Globalization and Its Impact on my Identity
By Brooks Preston
Visual of My Identity
For my visual Individual Identitiy I decided to make a small collage of pictures that have some vague or importaint meaning to my identity and culture. To someone like myself, this is mostly just hobbies because I lack religion, traditions, and I'm not from another country so I don't have much to talk about for typical culture. For example, all though it looks like I just threw Walter White up there from breaking bad and the Gone Girl movie poster, It actually symbolizes not only my love for these two brillaint pieces of work in cinematography, but also how I enjoy criticing shows and movies.
Super Smash Bros and Pokemon are the first two video games I can remember playing. I think pokemon was the first, which was given to me by a cousin once she had noticed I had taken intrest in it, and the Smash Bros franchise I have been playing for about just as long. Ironically it too was introduced to me by a cousin. These two are up there because they shaped me who I am as a person today. I love to play videogames as a hobby and these two have a special place in my heart. The thing in the middle between them is a controller for Super Smash Bros, I put it there because it's just the first thing that popped in my mind. I suppose it's worth noting that both of these games were made by Nintendo, a videogame company from Japan.
The computer says a lot about me. It's my main source of communication technology next to my phone, and is a major hobby of mine. I am infatuated with computers. I love spending time on mine, whether it be for playing games or meeting people online. The computer has always been a place where I can find confortable Isolation in my life, and that's something I find myself doing very frequently. It represents a bit of my culture as well, because most of the things I read or watch come from the media on the internet, and usually have something to do with my political globalization, religous globalization, and economic globalization beliefs. Many of these beliefs are shared by my role models. The computer also symbolizes what I plan on doing after school, which is to study in computer science.
The sports equipment is probably the most self explamintory, It shows that I am an athelet and I enjoy playing many sports in a competitive mannor. Being in shape and playing sports has always been something I enjoy and strive for.
The piano Is also pretty self explaintory, but it also is a bit more intersting. Truthfully It does show that I like to listen to and play the piano, but also shows how I am able to strive for goals and attempt them by myself independly. To give you a bit of backstory, I've always wanted to learn the Piano, but for some reason I've never learned. Perhaps I'm to lazy or I was never honest enough with myself that I actually wanted to try. Regardless I fianlly told myself I was going to learn about a month ago and I dug up my sisters old keyboard and began to self teach myself piano, now I'm currently looking for a teacher.
Lastly, the two flags. The obivsious one is the Canadian flag, I live in Canada and I was born here. It's my homeland and as most people I am pround of my heritage. The Japanese flag is there as a result of globalization and multiculturalism in my life. It's the culture I like as much as my own if not more. Japan caught my eye a long time ago and I've never looked away since. I'm already decent at desciphering words and I would like to fully expand my knowledge of the languge someday too. I also have plans to vist and possibly live there as well. Why? there are a lot of reasons, but if I could tell you in one sentence it's probably just because I feel connected to the culture, It's just something I really like. Both of these flags feel like home to me.
If you couldn't tell, Coke is up there because I like it, no real sentimental value there.
Political Cartoon
This political cartoon depics a large and obese portrayal of America sitting on top of the world while still requesting the minority of rest of the world to make room for it. I think this cartoon reflects well with our current society, since America shows clear dominace over the planet in the media, pop culture, the global economy, as a consumer and just about everything else. It might be a bit biased showing only America as a giant, but with current technology such as the internet and television, the world is clearly being assimilated to be more westernized, therefore I agree with the point that's being made in this cartoon. This form of globalzition is debateable whether it's cultural hybrdization or homogenization. In my opinion I believe that todays form of globalization is similar to depicted above, America forcing itself on the world in a form of homogenization. I think this way because all though we may have some things from other cultures, all we really have are more choices to choose form or things to look at, rather than actual culture. For example we may have an Edo, but that doesn't mean we're Japan, it just means we have more food choices.
Social Globalization
Social Globalization: Social globalization pertains to human interaction within cultural communities, encompassing topics like family, religion, work and education.
How does this affect me?
Social gloablization in todays day is a very simple process, it's as quick as pressing a few buttons to acess the internet. This is how It affects me the most, as it's probably the same for most people as well. I frequently browse the internet, visting many social media sites, such as youtube, instagram, reddit, etc. Through these websites I can see culture from around the world, and meet many people without even having to leave my house.
POLITICAL
GLOBALIZATION
Political Globalization: Is an increasing trend toward multilateralism (in which the United Nations plays a key role), toward the emergence of national and international nongovernmental organizations that act as watchdogs over governments and have increased their activities and influence.
How does this affect me?
Politics has become a major part of todays society. Esspicially in the current year of 2016, where news coverage of Donald Trump is unavoidable. Political Globalization is more specific to multiple countries. So how does this affect me? As Canada is a part of the United Nations, and I am living in a first world country, it affects me quite a bit. Political Globalization, allows me to have my Rights not just in Canada but around the world, where ever I am.
Economic Globalization
Economic Globalization: Economic globalization is the increasing economic integration and interdependence of national, regional and local economies across the world through an intensification and growing scale of cross-border movement (trade) of goods, services, technologies and capital.
How does this affect me?
The global economy has a major influence on my country and therefore me. The recent oil crisis is a fantastic example of this. One of Alberta's greatest natural resources is oil, when the world needs oil, our economy is blissful, but when there is an overflow like there is today because of the middle east, or economy is at one of it's lowest points.