic system which began with our Founding Fathers has shaped the United States into what it is today. With the founding of the Constitution, a check and balance system, and individual rights this country has a “…unique combination of strong and stable representative government with individual liberty…”(Gonzalez, 2011, p.25). This government that was formed by English colonizers is now trying to be established, by the United States, in Iraq. The United States military occupation in Iraq has led to the capture and subsequent death of former dictator Saddam Hussein, thus allowing the United States government to slowly “guide” the government system in Iraq towards democracy ([]). While this type of political movement in Iraq is not on the same level of the English colonization of the Americas, the implementation of the United States political beliefs to another foreign nation could be viewed as a type of “political colonization”.

Spanish and English colonizers justified their colonization of the Americas through ways of religion and racism. Their actions were done in the name of God and thus could be forgiven. This religious justification is still seen today by Islamic extremists. Globalization has allowed knowledge about this religion to grow. Also, Islamic religion is playing a factor to the democratic system that is beginng to rise in Iraq. Colonization through globalization is not a thing of the past. As the world continues to grow and connect with each other the religious, cultural, and political beliefs of others will be implemented in other nations and societies.

References: Galeano, E. (1997). Open Veins of Latin America. In P. Rothenberg (Ed.) //Beyond Borders,// p.127-141. New York: Worth. Gonzales, J. (2011). //Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America// (Revised ed.). New York: Penguin Group. Williams, W. (1980). Empire as a Way of Life. In P. Rothenberg (Ed.) //Beyond Borders,// p.81-88. New York: Worth. Yahya, Harun. (2010). The Rapid Spread of Islam in America. //Rise of Islam.// Retrieved from []