Chapter II

COMMUNICATION AND GLOBALIZATION

According to the term communication has been in existence since time immemorial., the
term globalization is relatively new in our vocabularies. Also, while the term communication is
generally understood if not all , globalization is not. What is globalization.

WHAT IS GLOBALIZATION?
According to http://www.globalization101.org, globalization is a process of interaction
and integration among the people, companies, and government, of different nations, a process
driven by international trade and investment and aided by informing technology. This process
has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and
prosperity, and on human physical well being in the societies around the world.
Heywood (2013) escribes globalization as a slippery and elusive concept. Despite
intensifying interest in the phenomenon of globalization since 1980s, the term is still used to
refer, variously, to a process a policy, a marketing strategy, a predicament, or even an ideology.
Perhaps the best attempt to do this was in Kenchi Ohmae’s ( 1989) idea of a borderless world.
This not only refers to the tendency of traditional political borders, based on national and state
boundaries, to become permeable; it also implies that divisions between people previously
separated by time and space have become less significant and are sometime entirely irrelevant.

But policy and technological developments of the past few decades have spurred
increases, in cross-border trade, investment, and migration so large that many observers believe
the world has entered. A qualitatively new phased economic development. Distinguishing this
current wave of globalization from earlier ones, author Thomas Friedman has said that today
globalization is farther, faster, cheaper, and deeper (http://www.globalization101.org). This
current wave of globalization has been driven by policies that have opened economies
domestically and internationally. Taking advantage of new opportunities in foreign markets,
corporation, have built foreign factories and established production and marketing
arrangements with foreign partners. A defining feature of globalization, therefore, is an
international industrial and business structure.
Technology has been the other principal driver of globalization. Advances in information
technology, in particular, have dramatically transformed economic life. Information technologies
have given all sorts of individual economic actors- consumers, investors, business- valuable new
tools for identifying and pursuing economic opportunities, including faster and more informed
analysis of economic trends around the world, easy transfer of assets and collaboration with far-
flung partners (http://www.globalization101.org).
B. IMPACTS OF GLOBALIZATION ON COMMUNICATION
In an article entitled The impact of Globalization on Communication Skills Development,
David Ingram said that [c]ommunication skills development has always been an important factor
of success in business, but the influence of globalization and cross -cultural interaction in recent
decades has impacted the types of communication skills needed in dramatic ways. No longer can
entrepreneurs afford simply communicate well within their own homogenous cultures.

Thus, today people need to understand the dynamics of long-distance collaboration, the
impact of culture on manners of speaking and body language, and how o use technology to
communicate with people on the other side of the globe:;
1. VIRTUAL INTERACTIONS. Globalization has introduced virtual communication
and collaboration as a major part of academic and workplace dynamics. We need to
understand the strengths and limitation of different communications media, and how to
use each medium to maximum effect.
2. CULTURAL AWARENESS IN SPEECH. The need for cultural awareness is a major
impact of globalization on required skillset of effective communicators, resulting in the
evolution of communication skills development programs.
3. CULTURAL AWARENESS IN BODY LANGUAGE. Awareness of cultural
differences in body language can be just as the nuances of speech.
4. TIME DIFFERENCES. The advent of global collaboration introduces another new
dynamic to communication skills- the need to communicate and share information with
people across several time zones.

C. IMPACTS OF GLOBALIZATION ON GLOBAL COMMUNICATION

According to Danev (2017), [t]he process of globalization has widely increased the
availability of information for people across the world. By the use of internet and advanced
mobile services, people are able to discuss business plans and proposals on an international
level as well as exchange private data securely. Global communication services have also
contributed to the enlightenment and development of the political process in a number of states.
Danev(2017) also enumerates the three major impacts of globalization on global
communication and identifies the major problem, as follows :
1. Availability of Information. The availability of information is a major effect of the
process of globalization.
 2. Business Conduct. Globalization has influenced global communication by implementing
new techniques for business conduct among workers at international corporations.
3. Social Awareness. The availability of information , which is a direct effect of the
development of global communication systems has led to increased social awareness of
people across the world. Information technology and networks enable them to share
information views, work on projects and research different area.
4. The Problem. Despite its quick spread and continuous development, global,
communication has not reached the majority of people on all continents. The World
Health Organization indicates at least 70 percent of all people in Africa will never make a
single phone call or use internet. This points out the need of a more extensive application
to communication technologies as part of the process of globalization.

