Lesson 3d - End of Lesson 3

When you think about it, in almost every aspect of our lives we are responding to globalization. Buying bananas grown in Ecuador is a response to globalization; chatting online with someone who you've never actually met is also a response. By living in the time we are living in now, almost everything we do is a response to globalization, either in the past or happening now.



Our communities today consist of more people than would have ever been possible before, because of the many means of communication and travel that are available to us. Our internet buddies are part of our community, as well as family, friends, and other citizens of both the global community and the smaller ones that we build our houses and lives in. When we log on to check our messages on a web site in the morning, we are responding to globalization by using one of the results of worldwide connectivity. But how MUCH should we respond? I think that, in this area, by using the Internet to expand your community, you can also expand your knowledge and friend base. Therefore, I think that it would be possible to go overboard and live your entire life on the web, but I also think it can be fun and informative to have friends that live across the oceans.

Organizations, governments, and everyday consumers all have ways of responding to globalization, and even making a difference in the lives of others affected negatively by it. If big organizations such as transnationals or governments can make a big difference if they decide they need to change a law or improve the quality of life for certain people or a society. We can also work through our governments if we feel strongly about a certain issue by bringing up the problem to them. As consumers, we can choose to buy fair-trade coffee instead of free-trade. We can buy organically-grown bananas instead of generic ones. We can make decisions that can greatly affect the people who grew the bananas you chop up in your cereal this morning, if we are aware of issues that exist around these areas.

So, I believe that we can respond to some aspects of globalization within reason: we don't want to go overboard, as I mentioned before, but having friends across the world doesn't have to work negatively for everyone. In other aspects of globalization, it can help to take a more active role in responding to those issues, such as environmental issues by joining an orgnanization or taking a certain issue to the government. I think that it depends on the issue that is on the table as to how much we should respond.

Lesson 3c

Many people around the world are very globally aware. They know what happens in other parts of the world, and in the ways that they can, they try to change it. They are responding to global issues and issues that result from globalization; all of them to a different degree or to a different issue. Not everyone will react the same way when they learn of torture in a third-world country, but deciding to make a difference in the life of one of those victims is what matters.

We can work to help people in other countries through many different means. By being a consumer, you can choose to buy fair-trade coffee, and the grower of the beans will get his fair share of the profits, which means he will be able to buy his family dinner tonight.

By becoming a part of civil society through community groups, NGOs, etc., you can make a difference by working towards goals set out by you and your group, and many groups in this sector of society have great influence on larger, even more influential groups, such as governments or groups like the UN.

Businesses and governments are also working towards goals that they have set. Some corporations have adopted ISO standards, to protect both the environment and their workers. Transnationals hold a position of power also - they are more than capable of making a difference in the world if they try hard enough. The government also holds a position like this - should they decide to change our countries to achieve their goals of fairness and equity, they are in a great position to reinforce a law like this.

Finally, I don't think it's how much we respond to issues caused by globalization, it's just that we do. No matter how small, I think that every action can make a difference.

Lesson 3b

The Black Death. The Spanish Flu. SARS. All three of these names may bring back awful memories, or strike fear into the hearts of people around the world. They are pandemics, epidemics that spread to the far reaches of the globe and back again. The Black Death killed about 75 million; the Spanish flu, about 100 million. SARS is the most recent epidemic, with the first case in 2002, and causing 774 deaths - fairly minor compared to the other two mentioned pandemics.


One of the reasons for SARS not getting majorly out of control, but the World Health Organization and other national health agencies that are developed specifically to deal with health issues like these took the actions necessary to protect the world's citizens. In a way, these organizations themselves are a response to globalization; without our ability to travel faster and further than ever before, pandemics would probably have a much harder time spreading.


But how can, or should, I respond to some of these aspects of expanding globalization? I think I can protect myself against diseases in other countries by following proper protection strategies if I travel to countries that have issues with certain diseases. Organizations such as the WHO protect citizens such as myself from issues like these everyday, and therefore, it is only right for me to follow their advice and precautions when travelling as well as everyday. This is one way to respond to this aspect of globalization.

