Globalisation is good. There, I said it. Globalisation, like any concept and practise created for humans, by humans, has it’s flaws and failings; however overall, it is good.
I have said “good” one too many times now, so I shall now use another term-great. Globalisation is great. And I truly do mean that, for years I was sceptical about the rationality and potential effects this new found concept would have on our world. I was worried and concerned that our farms would be sold to the Chinese. That the Japanese and Korean car giants would ultimately obliterate our car scene. That our companies will downsize while India and other poor, low wage countries up sized in employment. And yet, looking back now, this all has happened. So why do I say that globalisation is great?
We are capitalists. Even if you denounce Wall Street, wage online war against corporations and protest against the “1%”, chances are you are wearing clothes, utilising the latest Apple or PC computer and do these acts due to money concerns. Globalisation produces competition, it lowers prices for consumers, opens doors to nations and peoples who never before had smelt a Mcdonalds burger, put on a pair of Adidas or managed to buy a phone from a company named after a fruit. However to me a crucial impact that the wave of globalisation brings to cultures and nations is Intercultural communication and understanding, a fantastic example being education.
Simon Marginson, from the University of Melbourne, further argues my opinion. In 2012, his Morphing a profit-making business into an intercultural experience-International education as self-formation, he argues international students bring with them cultural experience and understanding, as well as the ability to open our “ethnocentric” society up to Intercultural communication and education.
Marginson’s central argument is that international education is a crucial, rich export for Australia. It is often said quite rightly that the youth of today are the policy makers and influencers of tomorrow, so it is ever more important that if we wish to have a racist-free, tolerant world, we must begin to educate young adults on the importance of Intercultural Communication and globalisation.
By having a global, free trade market (globalisation) and a tolerant, well educated global population (international students and Intercultural communication), we are potentially help lay the ground work for a greatly more understanding, stable global village. Of course; global economics, political squabbles and medical outbreaks are all potential dark horses to this theory of stability, however by improving our social, mental and spiritual understanding of one another provides reassurance somewhat they racisms’ dark cloud could slowly whither away.
Stay Classy UOW,
Todd
Bibliography
Margin, S (2012) “Morphing a profit-making business into an intercultural experience
International education as self-formation”, University of Wollongong presentation, delivered 21st Febraury 2012, accessed 15th August 2014 via Moodle.
Khorana, S (2014) “Internationalising Education-Cultural Competence And Cosmopolitanism”, BCM111, University of Wollongong, 12th August 2014
Todd Steele 