PRE FINAL EXAM ESSAY QUESTIONS

Deadline: Wednesday (November 10, 2021)

Instructions: Briefly and accurately answer the questions below.

Follow the indicated sentence limit. If necessary, provide
examples to support your answer. Submit your answers using this
Gdocs. 40 points total.
1. Explain how the Asian region can be seen as an engine for globalization. Provide
examples/situations to support your discussion. (10 pts; 10-15 sentences only)

Asia is the biggest region (both land and water)

Asia has 2/3 of the world’s population
Asia contributes the largest share in global GDP at 35% (in 2012) as well as accounts
for 1/3 of the total world exports (in 2001)

These alone are evidence of the capacity of the region to be seen as an engine for
globalization. Big land and water area mean richer natural resources. A big population
means more human capital and more consumers. In fact, in another perspective, these
are why many Western multinational corporations try to penetrate Asian countries. Aside
from cheaper raw materials and workforce due to mere quantity, there are a lot of
consumers. And capturing the Asian region is a big business for them. An example of
this is in Hollywood. They add Asian references in their movies or even create some
dedicated to Asia like Kung Fu Panda. A film using Panda, an animal native in China, as
its main character, made an American company called Dreamworks.

Also, in the West, since there are a lot of immigrants from Asia there, they adopt the rich
culture of Asians showing Asia’s impact on globalization. These are manifested in
various aspects like the place (Chinatowns, Korean Markets), food (Indian food, Chinese
food), products such as in tech (Sony, Samsung) and cars (Hyundai, Toyota), and many
other more.

2. Explain how one’s experience of humiliation justifies resorting to acts of violence in the
name of religion. (10 pts; 10-15 sentences only)

The political head of the Hamas movement, a Palestinian militant Islamic group, justifies
resorting to acts of violence in the name of religion as an antidote to humiliation. It said
that “to die in this way – through suicide bombings, is better than to die daily in
frustration and humiliation.”
 On my understanding, I believe that, for the radical extremist groups like the Hamas
movement, the only way to regain power and respect from others – which were lost for
being humiliated – is to instill fear through violence. Unfortunately, they use religion,
Islam, to perpetuate this thinking that they can use violence for a greater purpose than
their lives to defend dignity, land, and honor.

3. Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of the World Order by Samuel Huntington
(1996). (15 pts; 15-20 sentences only)

Guide Questions:
● Which civilizations were highlighted in his discussion?
● How will these civilizations behave in the future?
● Discuss the criticisms of his arguments about these civilizations.

The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of the World Order is a very controversial
take of Samuel Hungtington about how the world can avoid conflicts and preserve peace
among nations. Huntington foresees dangerous clashes between significant civilizations,
particularly the West (North America and Western Europe), Islamic, and Sinic (Chinese).
Accordingly, the conflict is driven by three phenomena:

1. The decline of the West. The shrinkage of the West’s resources like population,
economic products, and military capability will steadily weaken its influence over
other civilizations. This will greatly affect its power to export its “universal culture”
– democracy and equality – which is sometimes viewed, especially by the
Islamic, as the West’s tool to control other civilizations.
2. Economic growth of Asian economies. The economic development of Asian
economies, particularly the Sinic, which can soon surpass the West, will further
lessen the West’s influence in the region. This is further worsened by the Asian
culture of collectivism, in contrast to the West’s individuality, that can easily
mobilize Asian economies and assert its power in globalization.
3. The resurgence of Islam. The rise of Islam is rooted in dramatic population
growth and the ease of mobilization of this population with the advancement of
technology. Huntington believes that Muslims have violent tendencies. He
claimed that their religion glorifies military values and has a history of conquest,
which is evident in the annals of history wherein the relationships of Muslims and
other civilizations have not always been pleasant. The fervor of Islamic
civilization is further fueled by unfair immigration policies of most Western
countries to limit the entry of Muslims.

These result in the conflict of the West’s arrogance, Islamic intolerance, and Sinic’s
assertiveness. Huntington concluded that to avoid disputes among civilizations, the West
should reassert and reimpose itself.
 As for criticisms of Huntington’s view, Marranchi (2004) and Saeed (2007) believe that it
promotes cultural racism and Islamophobia. Another criticism is the belief in the inherent
superiority of the West and the inferiority of Islam and other civilizations.

4. Do you think the world is getting more similar or more different? Cite specific examples
to support your claim. (5 pts; 5-10 sentences only)

I think the world is becoming more and more different today. The drivers for this are:

1. The focus is on individuality vs. collectivism. Society today is more focused on

finding your wants and aspirations, which encourages people to not conform to
the group and do their own thing. It glorifies and rewards people who are novel
and different.
2. The rise of communities and fan groups. Nowadays, it is easier to find people
with similar views and likes. This is exemplified by the continuous growth of the
community platforms like Discord, where people can connect with others even if
they are from different parts of the world. This is similar to my previous point
about individuality but on a higher level. It is a unique case of differentiating
yourself from others by joining groups that you find similarities with. Some
examples are the Swifties (those who are fans of Taylor Swift), Kpop stans
(those who support Kpop), and so on.
3. The increasing difficulty of processing large amounts of information. Everything is
said to be on the internet. And anyone can say what they think and want to say in
an instant thru social media platforms. This bombards people with a lot of
information to process. Unfortunately, some people use it in their interest and
spread misinformation. This encourages division. It is evident in our local politics
–Red vs. Yellow; Marcoses vs. Aquinos.

To conclude, being more different is not necessarily a bad thing. I believe diversity is
innate to humans. And like how we always say, “Two heads are better than one”. This is
proof that diversity is good to avoid groupthink and be more creative thru the different
perspectives each individual provides. However, what is not good is that some use the
differences to serve their interest, like spreading misinformation. We have to be on guard
against people who try to divide us and pit us against one another. We have to realize
that although we are different, we can live harmoniously.