The power of Dialogue

Tags

Dialogue, globalization, International Communication

As I reflect on the small and larger concepts explored in our course this semester, I notice how interlinked the field of international communication is, and how it walks hand in hand, with the roots of social change. At the risk of sounding slightly hackneyed, I have come to reaffirm my conviction that the route to any type of social change, lies in dialogue.

But what is the real meaning of ‘dialogue’ and what should its purpose actually be?

The ancient Greeks believed that “individuals are not intelligent on their own, that it’s only by reasoning together that they are able to uncover the truth for themselves. The Greeks understood that if two or more people are unsure about a question, they can accomplish something together they can’t do on their own. By questioning and probing each other, carefully dissecting and analyzing ideas, finding the inconsistencies, never attacking or insulting but always searching for what they can accept between them, they can gradually attain deeper understanding and insight.”*

In our increasingly interlocked and uncertain world, in which the traditional notion of authority structures are falling, and we are forced into confrontations with peoples from opposing cultural traditions and worldviews, we find ourselves in desperate need to be able to overcome our differences, find some common ground, build meaning and purpose, and set directions together. With all of our new communication media forms like the internet and mobile technology, we find ourselves more frequently talking at each other. But the way to solve our problems, is to tap into our ‘higher social intelligence’ as the late physicist David Bohm called it; to think together as groups, as teams, as committees, as communities, and as citizens.

It’s no longer enough to be clever on our own. “Our pressing problems today require that we be smart together, that we harness our best collective thinking and put it to work in the world.”*

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* http://www.scottlondon.com/articles/ondialogue.html

-Laura H.

LENDING ARMS IN CYBERSPACE

Tags

Arab Spring, Human Rights, information wars, Internet freedom

In the wake of the ‘Arab Spring’, onlookers across the world were mesmerized, watching in wonder, debating whether the rebels in these countries should be assisted and if so, how? International pressure was placed on the dictators to heed the calls of their people and give up their ruling positions.  While the dictators stalled, plenty argued that this form of ‘diplomatic’ assistance was not enough, that more should be done to help the people. With the exception of NATO forces in Libya, it seemed that citizens throughout the rest of these uprooted countries were being left to their own devices.

In reality though, they were not. An online war was being waged; the war over information, and the US government was siding with the dissidents and providing the ammo: technology that allows people to browse blocked online news and social media sites.

Many of the little known US companies that create this type of technology, like the Tor Project and UltraReach are proud of their support for the Mideast activists, “but the United States’ backing of these firms has the potential to put the White House in an awkward diplomatic position, not only with the countries where uprisings are active, but also with economic partners such as Saudi Arabia and China, who are known to block Web sites they deem dangerous.”*

What does this imply for diplomacy in the long-run? And what is the future of information wars going to look like?

To begin with, it is becoming clearer to nation states that more intelligent or ‘soft’ power tactics can and should be used in international politics. In addition, the war over information; who has the power to produce it, who has access to it and what is it used for, has never been more relevant than it is today. And with this emerging paradigm, comes a whole host of ethical and political issues.

If internet freedom is now being likened to a basic human right, which nation states are willing to fight for, does this pose a real threat to governments like China and Saudi Arabia who deny that right? Will it eventually cause the demise of those governments? Or force them to concede, if they wish to remain intact?

No matter what happens, one thing’s for certain… the fight is only going to get messier.

* www.washingtonpost.com/local/2011/03/04/AB3NbvP_print.html

-Laura H.

Convergence in film-making

Tags

convergence, global media, Hybridity

As we round up 2011, it’s been interesting to reflect on the Hollywood movies that turned out to be international success stories, and those that did not. In fact, this year alone, two of the highest grossing movies of all time were unleashed onto the public:

Transformers: Dark of the Moon, (the 3^rd part in the Transformers series) which was released on June 29, in 3-D, went on to gross over $1 billion dollars, despite mixed and negative reviews. On the other hand, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, (the final Harry Potter film) opened to universal critical acclaim, and is among the best reviewed films of 2011. Similar to the Transformers film, it claimed the worldwide opening weekend record at the box office, earning $483.2 million, as well as setting opening day and opening weekend records in various countries. The film is currently the third highest grossing film of all time, the highest grossing film of 2011, the highest grossing film in the Harry Potter series, and the ninth film ever to gross over $1 billion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we compare these films to other huge money-makers from the past 5 years, (some of which were not necessarily critically acclaimed) but all box office winners, such as Avatar, or The Batman and Spiderman sequels, we can detect obvious themes that emerge, common to all. The films had at least 3 or more of the following characteristics; they were action packed, (full of explosions) featured fantastical (other-worldly) stories, clear hero figures, rags-to-riches stories, cutting-edge technology (or magic), basic comedy, romantic liaisons, and beautiful female characters.

Can we safely say then, that THAT is the recipe for a movie’s guaranteed international success? If yes, then why?