Chapter III-A
LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUICATION IN
MULTICULTURAL SETTING
In a global environment, the ability to communicate effectively can be a challenge. Even
when both parties speak the same language, there can still be misunderstandings due to ethnic
and cultural differences.
Over the last decade, there have been countless examples from the business sector that
demonstrate how poor communication can lead to poor organizational performance ( and public
criticisms and outcry ). Understanding the impact of cross-culture communication is imperative
for organizations seeking to create a competitive advantage to global market.
As a society becomes more globally connected, the ability to communicate across
cultural boundaries has gained increasing prominence. However with the advancements in
technology, individuals, groups, organization and institutions must sensitive to the cultural
nuances that can potentially present as obstacle to their intentions( https:\\www.intechopen.com )
According to Genevieve Hilton , cultural proficiency doesn’t mean memorizing every
cultural nuance of every market. It’s knowing when to listen , when to ask for help, when-finally-
to speak.

A.A WORLD OF DIVERSITY

Parapak (1995) describes our world as a world diversity. For many centuries the people
of the world were separated by mountains and seas. They rarely saw each other; their lives were
practically unrelated. They developed and lived their own unique culture. People in a particular
locality developed their own particular way of life, their own language, their religion and thus
became known as tribe, an ethnic group or a particular group of people who established a nation
of their own.
The world, although one world , was and is inhabited by diverse populations each with
their own identity, physical, spiritual, and cultural uniqueness. Indeed this world has always been
a world of diversity. There is no reason to be ashamed or frightened of diversity. Indeed
diversity can become source of strength and enrichment. The invention and development of new
technologies have been and continue to be instrumental in changing the way we live the way we
communicate, the way we express our thoughts our ideas. In short technology has influenced the
dynamic development of our cultural identities ( Parapak 1995).
During the early days of human civilization, direct, mainly verbal communication using
a particular language was one of the elements of our cultural identity.
However, the efforts to achieve global competitiveness and the sense of national identity
has not eliminated distinctive regional cultures, but rather aroused a sense of pride in the
diversity which is a source of the rich Philippine cultural heritage.
Philippines is an archipelagic country with 7,641 islands, of which, about 2000 are
inhabited. More than 175 ethno-linguistic groups comprise our population, the majority of whose
languages are Austronesian in origin.
More diverse than our country is our neighbor, Indonesia, with more than 17, 508
islands, with more than 300 ethnic groups, each with its own language, but much can be learned
from the Indonesian experience. As Parapak (1995) said:
….Accepting diversity as a strength, we are mindful of the vital role of communications
in bonding the diverse cultures, diverse ethnic groups, diverse languages, diverse religious
beliefs, into one nation.
Through our experience we have also learned to accept that the world is so diverse with
its more than 180 nations…
Diversity is indeed a spice of life, a potential source of strength and character.
B. THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY
More than fifty(50) years ago, Mcluhan anticipated the arrival of a global village where
everyone on this planet earth could feel himself as a citizen of a village. Mcluhan’s vision was
inspired by the tremendous development of television broadcasting. The development of a
global satellite transmission and broadcasting in some ways realized the dream of Mcluhan.
Technological development, however, has kept on accelerating, especially during the last
twenty five (25) years. Now, through satellite, radio and cables, almost any part of the world is
reachable by a telephone.
 The superhighway of information or global network of intelligence, allows us now to
globally share information, communicate instantly and work together to develop robust and
sustainable economic progress , promote democracy suitable to our different societies, improve
our environment, health care and education and ultimately realize prosperous and just world
society.
Global high-tech communications facilities also help to work together as nations,
exchange ideas and nurture barriers of nations, mountains and seas.
Today, our globe is circled by superhighways of optical fiber cable systems providing
almost an unlimited bandwidth of information transmission.
These facilitates give an almost unlimited choice of information and entertainment to
those who have access.