Lesson 3a - Community

What is a community? Before I really considered this question, I would have thought of it as the town I live in, how I contribute to issues within my town, and how I interact with other residents of my town. But when I actually consider this question, there are so many communities that I am involved in that it's nearly overwhelming.

We are all part of a global community that includes everyone from around the world. In some way, we all contribute to our global community: some in large ways, such as holding a parliamentary seat in the government, and some in a smaller way, such as being in an organization that promotes health and wealth for world.

We are also a part of virtual communities: online communities within a website, blog, or instant messaging list. You don't even have to know the people within your virutal community in real-life to share in a community with them. You could be a part of many communities, and not even realize it.

Of course, there are also downsides to virtual communities. Some critics say that they foster poor real-life communication skills, because they are always interacting with people through a screen instead of face-to-face. No matter what your take on these communities, they are most definitely there, and choosing to or not to join them is one way that each of us is responding to globalization.

Lesson 2d - End of Lesson 2

"To what extent should I, as a citizen, respond to globalization?"

This week, we studied awareness, and how it affects our lives and others' lives around the world. If we are aware of events that occur or issues that are important from somewhere other than where we live, we can help to improve the quality of life of people living there. Depending on the action we choose to take, whether it be joining an orgniazation promoting womens' rights or just buying organically-grown bananas that profit the people who grow them, we can always make a difference when we respond to some of the issues of globalization.

Because of the growing awareness of the world, more issues are becoming apparent and are being dealt with. If humans and organizations in developing countries were not aware of some of the things that occur in developing countries, in relation to human rights, democracy, poverty, etc., these issues would probably take a lot longer to be resolved because the countries would be taking them on alone, instead of with supporters.

I think it is important to respond, in at least some way, to globalization and its issues. As I mentioned before, you could simply buy organic coffee, or join an organization that combats an issue that you feel strongly about.

Lesson 2c

All around the world, organizations and, in some cases, governments are working towards a better quality of life for all people. Some organizations include a social clause in all trade agreements, requiring countries to take some action against the extreme forms of labour exploitation. Some NGO's and international organizations help to promote effective governance by exposing corrupts and unfair practices within the government, and offer to help the parliament improve standards of living.

As I become more aware of happenings around the world caused by or affected by globalization, I realize how poor the quality of life is for some human beings. Everyday, there are things that anyone can do to help to improve someone from the other side of the world's quality of life, whether it be signing a petition on the Internet to stop human trafficking, or even buying organic, fair-trade coffee instead of free-trade. I believe that there is always something that we can do - we just sometimes have to search to figure out what that something is.

Lesson 2b

Labour standards are measures that protect workers and the environment. But often, they do not do enough to protect workers in developing countries on the other side of the world. Many of the products we consume everyday, for example, come from places such as Ecuador, but the workers who harvest the coffee beans or bananas that we have for breakfast often don't get a fair share of the profits made. I believe that too much of the money goes to the store who sells the product, or the in-between companies who are technically a part of the process.'



The fair-trade movement is one group who is changing the way profits are split, so that it is more fair. Now, coffee producers are paid 28 cents of each dollar - much more fair than it could be.



In respose to the question, "To what extent should I respond to globalization?" in this area, a way to help the producers in developing countries is to buy fair-trade products that give a fair share of the profits made to the producer. It can easily help a family somewhere on the other side of the world when you are aware of the fair-trade issue, and don't buy the products that still don't provide fair shares of its profits.

Lesson 2a

How aware of the world around me am I? This is an interesting question to consider. I am aware of how globalized our lives are, and how dependent we have become on our technology. I am aware of the atrocities that occur around the world, and how large our ecological footprint is. I think that the real question is, how, and when, can I respond to the issues that I am aware of in the world today?

Also, I believe that in order for the people of the world to become serious about correcting some of the problems or issues that are scattered around the globe, we all need to be aware of the world to a certain extent. Organizations that promote gender equality, for example, would not be available to you if the people running it were not aware of the situations in developing countries, where womens' rights are still not equal to mens'.

As for the connection between globalization and awareness of issues such as the gender gap, I believe that it contributes greatly to the amount that people know today. Without globalization, we wouldn't know what was going on around the world, because we wouldn't be connected with those countries. We could be at the same point with gender equality as we were in the 1900's if not for continuing globalization, and how it contributes to awareness.