As it turns out, the themes mentioned are all easy for international audiences to swallow, because they transcend culture and local customs; we can all relate to rags-to-riches stories, and romantic tales. Even better, if the story defies physics and the realm of reality, then it is the perfect escape, an entertaining reprieve from our everyday demands and stresses. Who wouldn’t love to jump off a building and land unscathed, or witness their car turn into an alien fighting robot?

This is the meeting place of transnational cultures, where the creative industries converge and deliver a packaged, ready-to-export ‘hybrid’ product across the globe. Do those products lack in true flavor and deeper lessons? Often-times yes… but then again, any economist will tell you that customization is usually the trade-off for mass production.

-Laura H.

‘Intellectual property infringement’ Laws; do they infringe on the rest of us?

Tags

Copyright laws, media governance, Media Piracy

This post briefly outlines the more recent copyright infringement laws drafted in the US, and whom they affect on a grander scale. But first I would like to ask our readers, if any have in fact, NEVER downloaded, purchased, OR ‘borrowed’ pirated music, movies, books or software.

 

 

 

 

If your answer is yes (that you have not done so), then will the real slim shady please stand up…..?

*Listens to frogs croak*

During the last few years, the US government has really stepped up its attempts to ‘combat’ intellectual and copyright infringement. In October 2008, President Bush signed the controversial PRO-IP Act that stiffened penalties for movie and music piracy at the federal level. Not only did the law create an  ‘intellectual property czar’ who reports directly to the president, but it also made criminal laws against piracy and counterfeiting harsher, all in the name of protecting American innovation.

For example, this law allows for the surrender of personal devices/computers which are used in piracy. Needless to say, this Act was highly criticized and parts of it opposed. Spokesman Art Brodsky for the advocacy group Public Knowledge stated,

“Let’s suppose that there’s one computer in the house, and one person uses it for downloads and one for homework. The whole computer goes.”

Given that the music and movie industries already have the right to take accused entities to court; this Act is ridiculous and unnecessary. In its attempt to guard against copyright infringement, it INFRINGES upon the rights of innocent individuals.

However, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, counterfeiting and piracy costs the United States nearly $250 billion annually, and so policy-makers have not chosen to stop at the PRO-IP Act.

Even more recently in September 2011, another bill titled the PROTECT IP Act* was introduced. If passed, it allows law-enforcers to grab digital assets of the offending sites and potentially require third-party services such as financial-transaction providers, search engines, advertisers and Internet-service providers, to stop doing business with the infringing site.

The concern over this law is that it grants bigger firms, even more powers, through their ability to harass smaller competitors. For example, a small company could get locked from search traffic, merchant-banking tools and syndicated content, as soon as a legal dispute begins, even BEFORE the judge makes a ruling thereby saddling everyone involved, with new compliance procedures. Like the PRO-IP Act before it, this bill is sweeping in its penalties.

Essentially, laws of this type seek to award intellectual and creative industries more and more redundant tools to fight copyright violations. By its nature, the Web is so vast and difficult to police, that in their process of enforcing fair media governance, we cannot help but wonder if policy-makers are stepping on the rest of our toes.

 

*(The PROTECT IP Act stands for the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/10/13/us-intellectualproperty-law-idUSTRE49C7EI20081013

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/13/idUS30691332582011091

-Laura H

HOMO OR HETERO-GENIZATION?

Tags

globalization, heterogenization, homogenization

The mainstream idea, as well as that of several globalization theorists, suggests that culture homogenization (or ‘Westernization’) is an undeniable effect of globalization. (Whereby the world, is increasingly adopting Western/Americanized practices and values, to the point where we all have one transnational ‘cosmopolitan’ culture with very few differences.)

However, it is my observation that only a superficial glance at the exterior surface supports this notion. Further inspection shows us that cultures ALL over the world influence one another. The influence does not come from a single source OR travel in one single direction.

In fact, several globalization theorists such as Arjun Appadurai have suggested an effect which is quite the opposite of homogenization; that ‘cultural infusion’ or ‘hybridity’ occurs, as global influences become absorbed and adapted in a host of local settings. Appadurai calls this heterogenization. (IE: cultural forms move through time and space where they interact with other cultural forms/settings and influence each other, to produce NEW forms and changed cultural settings.)

We can see manifestations of heterogenization in daily life everywhere, even within so called ‘western’ culture itself. Following are particular examples of this phenomenon; the incorporation of Eastern and African beats within American rap and pop music in the US, the increased use of the Indian curry spice in English recipes amongst Anglo-Saxons in England, and the increased popularity of ancient Eastern philosophy such as Buddhism, in contemporary ‘modern’ psychology.

Perhaps the places where hybrid cultures are most obvious, are amongst immigrant communities living in countries outside their nation of origin. For instance, think of “African-American culture” in the US, or “Algerian-French” culture in France, and how they each have come to possess their own unique sub-culture that is different from either of their original influencers.

As time elapses, and globalization works its miracles, hybridity across larger national cultures will become all the more palpable in a rising number of nations.

 

The above picture was taken from the Ukrainian fashion week. Although this event is similar to those of Milan, London, Paris, and New York, it has its distinctive Ukrainian twist. Western and Eastern influences combine in innovate designs worn by the photographed models.

 

– Laura H