Presentations, March 4th

Overall, there were four great presentations in this class which all brought up very interesting and relevant topics and discussions. The range of issues covered was especially nice, as it allowed for a variety of issues to be discussed and analyzed without much repetition. With respect to the issues pertaining to internationalization and globalization I thought that The Dubai group and the Starbucks group did a great job at making connections between what was going on on a local level compared to what was happening internationally. Both groups were able to apply their research to the international stage and connect it to the bigger picture of some of the themes we have been discussing in this course.

For example the Dubai group did a great job discussing the issue of censorship in the middle East and how the digital age is causing some concern regarding the free flow of information that the internet can offer. On page 230, Thussu states that "in many countries the growing use of the internet and its potential power to provide alternative viewpoints and exchange of information beyond national borders have generated anxiety". The power of the internet to create a collective knowledge base is one of the triumphs of the new technology and its ability to be a seemingly unlimited source of information is seen as a major success in the West, but a major detriment and nuisance in many places, such as parts of the middle East. The group outlined a scenario where a person from Saudi Arabi could go on the internet and read about the comparatively free lifestyles of those in the West. That person would potentially become jealous and might decide to abandon certain aspect of their religion. This provided an example of the ways in which the free flow of information caused by the information/digital revolution has begun to make fundamental changes to the lifestyles and mind sets of people living far from the source of the original information.

As for the Starbucks presentation, I found interesting their comparisons between the consumption habits and cultural atributes of various cultures and how that correlated to their view of the Starbucks experience. One of the examples used by the group was the Italians aversion to a 'fast food' style coffee shop as opposed to their more laid back approach to coffee consumption. It was interesting to think about the challenges an international corporation like Starbucks would face when trying to adapt to a local culture with its unique attributes. In a way it is refreshing to think that even in our highly globalized world, there are still significant differences between cultures, even when it comes to seemingly simple things like drinking coffee. It was also ironic to think that some people will travel halfway around the world only to stop in at a Parisian Starbucks for the same cup of coffee they could get in Hamilton.

Not to ignore the other two presentations, I thought it was very creative of group three to take a look at the comparison's between various cultures and their reaction to the resignation of Fidel Castro. It really shed some light on the differing agenda's of each nation observed. While some cultures seemed almost indifferent to the situation, others (namely the US) displayed a vested interest in the change in government and the group did a good job at explaining the reasoning behind each nation's attitude towards the resignation.

Let us hope that the next group of presentation's will be equally enlightening!

Thussu, Daya Kishan. “Creating a Global Communication Infrastructure.” International Communication: Continuity and Change. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. 230.