Globalization

05-02-13

Today we talked about the definition of "communication".

The definition is communis, meaning sharing.
We have verbal and physical communication. Even non--communication is still communication.
When we write we communicate and the same goes for reading. Information is passed on to us.

10-02-13

Assignment:

• Reflect on this quote: Globalization can ... be defined as the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa.'  (Anthony Giddens, former director of London School of Economics).

I would like to start by defining the word “globalization”. The Oxford English dictionary writes: the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international level.

Anthony Giddens takes this definition even further by saying: “intensification of worldwide social relations”….

I agree with him. It is not just businesses or organizations that have become globalized. Our whole world has become globalized. We are never further away from one another than a phone call, a text message, an email or even a quick chat over Facebook, Twitter etc. Skype makes it possible to visually be in contact with one or more people at the same time; and if you have the efficient capital you are able to travel worldwide in a short amount of time. Many of us live in multi-ethnic societies where different cultures live side by side.Therefore the world seems to have become smaller as we are all, or at least can become, interconnected.

• ·      Write core concepts from this challenge with definitions

 Globalization challenges diversity

Diversity, meaning of being diverse: showing a great deal of variety, very different.

The challenge of living in a diverse community is that we may be ignorant towards one another, which often leads to fear of the unknown. Differences in religion, culture and general ways of life have some places unfortunately resulted in clashes of hatred and violence. It is therefore extremely important that we learn to become tolerant and take interest in one another. I know this is much more complex than just “being tolerant”, but it is a good starting point. By getting to know our neighbors, our colleagues, our classmates etc., we might be able to reflect on our own way of living. Maybe we even learn new positives ways of thinking and acting that may bring value to our lives.

Globalization challenges the lack of privacy

Convergence, meaning the process or state of converging: come together from different directions so as eventually to meet.

Converging may enhance the feeling of being interconnected, but it also challenges our values on privacy. Let us talk about the use of the internet and social media. In this GPC class we are asked to create a blog for everyone to see. On the one hand it is exciting to share information and ideas with one another. On the other hand I feel I have to be extremely careful of what I write. What if a certain part of information on my blog it taken out of context and used against me?....

In social media such as Facebook we are opening our lives for many to see. Of course we choose what information we want to share and personally I think it is a fun way to connect with friends here in DK and abroad. Luckily we have privacy settings, but it seems to me that many have forgotten or simply do not know they exist. Some post information and photos that in my opinion are quite intimate. TMI I sometimes think…Personally I feel this challenges my view on privacy and I am sure I am not alone with this thought…

• ·      What is already done in schools in your country?

The Folkeskole law, paragraph 1 part 3: “The school must cooperate with parents to provide students with knowledge and skills to: prepare them for further education and make them want to learn more, make them familiar with Danish culture and history, giving them an understanding of other countries and cultures, contributes to their understanding of man's interaction with nature, and promote the individual student's all-round development”.

In the Danish Folkeskole, globalization is taught in connection with the subject citizenship. It is usually part of the Danish class curriculum. There are several books that are published for teaching citizenship. Among those is a book called, “Citizenship in school, it is everyone's responsibility”, Mattias Andersson et al. 2008.

The description of the book:

"The book is about what it means to be a citizen in society, and how the school can help to support children and young people's education and upbringing of citizenship both locally and globally. The book discusses questions such as: What is citizenship? Who are my fellow citizens? What does it take to be actively participating citizen? The book is intended for teachers and student teachers. The book provides an introduction to how to work with citizenship in primary schools. The book provides concrete examples of how citizenship education can be approached in everyday life. It is everyone's responsibility is part of the series Citizenship in school. The series also includes student books for Danish and Christian studies. The book is published with the support of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Integration".

Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke offers a workshop called Global Camp: "Global Camp is an intense and interactive day where students from 6^th-10^th grade, for six to eight hours, deal with global citizenship in an earthy way. Through active education, activities and discussions, students get an insight into how they can take responsibility and act in a global world".

In 2008 the Danish teacher's education founded the class KLM, which translates: religious studies, ethics and citizenship.