PennTags Feed for /tag/globalization

Is the divide digital?

Haddad, Wadi D. 2000, ‘Is the divide digital?’, Techknowlogia, March/April 2000,

pps. 5 – 6, viewed 23 July 2009,

<http://www.techknowlogia.org/TKL_active_pages2/CurrentArticles/main.asp?Fi leType=HTML&ArticleID=85>.

This article will inform my discussion on the Global Digital Divide and its relevance to development issues. The Global Digital Divide, as defined in this article, is the gap between the ICT "haves" and "have nots." However, this gap cannot only be defined by physical access to ICT tools, the concept must be broadened to include the gap between human knowledge and skills necessary to use these tools. Thus Haddad focuses on the human capital side of the divide in addition to the technical disparities.

The importance of ICT in the global economy is also discussed in this piece. Today’s economy is global, high speed, knowledge-driven, and competitive. Without the proper ICT skills and knowledge to participate in economic endeavors, whole countries and groups within countries become marginalized. This economic marginalization limits the possibilities for impoverished communities in the developing world to improve their situation in the age of globalization. I will use this article to inform my discussion about the disadvantages that are created and/or exacerbated by lack of ICT tools and technical literacy. Solving these problems pose significant challenges to development policy makers and local communities.

The Digital Divide is Not a Problem in Need of Rectifying

Block, W. 2004, "The "Digital Divide" Is Not a Problem in Need of Rectifying", Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 393-406.

This article provides a starkly different perspective on the digital divide than most of my other sources. As the title clearly suggests, Block does not believe that the digital divide is a problem at all. He challenges claims that limited access to ICT is detrimental to individuals and populations and posits that these claims suffer from the fallacy of proportionality, egocentricism, and economic illiteracy.

In terms of the proportionality argument against the digital divide, Block says that proportional representation is a utopian goal of egalitarians. Simply put, different segments of a given population have different interests, skills and goals and therefore achieving proportional representation in any human activity, including the use of computers, is impossible. He compares the digital divide to other "product" divides such as yachts. Block asks if wealthy individuals have more yachts than low-income individuals, shouldn’t we be concerned with the "yacht divide?" I find this to be a faulty comparison, because as I have seen in my other sources, ICTs are no longer considered luxury goods in today’s world. Technical literacy has become a necessity to participate in society at large. Block uses similar comparisons to challenge the global digital divide, as well as divides based on race, gender, etc.

Block takes a very libertarian approach to the digital divide. From this article, it is clear that he believes a "hands off" approach to the spread of ICT is the right one. I disagree with this view, but I find it a valuable perspective to discuss in order to have a balanced research paper. I believe the evidence is strong to counter Blocks claims, and the potential value of ICT to developing nations is clear.

Routledge handbook of Internet politics / edited by Andrew Chadwick and Philip N. Howard.

. Routledge handbook of Internet politics / edited by Andrew Chadwick and Philip N. Howard. 9780415429146 (hardback) series London ; New York : Routledge, 2009.
Call#: Van Pelt Library HM851 .R6795 2009
Call#: Annenberg Library Reference Ann Ref HM851 .R6795 2009
Call#: Van Pelt Library HM851 .R6795 2009
Call#: Annenberg Library Reference Ann Ref HM851 .R6795 2009

This is a very extensive text that covers a wide range of internet policy issues. I will focus on two chapters specifically for this paper: Chapter 26 "Globalizing the logic of openess: open source software and the global governance of intellectual property" and Chapter 30 "Internet diffusion and the digital divide: the role of policy making and political institutions."

Chapter 26 will inform my discussion of the use of and debate surrounding open source software. The author argues that the global economy dictates the dissemination of information and skills necessary to complete in the era of globalization. Thus corporate powers such as Microsoft, and national powers such as the US and Western Europe are dominating the spread of information and communication technologies to the disadvantage of developing nations. Liscensing costs and copyright laws serve to protect the interests of wealthy elites and international finanical organizations, while those without access to relevant knowledge and skills fall farther behind. It is argued here that open source software is a kew way, possibly the key way, to counteract these forces of globalization that contribute to the global digital divide. Specifically the use of free and open source software in Africa is discussed as is the support for open source software offered by the United Nations and many non-governmental organizations. This will be a key text for my analysis of the use of open source software.