C. CULTURAL AWARENESS AND SENSITIVITY

Cultural awareness is knowing that there are multiple different cultures- based on
religion, ethnicity, nationality and other factors- that we have different attitudes and outlooks.
Cultural sensitivity involves accepting those differences without insisting your own culture is
better, or that everyone should do it in your way.
Work alongside people with different cultural attitudes and behaviors and to do so sensitivity
skills are sometimes called cultural competence, effectively (Sherman , 2018)similarities
Cultural sensitivity is between people exist without assigning them a value-positive or negative,
better being aware that cultural differences and or worse, right or wrong. It simply means that
you are aware that people are not is no better than any culture. A challenge, if you ask the author,
for members of dominant cultures (https://redshoemovement.com).

According to Dabbah (2017), (the idea behind cultural sensitivity is very straightforward.
Cultural sensitivity refers to a set of skills that allows you to learn about and understand people
whose cultural background is not the same as yours, but what does that really mean? Essentially,
it means that, as you go about your daily life, you operate with the awareness that cultural
differences between yourself and the people you meet exist without assigning them a value. You
see our differences as a positive thing, and don't consider one culture better or worse, right or
wrong.

Of course, this is often easier said than done. With increasingly diverse populations living
together in the same communities, it is not always possible to intimately understand the
backgrounds of those we are interacting with, but, having cultural sensitivity does not mean that
you must be an expert in each culture's values. It simply means that you're willing to ask honest
questions, seek understanding, and demonstrate empathy rather than judging those around you. It
also means that, when you knowingly enter a space in which there will be cultural differences at
play you do a bit of homework beforehand and avoid knee-jerk reactions or jumping to
conclusions (Dabbah, 2017).

Sherman (2018) observes that communicating in a diverse, multicultural environment can

be awkward. For example, someone might make a sweeping and inappropriate generalization to
a co-worker about what his people are like, causing discord. More subtle problems can involve
the differences in how people from different cultures communicate.

A gesture that is acceptable in one culture might be meaningless or offensive in another.

What is considered the normal space between two people standing and talking is different in
different societies. In some cultures, criticizing or correcting your boss openly is much less
acceptable than it is in the United States.

To help you exhibit cultural awareness and sensitivity in words and in deeds, keep in mind the
following guidelines adapted from http://www.coloradoedinitiative.org:

1. View human difference as positive and a cause for celebration;

2. Have a clear sense of your own ethnic, cultural, and racial identity;

3. Be aware that in order to learn about others, you need to understand and

be prepared to share your own culture;

4. Be aware of your own discomfort when you encounter differences in race, color, religion,
sexual orientation, language, and ethnicity,

5. Be aware of the assumptions that you hold about people of cultures different from your own;
6. Be aware of your stereotypes as they arise and develop personal strategies for reducing the
harm that they cause;

7. Be aware of how your cultural perspective influences your judgments about what appropriate,
normal, or superior behaviors, values and communication styles are;

8. Accept that in cross-cultural situations, there can be uncertainty, and that uncertainty can make
you anxious. It can also mean that you do not respond quickly and take the time needed to get
more information;

9. Take any opportunity to put yourself in places where you can learn about differences and
create relationships; and

10. Understand that you will likely be perceived as a person with power and racial privilege (or
the opposite), and that you may not be seen as unbiased or as an ally.

D. GENDER SENSITIVITY

Gender sensitivity refers to the aim of understanding and taking account of the societal
and cultural factors involved in gender-based exclusion and discrimination in the most diverse
spheres of public and private life. It focuses mainly on instances of structural disadvantage in the
positions and roles of women (http://eige.europa.eu).

Gender-sensitive language is the realization of gender equality in written and spoken

language. Gender equality in language is attained when women and men and those who do not
conform to the binary gender system are made visible and addressed in language as persons of
equal value, dignity, integrity and respect (http://eige.europa.eu),
Avoiding sex- and gender-base discrimination starts with the systematic use of language,
as gender-biased terminology influences attitudes and expectations and could, in the mind of the
reader or listener, relegate women to the background or help perpetuate a stereotyped view of
women's and men's roles. There are number of different http://www.freepressjournal.in strategies
that can be used to express gender relationships with accuracy, such a avoiding, to the greatest
possible extent, the use of language that refers explicitly or implicitly to only one gender, and
ensuring, through inclusionary and according to each language's characteristics, the use of
gender-sensitive and inclusive language. alternatives

