Chapter 24: Acceleration Global Interaction

Like previous chapters about globalization, Chapter 24 explains its consequences: benefits and drawbacks. Specifically, the economic globalization mentioned here is currently happening, and has been since the ending of the World Wars around 1945.

The beginning anecdote is very interesting. “I think every Barbie doll is more harmful than an American missile.” That girl is evil, she drills in the minds of little girls that perfection is attainable and that having a dream house and pink convertible is the only way of living. I never really realized that her clothes can be a bit revealing, and the shape her body also gives girls the impression that Barbie is the model of what you’re supposed to look like. And I never realized that Ken and Barbie aren’t even married! What a horrible depiction that must give kids. America and Iran obviously have different views in the internationally exported toy. Iranian toy seller Masoumeh Rahimi, against what Barbie stands for with her perfection, revealing clothing, and lover Ken, decided to manufacture dolls Sara and Dara. They portray siblings that help each other when in need and also comply Iranian Muslim beliefs with appropriate clothing. I think what Rahimi has done is an attack to keep the culture’s values in Iran intact.

[As a side note, I think Mattel, the company by which Barbie is manufactured should consider Barbie’s clothing and nonrealistic lifestyles. Also, I always wondered why there was no Asian Barbie. There would be a blonde, a brunette, and an African-American, but no Asian, no Middle Eastern, Pacific Islander, etc. Wouldn’t little girls wonder why there isn’t any Barbie doll that looks like them?]

The world economy was able to reglobalize after World War II due to “the accelerating circulation of goods, capital, and people.” As shown on Map 24.1, goods were flown all over the world. America invested in goods from China, Mexico, India, the Philippines, etc.; Japan has imports from China, America, and many Asian countries; and Europe invested in goods from America, Brazil, and Russia. The map shows that everyone was trading: “Department stores and supermarkets around the world stocked their shelves with goods from every part of the globe.” I find this really funny, because it’s so true. My dad, as a little boy living in rural, provincial, and poverty-stricken Philippines always had the dream of owning a pair of Chuck Taylors by Converse from America. When he immigrated to America and rediscovered his childhood dreams, he put my mom, my two sisters, and me on a hunt for his dream shoes, made in America. We all laughed at the idea. C’mon, whose shoes are made in America? All of mines that were American-bought are made in China or Vietnam. The pair of Converse I bought in the Philippines is made from Indonesia. My dad didn’t want a pair of Converse shoes that wasn’t American-made. I don’t even know if Converse ever had an American made shoe.

Reglobalization bought economic growth. World output went from $7.1 trillion in 1950 to 55.9 trillion in 2003; life expectancies grew, as did literacy rates. There were also increases in mobile telephones, Internet users, international air travelers, and number of transnational companies. An example of a transnational company that soared heights was McDonalds. As Map 24.4 shows, McDonalds can be found in many places of the world including Canada, Europe, South(ern?) Africa, China, etc. The very first time I went to the Philippines, I was very surprised to see that there was a McDonalds, KFC, and even Starbucks. Similarly, Philippine fast food joints Jollibee and ChowKing, have reached other countries such as Hong Kong, Dubai, and the United States.

With this reglobalization, I think where ever you may travel to, something will look familiar, making the foreign country not as foreign. California is not a foreign country, but upon my arrival from Hawaii, I felt a little better when I saw Hawaiian Barbeque Restaurants and Asian Supermarkets, etc.