Madison Rambles #17: The Grand Finale

Hello, everyone!

We have reached the end of the history textbook. That means that this blog is coming to a close. It's been fun rambling on these blog posts, and I hope you enjoyed the ride as well.

Luckily, this final post can end with posts about one of my favorite eras, the modern era. It's the only era where a plague happens, and you're an American playing video games from Japan and watching a show from Canada to cope. Globalization has brought many people together, but it has also separated some further from reality. Change can't happen without resistance, either justified or irrational.

So let's answer some questions!

This is Chapter 23, the final chapter of the book.


3) In what ways has economic globalization more closely linked the world’s peoples?

Have you ever heard of importing? Say there's a great book from Japan, and it's available on Amazon. You can buy the book straight on Amazon, with US Dollars, and get it within a couple of weeks to a month.

That is the result of economic globalization.

If it wasn't for every country's economy to come together, I wouldn't have a Japanese DS game or manga sitting on my shelves. I would have to wait for a merchant trading in Japan, then come to my location to sell the goods to me. But now, with the US Dollar as the international currency and transportation becoming much quicker, I now have a Japanese grammar dictionary coming to my house.

Also, production is often outsourced. People often think of China producing toys and electronics when thinking about outsourcing, but did you know that even animation is outsourced? Just ask South Korea, having one of the largest animation industries in the world. We have surely helped other countries' economies with outsourcing.

Now of course, there is the issue of sweatshops. Hopefully, we can come together to help stop inhumane practices in sweatshops in countries such as China and India, because those workers help connect the world in through their work.

7) What is the role of the United States of America on the global stage of the 21st century? Is the America you live in today consistent with the America Strayer describes in this chapter?

From what I can remember, Strayer described the United States as an "informal empire" or something along those lines. I think that's a pretty accurate description, and I'm a proud American.

The United States don't conquer every country in the world, but they do try to control them. They are determined to beat any other country that could gain a superpower status, and anyone that challenges the United States is deemed an enemy. English, the main language of the United States, is considered the language everyone should learn, because "it's the language of business" (not Chinese, Spanish, French, etc.). "When in Rome" only applies to foreigners in America; when an American is in a foreign country, everyone must seemingly accommodate to them, including speaking English.

If that doesn't sound like Strayer's interpretation, then it's bordering on it.

The United States isn't a bad country. Many countries have problems, and the country has provided opportunities to many people. However, I think it's time to start pondering over if our rivalry and dominance with other countries is going a bit too far.

12) What can Barbie, Sara and Fulla (or Dara, depending on your version of the textbook) tell us about the globalized world of the twenty first century? What different values and sensibilities do they convey?

I feel like I've heard of these dolls before the book talked about them. They're very interesting because they're dolls made for two very different cultures, even in the era of the Internet.

Barbie is a doll that portrays America's value of "we can do anything!" Barbie has an infinite amount of jobs, and has her boyfriend Ken with her in the process. She does what she wants, which could be considered the motto of civil rights (feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, etc.). She's anyone you want to be, and she's successful because she follows her dreams. 

Sara and Fulla are the Islamic version of Barbie. They dress and act like the role models Muslim parents want their children to learn for. They do not have boyfriends, and Fulla wants to be only two respectable jobs: a teacher and a doctor. Unlike Barbie, they are much more conservative and follow the rules rather than try to break new grounds.

Honestly, I see the popular Fulla doll as less of "Barbie censorship" and more of crafting an idea to fit cultural values. No matter how globalized we become, we still have to accept that different countries have different values that we must respect. There's a difference between censorship and making something to adapt to cultural values; I'm pretty sure most Americans would be shocked at Momotaro picture books showing a naked child hatching from a peach, unlike most Japanese people. It's the same idea here, and I think that learning about these differing cultural values through our media is a fascinating subject.

This is the final post? Only seventeen posts? Well, I would like to thank everyone who read my posts. Although it's a lot of work to read 30-40 pages a week, plus all of my other responsibilities, it's fun to learn about history from all over the world.

After this semester, I'm going to another college, where I will be studying Japanese and hopefully trying out programming classes. From this global economy, I hope to learn even more about the world and other cultures through my studies.

So you don't miss me too much, I will say what I usually say...

Until next time!