Chapter 30 focuses on issues surrounding the digital divide and policies that impact it. It focuses on four countries as case studies: Brazil, Estonia, Singapore and the US. The aim of this chapter is to discuss what role political policy and institutions may have in addressing the digital divide. The conclusion is that policy and leadership in a society can in fact impact the diffusion of ICT. Additionally, as I have seen in my other sources, civil society groups and non-governmental organizations are also key players in addressing issues of ICT disparity.

Regional development and conditions for innovation in the network society / edited by Marina van Geenhuizen, David V. Gibson, and Manuel V. Heitor.

. Regional development and conditions for innovation in the network society / edited by Marina van Geenhuizen, David V. Gibson, and Manuel V. Heitor. 1557533555 (alk. paper) series West Lafayette, Ind. : Purdue University Press, c2005.
Call#: Van Pelt Library HT388 .R425 2005

This work focuses on policy issues surrounding the implementation and use of ICT in development. It touches on various challenges facing policymakers in this arena, namely in terms of infrastructure investment, human capital development, and corporate policy in the context of economic globalization. It also discusses issues of sustainability and urbanization which affect the spread and use of ICT. For my paper, I will focus on Chapter 15 "Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Markets: Venture Capital and Electronic Commerce for Development?".

This chapter focuses on the economic factors that impact the spread of ICT in developing countries. The authors argue that the digital divide is real, and it is reinforced my may global economic factors, specifically those of free-market capitalism. The authors argue that developing nations will not "leap frog" to economic development because of advancements in ICT, as has been assumed by many in recent years. Due to various economic, social and cultural forces, development in these nations will be a long, slow and challenging road. One major impediment to rapid development is a lack of physical and informational infrastructure in developing nations. Without the adequate infrustructure to support long-term development projects, the process will be quite complicated. This is a realistic view of development from an economic perspective. I can use this piece to evaluate some of the GAID projects that I will be discussing in my paper, specifically those with large-scale corporate involvement.

Open Source Software and the Global Digital Divide

This research paper will focus on the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in achieving the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The specific issue I will focus on is the debate regarding Open Source Software (OSS) and its potential for spreading ICT's to developing nations at lower costs than proprietary software. I will investigate the UN's Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Also I will look at some development projects that have benefitted from the use of OSS and present arguments in opposition to OSS. The first part of this paper will analyze the concept of the Global Digital Divide and how it impacts other social problems such as poverty, literacy disparities, etc. Next, I will discuss efforts by the UN to use ICT in the achievement of the MDGs. Specifically I will focus on the creation of the GAID as a forum for addressing issues surrounding the digital divide and international development policy. Finally, I will discuss the specific issue of Open Source Software. This is one area of ICT development that may have potential for bringing low cost and efficient technologies to impoverished communities to improve lives. Some development projects have been successful in their use of Open Source Software, such as the non-profit organization Inveneo. However, Open Source Software does have is critics, and I will discuss these views as well.

Globalization of Chinese food / edited by David Y.H. Wu and Sidney C.H. Cheung.

Zhongguo yin shi wen hua xue shu yan tao hui (5th : 1997 : Taipei, Taiwan) . Globalization of Chinese food / edited by David Y.H. Wu and Sidney C.H. Cheung. 0824825829 (alk. paper) series Honolulu : University of HawaiJ;i Press, c2002.
Call#: University Museum Library MUSEUM GT2853.C6 G56 2002

The Role of Language in the Internationalisation of Higher Education: an example from Portugal

VINCENT KERKLAAN, GILLIAN MOREIRA, KEES BOERSMA (2008)
European Journal of Education 43 (2) , 241–255

Discusses the increased need for Portuguese language instruction in an increasingly international University.

Globalization: Media in Africa

Recontextualizing Copyright: Piracy, Hollywood, the State, and Globalization

Wang, Shujen. “Recontextualizing Copyright: Piracy, Hollywood, the State, and Globalization.” Cinema Journal 43 (2003): 25-43.

