Globalization's Role in Communication

With the rise of information and communications technology or ICTs, our world has been shaped into a completely different place where many countries rely on technology and the internet.  As our society moves into an information age, the concept of globalization affects the world before us, connecting cities, provinces, and countries together with no worry about distance or time.  While globalization opens new doors for the possibilites of the world and further advancements in technology, it also acts as a set back to specific cultures national identity.  As I talked about previously, ICTs create an idea of control, as those who possess the knowledge(leading to money) are the ones who benefit most from ICTs.  This can be associated with culture and the lack of national identity that globalization has brought on.  Take for example universities as described in the book by Kevin Robbins and Frank Webster.  They argue with the new found reliance of ICTs, the typical national university is jeopardized as they are "ceasing to be essential to an increasingly transnational global economy."  The idea that universities represent a nation or a nation state is no more with the rise of virtual learning, distance education and information resources.  We no longer need to access the physical library as we have access on our computers.  As we continue to move through the information age, technology will be used more and more , eventually leading to little need in a physical institution.

What is more the rise of globalization and ICTs can affect a countries national identity in other ways, taking the control away from citizens and their day to day experiences with culture, and allowing corporations to define what culture means today.  Take Canada for example, with our proximity to the United States, the borders between our two countries have always been blurred and because of this we have been affected by American culture, and often identified as part of America.  With the rise of technology and globalization, culture products in American are constantly present in Canada such as television shows, movies, magazines, and internet sites.  As to combat the global market and further Americanization, Canada is forced to regulate technology and culture products, in order to keep our Canadian identity.  Culture used to be a way of life, but especially in the Western World, culture has turned into a commodity and a way to regulate how citizens should define culture.  With that being said if we did not have regulation laws in Canada on media sources, our national identity would become completely immersed into American culture.  ICTs are constantly becoming ways to control nations, as the media perpetuates what citizens should think.  As a result we as intellects need to be analytical to media sources, and instead decide for ourselves what we define as culture.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/From+marriage+spills+Canada+Party+hopes+solve+America+woes/7758257/story.html