Examples of gender-neutral words that may be used are as follows:

1. ancestors, forebears (instead of forefathers)

2. artificial, manufactured (instead of man-made)

3. average/ordinary person (instead of common man)

4. chair, chairperson, coordinator (instead of chairman)

5. courteous, cultured (instead of ladylike)

6. first-year student (instead of freshman)

7. flight attendant (instead of steward, stewardess)

8. human resources (instead of manpower)

9. legislator, representative (instead of congressman)

10. mail carrier, letter carrier, postal worker (instead of mailman, postman)

11. people, human beings (instead of mankind)

 12. person, individual (instead of man)

13. police officer (instead of policeman)

14. solidarity (instead of brotherhood)

15. to operate, to cover, to staff (instead of to man)

The site http://www.academia.edu advises the use of Ms. with women as sometimes their
marital status is vague or not known if not given special directives from the woman herself
(unless the woman herself prefers the courtesy title Mrs. or Miss). A woman's marital status is
very often irrelevant to the matter in hand. Also, say Mr. and Mrs. Smith, or Mrs. Jane and Mr.
John Smith instead of Mr. and Mrs. John Smith. The salutation Dear Sir/Madam is also preferred
if the gender of the recipient is unknown instead of using Dear Sir.

Another thing which you must avoid is stereotyping roles and attributes. Stereotyping
roles mean when certain jobs are presumed to be performed only by men or women, giving rise
to gender-biased terms. Example: John and Mary both have full-time jobs, he helps her with the
housework. This sentence can be stated in other way which sounds more respectful and gender
neutral: John and Mary both have full-time jobs; they share the housework.

The Chef does everything but cook that's what wives are for!

Attributes means usage of certain words which underline stereotypic gendered attributes.
For instance: Women are caretakers, gentle and emotional, while men are achievers, strong and
logical.

Gender sensitive language is not simply terminology and rules which should be carried
by a gender-sensitive speaker or writer. It shows that a person respects all persons, favors social
equality and equal opportunity and helps avoid ambiguity. Communicating effectively requires
respectful treatment of people, and regard for their needs and individuality.
 Proper communication brings proper achievements. Communication can be oral or
written, but written one is the most important as it is not just a set of words but the reflection of
your reasoning, attitudes, and knowledge. It cannot be erased easily and the impression it gives
to reader can damage or advance your reputation. Attention to gender sensitivity in writing is
one-way to demonstrate relevance, erudition, and culture.

Thus, to ensure that you have used gender-sensitive language in a piece of writing, the
following checklist for gender revisions from http://www.mtu.edu may be of help:

1. Have you used man or men or words containing one of them to refer to people who
may be female? If so, consider substituting another word.
2. If you have mentioned someone's gender, was it necessary to do so? If you identify
someone as a female architect, for example, do you (or would you) refer to someone else as a
male architect? And if you then note that the woman is an attractive blonde mother of two, do
you mention that the man is a muscular, square-jawed father of three? Unless gender and related
matters - looks, clothes, parenthood - are relevant to your point, leave them unmentioned,

3. Do you use any occupational stereotypes? Watch for the use of female pronouns for nurses and
male ones for scientists, for example.

4. Do you use language that in any way shows a lack of respect for either sex?

5. Have you used he, him, his, or himself to refer to people who may be female?

E. POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

The term political correctness is used to describe language, policies, or measures that are
intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society/Since the
late 1980s, the term has come to refer to avoiding language or behavior that can be seen as
excluding, marginalizing, or insulting groups of people considered disadvantaged or
discriminated against, especially groups defined by sex or race. In public discourse and the
media, it is generally used as a pejorative, implying that these policies are excessive
(https://en.wikipedia.org).

Merriam-Webster defines politically correct as agreeing with the idea that people should
be careful to not use language or behave in a way that could offend a particular group of people
(Molloy, 2015).

