'What is Globalization ?' - Kim Yeong chan

 1.Summary

 The introduction of this text considers the concept of globalization and discusses the perspectives on it. Perspectives on globalization include the economy-focused view (globalization from above) and the view as an anti-globalization movement (globalization from below).
 In the middle part of the text, it is stated that globalization is not simply an increase in connectivity but the simultaneous growth of a global consciousness, mentioning the four forms of globalization: economic, political, cultural, and social dimensions, and explains the four key reference points of globalization: the nation-state, the individual self, the international system, and humanity. Here, global consciousness does not mean that all people agree on one opinion, but rather the feeling that, whether chosen or not, we belong to one space called the global village.
 The last part of the text explains glocalization. The key argument of this part is that globalization does not mean infinite standaradization because glocalization works in a way that it applies brakes to itself 
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2.Key Insights, Interesting points

The part that was most interesting to me was glocalization. Looking at the world today, it seems as if everything is rushing toward sameness from a macro perspective. Driven by the powerful logic of capital, we all eat McDonald's, drink Starbucks coffee, and wear Nike and Adidas clothes anywhere in the world. Before reading this text, this was how the world seemed to work in my eyes. However, if you look closely inside, you can see that things that superficially seemed to resemble each other have been adjusted to the local context with their own unique local color. For instance, a Starbucks on Jeju Island, Korea, has a localized product, the 'Jeju Matcha Latte,' which uses matcha, a local specialty. And this special Jeju-only menu can even be reverse-exported to the world. It was very interesting that the world prevents homogenization in this way, and that it occurs in a very natural, self-correcting form.

Lately, if you look at the content market, it seems that genres and narratives are being shared. Narrative structures like the conflict between good and evil and stories of poetic justice frequently occur in the form of imitation and parody. Again, it seems like the world is churning out stories with a guaranteed potential for commercial success. However, this is also self-refuted by the logic of glocalization. 'Squid Game' is full of Korean flavor. The games that appear in the work are composed of nostalgic games shared by Korean people. But as this work became a hit, games from 'Squid Game' like dalgona candy carving and 'gonggi' have become activities enjoyed by people worldwide. This is also a clear example showing that globalization is not simple homogenization. Who would have dared to imagine that 'gonggi,' a hand game played with five stones, or 'dalgona,' a very Korean snack made instantly by baking sugar, would become a part of global culture? Looking at this phenomenon, it seems as if the most local thing is the most global, and the most global thing is local. In conclusion, it was in this aspect that I found the glocalization part most interesting.
 Another interesting point was that globalization isn't just a macroscopic issue. To put it another way, it feels as though "the most global thing is the most personal thing." This is reflected in my own daily life, just as the text mentioned, in fashion, where individuality is expressed through a few similar global brands. Furthermore, on social media, people often adapt a trend with their own personal style to make it go viral, and that altered version can then become a new trend itself.
 These phenomena reinforce the feeling that the trend of globalization is on the same track as postmodernism. For instance, globalization isn't explained by the single grand narrative of economics but rather by multiple perspectives and their stories, much like how postmodernism values diverse personal narratives. This connection was another point I found particularly interesting.
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3.Questions for Further Discussion

A problem for further discussion is how we will respect one another in the flow of globalization, where values are overflowing like a flood and chaotically mixing. Superficially, globalization seems to represent liberalism, advocating for expression and individuality, and at the same time, the sharing of a common consciousness. However, if a moment comes when globalization is regarded as a single grand narrative, like a truth, it seems likely to function as an ideology. It feels like a moment will come when people frown upon those who are not cosmopolitan, as if they are people who cannot adapt to the flow of the world. Paradoxically, as globalization becomes a new norm, it seems a perspective will emerge that views people who do not participate in it or who respect and protect traditional or religious values as strange. This is similar to how, when political correctness gained new momentum, those who could not accept homosexuality or supported traditionally expected gender roles were treated like social misfits. Therefore, considering how different groups of people should be treated amidst the clash of values in the flow of globalization seems to be an important issue.

4. Ai use

Gemini pro for grammer correction.