Shujen Wang is a professor of media and film studies at Emerson College. In this article she discusses transnational copyright governance among other topics. Her analysis looks at the qualities of both copyright owners and users. In general she says that the state continues to play a prominent role in intellectual property (IP) and information technology (IT) policy making. In addition the consumer has an active role in their infringing use of copyrighted material. This is a general description of her task. More nuanced is how she employed three prominent experts in the field of sociology namely, Scott Lash, John Urry and Manuel Castells. Their views may coincide with Karnow’s about the structure of culture as it is today. The virtual reality or information structure is highly abstract and variable. Wang goes on to expand on this point and the need to examine these topics under the description of her task as mentioned prior. So these authors initially act as a backdrop for her task and sub sequentially remains a critical theme in her work.

Similarly, this article acts to compliment and expand on Karnow’s position. This is not only an information based culture; it is also that culture has become information.

How does economic globalization affect the welfare state? Focusing on the mediating effect of welfare regimes

Tae Kuen Kim, Karen Zurlo

International Journal of Social Welfare 0(0):080417070737075-??? (2008)

This is an overview of previous studies concerning the relationship between globalization and seeming decline in the welfare state.

The Role of Language in the Internationalisation of Higher Education: an example from Portugal

VINCENT KERKLAAN, GILLIAN MOREIRA, KEES BOERSMA (2008)
European Journal of Education 43 (2) , 241–255

Discusses the increased need for Portuguese language instruction in an increasingly international University.

Democracy and Globalization

Barry Eichengreen and David LeBlang

Economics and Politics 2008

Continuing the study of the relationship between democracy and globalization, Eichengreen and LeBlang's study yields a positive correlation.

Financialization and the world economy / edited by Gerald A. Epstein.

. Financialization and the world economy / edited by Gerald A. Epstein. 1843768747 (cased) series Cheltenham, UK ; Northampton, MA : Edward Elgar Pub., c2005.
Call#: Van Pelt Library HG173 .F5195 2005

PART I: INTRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTIONAL IMPLICATIONS

1. Introduction: Financialization and the World Economy (pdf)
Gerald A.Epstein
2. Costs and Benefits of Neoliberalism: A Class Analysis
Gerard Dumenil and Dominique Levy
3. The Rise of Rentier Incomes in OECD Countries: Financialization, Central Bank Policy and Labor Solidarity
Gerald A. Epstein and Arjun Jayadev

Part II: FINANCIALIZATION AND THE US ECONOMY

4. The Neoliberal Paradox: The Impact of Destructive Product Market Competition and ‘Modern' Financial Markets on Nonfinancial Corporation Performance in the Neoliberal Era
James Crotty
5. The Late 1990s' US Bubble: Financialization in the Extreme (pdf)
Robert R. Parenteau
6. Derivatives Markets: Sources of Vulnerability in US Financial Markets
Randall Dodd

PART III: FINANCIALIZATION AND THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY SYSTEM

7. Financial Globalization, Exchange Rates and International Trade
Robert A. Blecker
8. The Eurodollar Market and the New Era of Global Financialization
Edwin Dickens
9. The Role of the International Monetary System in Financialization
Jane D'Arista

PART IV: CASE STUDIES OF FINANCIALIZATION AND ECONOMIC CRISIS

10. The Rise of the New Money Doctors in Mexico
Sarah Babb
11. The Making of the Turkish Financial Crisis
Yilmaz Akyuz and Korkut Boratav
12. The Recent Crisis - and Recovery - of the Argentine Economy: Some Elements and Background (pdf)
Arturo O'Connell
13. International Liquidity and Growth Fluctuations in Brazil
Nelson H. Barbosa-Filho
14. The Causes and Consequences of Neoliberal Restructuring in Post-Crisis Korea
James Crotty and Kang-Kook Lee

PART IV: POLICY PERSPECTIVES

15. Averting Crisis? Assessing Measures to Manage Financial Integration in Emerging Economies
Ilene Grabel
16. Why International Capital Mobility Should be Curbed and How it Could be Done
David Felix
17. Applying a Securities Transactions Tax to the US: Design Issues, Market Impact and Revenue Estimates
Robert Pollin

Democracy and Globalization

Barry Eichengreen and David LeBlang

Economics and Politics 2008

Continuing the study of the relationship between democracy and globalization, Eichengreen and LeBlang's study yields a positive correlation.