Lesson 1e - End of Lesson 1

"To what extent should I, as a citizen, respond to globalization?"

After reading chapter 13, I believe that there are many ways to respond to globalization in our world today. In response to worldwide issues such as human trafficking, it can be as simple as reporting a website that promotes this atrocity, or joining an organization that helps to eliminate this problem from our country.Often, I believe it can be as simple as joining an organization, online or in person, that can make a difference in globalization issues around the world.

As globalization continues to evolve, so do the issues surrounding it. Human rights and democracy continue to change in developing countries, and if we continue rallying behind them, I believe that we can make a difference in the lives of people who live under a non-democratic government.

Other organizations and groups are out there for other reasons, as well, such as stewardship towards the earth (like the comic above). No matter what your cause or purpose of joining, doing so is a way of responding to globalization, both from the past and today.

Lesson 1d

Human trafficking is not a pleasant term to consider. If you lived in a country strewn with war with a corrupted government, and you were promised a new life in a developed country with a job and enough prosperity to sustain yourself and your family, you would probably snatch the oppurtunity in a second. But all too often, the reality of the situation isn't the paradise that that is hoped for or expected.





Globalization, in my opinion, doesn't help the trafficking situation at all. Because of our connected world, and how wrapped up people get with their jobs and families, issues like trafficking all too often go unnoticed, or simply passed by. The ways that we are able to make our way around the world (planes, trucks, buses, etc.) make it easy for human trafficking to go by unnoticed as well.





However, organizations that promote the abolition of human trafficking can make a great difference in this area. People who care will join the organizations to help to make a difference in the lives of victims of trafficking.

It is possible for any and all of us to make a difference in human trafficking in our country and around the world. Joining an organization that promotes the elimination could be the beginning, and if we spread the word about what takes place in our country we could also spread awareness and possibly create more supporters of the cause.

Lesson 1c

Human rights are not a "new idea". In Ancient Persia, as early as 6th century BC, King Cyrus recorded his conquests on the "Cyrus Cylinder", but he also recorded the tolerant way he treated people afterwards. He would even rebuild the religious temples of groups of people whom he had conquered. Other early civilizations had their own laws and practises that showed a deocratic attitude - I found King Cyrus' the most interesting.

By learning about the laws and ways of the past, I think that we can build a future that builds on the positive aspects and fixes the problems. If all countries had kings who believed so greatly in human rights, all countries could have a democratic government - not just the developed ones.

But our countries and governments are trying to make a difference. Oral and written documents such as the Universal declaration of Human Rights or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms work towards a free, democratic future for all.

In response to the question "To what extent should I, as a citizen, respond to globalization?", in this area, I believe that we can look at the flaws and successes of the past, and continue their legacies in our everyday lives. Though we aren't part of the government, and therefore we can't pass laws or change any major aspects of life, we can be just and fair to one another, and hope that treatment like that will spread.

Pondering - Lesson 1b

Today, we began reading chapter 13 in our textbook, "Exploring Globalization".

Not everyone in the world has the same view on a person's basic needs, or human rights. But I believe that no matter who you are or where you live, you should be entitled to the same rights as anyone else. I don't think that because we live in a wealthy, prosperous country, we should have any special rights that people in developing countries such as Bangladesh or Indonesia don't have.

Also, the question driving our studies, "To what extent should I, as a citizen, respond to globalization?", will have different meanings to different people. Right now, I believe that it begins with taking a position on the issues of globalization and deciding what we can do about them in our homes, communities, and the world.

First Post!

Hi everyone! Welcome to my Social 10 blog. :)


My name's Jessica, and I'm a student in Mr. Jerrett's class. In Unit 4, we're studying the question: "To what extent should I, as a citizen, respond to globalization?".


Over the past three units, we've been studying different aspects of globalization, and it has been very interesting to discover how many aspects of our lives are driven by or affected by expanding globalization.

This comic is an example of some of the effects of globalization in our world today, and how the media, as well as media convergence, have affected our everyday lives.