Other dictionaries give similar definitions, but what it basically comes down to is
political correctness means not being a jerk to others. Political correctness is nothing more than
treating others with respect. Being kind. Being a nice person. And, yes, this means maybe not
calling someone a racial slur and not making judgments or assumptions based on stereotypes
(Molloy, 2015).
Some words that may be used for political correctness are as follows:

1. academic dishonesty (instead of cheating)

2. aesthetically challenged (instead of ugly)

3. black (instead of negro)

4. comb-free (instead of bald)

5. differently abled (instead of disabled)

6. drug dependent (instead of drug addict)

7. dysfunctional family (instead of broken home)

8. economically marginalized (instead of poor)

 9. elderly, senior (instead of old)

10. ethically disoriented (instead of dishonest)

11. hearing impaired (instead of deaf)

12. informal settlers (instead of squatters)

13. intellectual disability, intellectual developmental disorder (instead of mental

retardation)

14. intellectually impaired (instead of stupid)

15. little people (instead of midget, dwarf)

16. morally challenged (instead of a crook)

17. nondiscretionary fragrance (instead of body odor)

18. outdoor urban dwellers (instead of homeless)

19. people of mass (instead of fat)

20.. rape survivor (instead of rape victim)

21. sexually dysfunctional (instead of perverted)

 22. socially misaligned (instead of psychopath)

23. technologically challenged (instead of computer illiterate)

24. vertically challenged (instead of short)

25. visually challenged (instead of blind)

CHAPTER IV

EVALUATING MESSAGES AND/OR IMAGES

As you might generalize, language is all around us - from the way we speak and
communicate with one another, to the books that we read, even when we use our body to give
away signals of pleasure, pain and excitement. And as our world transitions to the online age,
when communication is no longer personal, linguists still continue to study the emerging
language mediums. The field of linguistics is particularly interested with the use of language in
everyday landscape in different contexts. Since the Internet is highly used and online content
suggests defining contexts to the netizen, linguists consider pictures, signs, and photos as having
ideologies that talk to people exposed in these kinds of multilingual landscape. As part of the
online age, you have to be good in examining how signs communicate with you in the context of
the author and the reader/recipient in the emerging linguistics landscapes.
A. LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPES
When you find yourself lost in an unfamiliar place, you would first look around for signs
that may tell you where you actually are. You would look for street names, billboards, signage, or
even bills posted on walls and posts. Those signs will help you familiarize yourself in the
surrounding and may signal you about a familiar thing that may make you identify your location.
The things that you can actually see that do not necessarily need words to express a thought is
called linguistic landscape.
 Wherever you are, there linguistic and semiotic materials are. These may come in
the form of billboards, signage, street names, traffic regulations, or graffiti. These materials go
unnoticed most of the time. Advertisements, flyers and written notices are part of our everyday
life.

Memes, troll posts, and tweets are prevalent online.

All of these are part of the linguistic landscapes.

Linguists consider signs to express symbolic meaning and messages. It is both a language
and medium of communication on its own. Researchers tend to analyze the purpose of the
author/writer, how these signs and symbols are produced, and to whom they are directed to. In
some cases, signs can usually be identified on the basis of form of the signage or symbol.

Official signs are produced with a top down discourse, while signs produced by an
individual or a group, but not officially recognized has bottom up discourse. Knowing where to
draw the line between top down and bottom up is not always easy. Ben-Rafael, et al. (2006; in
Mooney & Evans, 2015)suggest that the signs on individual shops are bottom up as these allow
for personal choice in their composition and display. However, within the context of the shop
itself, they could be regarded as top down. Leman & Modan (2009; in Mooney & Evans, 2015)
argue that the distinction between top down and bottom up signage practices is untenable in an
era in which public-private partnerships are the main vehicle of urban revitalization initiatives in
urban centers in many parts of the world, and when government policies constrain private sector
signage practices. Nevertheless, Mooney & Evans (2015) said, if the distinction is thought of as a
continuum whose orientation points may shift in different contexts, it is helpful in understanding
how signs are constructed and consumed.

B. GEOSEMIOTICS
Looking at a particular sign, you may notice that the various elements used in it have
meaning, and elements symbolic in the message they want to convey. Try to pay attention to the
various features including color, size, shape, and where the sign is placed. They may be used in
analyzing the symbolic and contextual meaning of signs. This is what linguists call as
geosemiotics. It is a mode of analyzing signs.
 Geosemiotics the study of the social meaning of the material placement of signs in the
world. By signs we mean to include any semiotic system including language and discourse
(Scollon & Scollon, 2003; in Mooney & Evans, 2015).