Balancing Act News Update

Balancing Act News Update
Covers Internet and new media technologies in Africa

AccessUNDP: United Nations Development Programme Project Reports

AccessUNDP: United Nations Development Programme Project Reports
Bibliographic descriptions of UNDP-funded project reports for projects conducted globally, interregionally, or regionally, especially in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America, the Arab states, and Europe. Topical sectors covered include: agriculture, education, employment, forestry, fisheries, health, human settlements, humanitarian aid and relief, industry, natural resources, political affairs, population, science and technology, social conditions and equity, transport and communications, general development issues (policy and planning), and international trade, development economics, and development finance.
AccessUNDP identifies documents included in the Penn Library's microfiche UNDP Project Reports collection, 1972-1998 [Van Pelt Microtext: Microfiche 1100].

Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast and Audio Media

Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast and Audio Media
-from Atypon Link (formerly Extenza)
Holdings: 2007-

Transnational Broadcasting Studies

Transnational Broadcasting Studies
Adham Center for Television Journal, American University in Cairo

World Press Review

Balancing Act News Update

Balancing Act News Update
Covers Internet and new media technologies in Africa

Media, War & Conflict

Media, War & Conflict
-from Sage Publications
Holdings: Current and previous year access

Media Development

Media Development
e-journal on (primarily Third World) Christianity and film/video
Holdings: 1996+

Journal of Media Economics

Journal of Media Economics
-from Informaworld - Taylor & Francis
Holdings: 1994-

Journal of Popular Culture

Journal of Popular Culture
-from Literature Online Full-Text Journals
Holdings: 1995-

Journal of International Media and Entertainment Law

Journal of International Media and Entertainment Law
-from Hein Online
Holdings: 2006-

International Journal of Intercultural Relations

International Journal of Intercultural Relations
-from ScienceDirect
Holdings: 1977-

Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics

Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics
-from Sage Full-Text Collections
Holdings: 1996-

Global Media Journal

Global Media and Communication

Global Media and Communication
-from Sage Full-Text Collections
Holdings: 2005-

Educational Media International

Educational Media International
-from Informaworld - Taylor & Francis
Holdings: 1997-

Cultural Studies

Cultural Studies
-from Informaworld - Taylor & Francis
Holdings: 1997-

Crime Media Culture

Crime Media Culture
-from Sage Full-Text Collections
Holdings: 2005-

Communications International

Communications International
-from ABI/Inform - Proquest

Communication World

Communication World
-from ABI/Inform - Proquest

Atlantic Journal of Communication

Atlantic Journal of Communication
-from Informaworld - Taylor & Francis
Holdings: 2004-

South American union is created

LA Times

Kwetu.net

Kwetu.net
Searchable fulltext (PDF-format) documents from African research organizations, NGOs, educational institutions, and government agencies. Topics covered include agriculture, AIDS support services, arid lands research, children and family and social services, environmental conservation and forest and water resources, finance and economic development including the informal sector, journalism, human rights and social justice, peace and conflict resolution, politics and elections, population issues and family planning, urban development, and women's issues.

Advertising Age International

Advertising Age International
-from EBSCO MegaFILE
Holdings: 7/1/1996-7/1/2000

FIAF International FilmArchive Database

Globalization: Media in Africa

Sarah Mahler, Migration and Transnational Issues. Recent Trends and Prospects for 2020

Mahler 1995

Globalization Studies Feeds

Analysis of Atmospheric Aerosols - Annual Review of Analytical Chemistry (2008), 1(1): - Abstract

This art

Finance, Imperialism, and the Hegemony of the Dollar.

Authors:: Vasudevan, Ramaa^1,2
Source:: Monthly Review: An Independent Socialist Magazine; Apr2008, Vol. 59 Issue 11, p35-50, 16p, 1 chart, 1 graph

The China quarterly

The China quarterly [0305-7410] 154 (1998). 308-.

From arrival to incorporation : migrants to the U.S. in a global era / edited by Elliott R. Barkan, Hasia Diner, and Alan M. Kraut.

. From arrival to incorporation : migrants to the U.S. in a global era / edited by Elliott R. Barkan, Hasia Diner, and Alan M. Kraut. 9780814799604 (cloth : alk. paper) series New York : New York University Press, c2008.
Call#: Van Pelt Library JV6450 .F76 2008

annotate

Legal culture in the age of globalization : Latin America and Latin Europe / edited by Lawrence M. Friedman and Rogelio PeL