Blogging through Media Trends and Globalization (2025)

  1) Summary Peter Dicken’s reading explains the misconceptions and realities surrounding transnational corporations (TNCs). While TNCs are widely regarded as extremely important actors in the global economy, the author argues that the common perception of them as being more powerful than nation-states is exaggerated. He criticizes this view for oversimplifying the reality of how TNCs actually operate. Most transnational corporations continue to concentrate the majority of their activities in their home countries, and their overseas operations are often more limited than people assume. In other words, TNCs are not uniformly global corporations spread evenly across the world; rather, they are organizations whose activities remain centered in their home countries while operating in diverse forms across different nations. The author also explains that there are several reasons why TNCs expand abroad, which can largely be divided into market expansion and asset acquisition. Through ove...

  1) Summary Globalization is made up of numerous global policies. As various countries interact, solve problems, and create rules together, globalization continues to advance. In the past, globalization took the form of expanding military power and conquering others through war. However, today globalization occurs not through armed conflict but through diplomacy, with international cooperation, treaties, and the activities of global organizations playing central roles. Because of this shift, the influence of international organizations is expected to grow even further, and we must identify their shortcomings and pay attention to whether these organizations can operate democratically for all countries.   The reading materials mention both advantages and disadvantages of international organizations. They highlight benefits such as promoting world trade, supporting economic development, and helping reduce poverty. At the same time, they point out drawbacks such as the lack of di...

 1) Summary In this class, we learned about the theory of cultural dimensions. We compared different countries culturally and quantified those differences to understand how diverse cultures can be. In particular, we compared Korea and China. Although both are Asian countries, we found that sometimes their cultural values differ significantly, while at other times, they are quite similar. This would likely be the same if we compared Korea with European or American cultures. Every country has its own cultural identity, and globalization allows these cultures to be shared while giving each nation the freedom to selectively adopt aspects of others. For instance, a country with a strong individualistic culture may encounter collectivist values and either accept or reject them. As globalization continues, various cultural changes occur around the world. The impact of globalization on culture can be viewed both positively and negatively. On the positive side, countries and regions can i...

  Summary  Globalization is difficult to define with a single, fixed definition. It encompasses a wide range of meanings and interpretations. However, Robertson and White argue that globalization primarily develops in two major directions. The first is the expansion of global connectivity, and the second is the growth of global consciousness. Globalization can also be categorized into cultural, political, and economic sectors, among which cultural globalization is often regarded as the most noticeable.  At the cultural level, popular culture such as McDonald’s represents how global brands spread and adapt to local environments. In other words, new cultural forms that reflect regional characteristics are created through this process. At the economic level, the growing influence of multinational corporations through free trade is a key example. At the political level, globalization can be seen in discussions concerning issues of national sovereignty and international cooper...