If you look at a sign more critically, you would likely understand the intention of the
maker and his purpose. This is why signs are placed in a location that has relevance to the
message it wants to convey. Imagine a one-way sign in a two-way street. Most drivers would
surely get confused because it does not relate to the place where it is supposed to be. Note that
language and placement of signs are just two of semiotic systems. Other things, like typeface
used, the color, images and so on, also create and communicate meaning, Because signs are so
varied across the linguistic landscape, you need to pay attention to all these semiotic choices of
the maker.

C. KINDS OF SIGNS
Although it is often assumed that signs only differ in features, signs are divided into
different kinds based on the contextual meaning and discourse, thus, a sign may be:
1. Regulatory, if it indicates authority and is official or legal prohibitions,
2. Infrastructural, if it labels things or directs for the maintenance of a building or any
infrastructure,
3. Commercial, which advertises or promotes a product, an event, or a service in
commerce, or
4. Transgressive, if it violates (intentionally or accidentally) the conventional semiotics or
is in wrong place, like a graffiti (In English, graffiti is used both as a singular and plural noun. In
Italian, though, the singular form is graffito.)

REGULATORY
A regulatory sign is used to indicate or reinforce traffic laws, regulations or requirements
which apply either at all times or at specified times or places upon a street or highway, the
disregard of which may constitute a violation, or a sign in general that regulates public behavior
in places open to the public.

INFRASTRUCTURAL
 Infrastructure Work means work with respect to roads, water supply, fuel, sewage
disposal, drainage, electrical systems and other prescribed services and things provided to the
mobile home park.

COMMERCIAL
Billboard advertising is the process of using a large-scale digital or print ad to market a
company, brand, product, service, or campaign. Billboards are typically placed in high-traffic
areas, such as along highways and in cities. This helps make sure that they're seen by the highest
number of drivers and pedestrians.

TRANSGRESSIVE
This is an example of a graffiti, a transgressive sign. We have defined a transgressive sign
as one which intentionally or accidentally violates the conventional semiotics at that place such
as a discarded snack food wrapper or graffiti, or any sign in wrong space (Scollon & Scollon,
2003; in Mooney & Evans, 2015)

Graffiti is a way for disempowered people to make a visible mark, to disrupt the
landscape that is increasingly occupied by the increasingly powerful. As argued by linguists, a
graffiti creates a narrative and is a form of participatory culture. The people who live in the space
provide evidence of their experiences, views and actions.
D. ONLINE LANDSCAPES

People who go online are called netizens - an abstraction of the words Internet and
citizen. Netizens are metaphorically considered as the citizens of the virtual world. We now live
in a time when almost every one has at least one social media account. We communicate now
through these virtual landscapes more than ever.
This virtual space is also a language landscape. Looking at it as landscape rather than a language
should prompt you to see the semiotic options in the context of social spaces in this environment.
Three of the many media in this landscape are the following:

YOUTUBE
Although YouTube (Be mindful as to how the word is spelled because it is a proper noun.
Videos cannot specifically be considered as signs or symbols, YouTube video producers use
symbols and signs, generally inclusive in the language used, to convey the message they want to
express. It is difficult to generalize the use of YouTube whether for research, entertainment, or
extensive advertisement. As such, the YouTube videos are language landscapes that can be
analyzed in its context and features.

TWITTER
This virtual landscape is described by Mooney & Evans (2015) as ubiquitous. What this
virtual landscape looks like depends on the technology and on the choices the user makes. An
individual's experience of Twitter, for example, depends on who he/she is following, which
hashtags he/she is interested in, and so on. Moreover, the way people use Twitter can vary
widely. It may be used for keeping up with developments in work and career, making sure the
train is running on time, following favorite celebrities, or interacting with friends.

MEMES
One of the things that the World Wide Web makes possible is the quick circulation of
memes. Memes are prevalent in social media, and if we ask a student no matter how young if
he/she has encountered one or two, it is most probably that he/she has already. To make the
definition short, meme is a term given to any posts, language or photo that has an uptake to a
social, moral, or political idea that most of the time seems funny. Memes are contagious patterns
of cultural information that get passed from mind to mind and directly generate and shape the
mindsets and significant forms of behavior and actions of a social group.