GEH1001/ GEC1000

GLOBALISATION AND NEW MEDIA

Week 6 Lecture
OVERVIEW

01 - Week 5 Recap
02 - Week 6 Lecture
03 - Assignments
04 - Mid-semester feedback
WEEK 5 RECAP

The network society

Platform capitalism
WEEK 5 RECAP
1. The network society brings fundamental changes to work and sense of
time and place.
Key properties:
change in the occupational structure
media convergence
collision between ‘space of places’ (contiguity) and ‘space of flows’
(simultaneity)
‘timeless time’: blurring boundaries of time and space
WEEK 6

The emergence of global cities

Overview:

The intensive clustering of talent,

technology, businesses, and capital in
‘Global Cities’
‘Creative City’
Causal Chain

The emergence of
global cities ‘Creative city’ ?
Globalisation New Media New globalisation
Which cities do you consider as
a ‘global city'? Why?
 Key questions:
Saskia Sassen 1. How does contemporary globalisation restructure cities around
the world?
2. How do digital technologies figure in the complex interactions
between global and local processes?

Key ideas:
1. “Global City”
Cities that gain strategic, central functions in the global economy
Urban sociology
Columbia University
2. “Networked Urbanism”
Increased interconnectedness and interdependence of cities
Mutual influence between the global networks of finance,
information, and technologies and local urban development
and social relations
“Global cities around the world are the
terrain where a multiplicity of
globalization processes assume
concrete, localized forms”
(Sassen, 2005, p.40).
 Globalisation and urban
transformation

Global processes continue to require specific

spatial and organisational structures,
producing:
New geographies of extraction and power
Complex interplay between:
a. technical and non-technical structures
b. global and local forces
c. dispersal and concentration
 Formation of cities
‘World cities’
1. Historical significance
2. Global influence
3. Institutional infrastructures
a. National government institutions
b. Headquarters
i. Central Business District (CBD)
4. Advanced transportation networks
5. Knowledge and innovation
6. Dynamic social life
‘Global cities’
20th century onwards
1. Connectivity to global networks
a. Economic and technology clusters
b. Specific migration pattern
i. Global talent magnet
ii. Cheap, outsourced labour
2. Rapidly changing nature
3. Resilience and adaptability
 World Cities

New York, USA Paris, France Cairo, Egypt Beijing, China

London, UK Istanbul, Turkey Mumbai, India Tokyo, Japan

Source: AT Kearney Global City Index
Global cities are deeply interdependent. Their
relationships are both competitive and
complementary.
Local histories
National wealth
Geographical specificities
Properties of the Global Cities:

1. Focal points for global economy

a. Intermediation function
b. Key nodes in the network society (Week 5 FGP)
c. Corporate services complex
i. Command and control center of big firms
ii. Concentrations of international finance
d. Homes for transnational classes (Week 3 FGP)
i. Supra-national and sub-national entities
2. Gentrification and inequality
1. Focal points for global economy

a. Global cities have intermediation functions

connect global and local actors
finance: investment banks, financial firms
trade: export/ imports agents and brokers
technology: fintech, software developers,
telecommunications company
politics: supranational organisations, NGOs
laws and regulation: law firms, legal consultants
culture: media companies, universities, cultural
organisations
1. Focal points for global economy

b. Key nodes in the network society (Week 5 FGP)

What is important in the location of advanced services is the micro-

network of the high-level decision-making process, based on face-
to-face relationships, linked to a macro-network of decision
implementation, which is based on electronic communication
networks. In other words, meeting face to face to make financial or
political deals is still indispensable, particularly when discussions
must proceed with absolute discretion in the case of decisions that
provide a competitive edge.’ (p. xxxvi)
1. Focal points for global economy

c. ‘Corporate services complex’

Global, heterogeneous markets require firms with complex and specialised expertise
Proximity forms an efficient ‘agglomeration economy’
Clusters: financiers, lawyers, advertising, managers, executives, scholars,
consultants, other skilled professionals…
Cheaper and easier to outsource their knowledge and skills
 Business and tech districts

Canary Wharf, London Downtown Dubai Downtown Core, Singapore

Silicon Savannah, Nairobi International Tech Park, Bangalore Seoul Innovation Park
Command and control centre for big firms

Source: World Atlas (2018)

Concentrations of international finance

Source: Visual Capitalist

1. Focal points for global economy

d. Homes for transnational classes (Week 3 FGP)

Supranational trade organisations

Geneva, Swistzerland Washington DC, USA Shanghai, China Hongkong

1. Focal points for global economy

d. Homes for transnational classes (Week 3 FGP)

UN Agencies and International NGOs

Bangkok, Thailand Nairobi, Kenya Amman, Jordan Johannesberg, South Africa

1. Focal points for global economy

d. Homes for transnational classes (Week 3 FGP)

Global talent and high-wage sector

highly-educated
‘cognitive’, creative, cultural work
tech-savvy
overrepresentation among certain demographic groups
young
middle & upper classes
certain nationalities
independent
highly flexible and adaptable
1. Focal points for global economy

d. Homes for transnational classes (Week 3 FGP) and global brands (Week 4 FGP)

Generic labour & low-wage sector

wide age range
limited education and skills
overrepresentation among certain demographic groups
women
refugees
racial and ethnic minorities
certain nationalities
precarious employment
vulnerability to economic downturns and political
instability
1. Focal points for global economy

d. Homes for transnational classes (Week 3 FGP)

Supra-national: explicitly global institutions

and processes (i.e. UN, World Trade
Organization, global financial markets).

Sub-national: fixed within sovereign

territories, yet ‘oriented towards global
agendas and systems’ (3).
2. Gentrification and inequality

Global cities gentrify certain places to adapt to evolving urban needs

and provide the infrastructure of the global economy
stylish neighbourhoods
new businesses, amenities, services
wealthier residents, higher living standards
surge in property prices and rent
displacement of existing inhabitants
Example: Indonesia

2014-2017: Surge in the evictions of

the urban underclass in Jakarta
An aggressive effort to rejuvenate
and modernise the city
Flood management, reclamation,
public order, new facilities,
infrastructures (e.g. green spaces,
creative spaces, youth parks,
estate housing)
‘Jakarta Unfair’ (2017) is a documentary film produced
by WatchDoc, an independent production house led by
media activists
The film was directed against the ‘New Jakarta’ campaign
by Jokowi, former Jakarta governor and then Indonesian
president, which failed to fulfil its promise to protect the
welfare of the Jakarta underclass when enacting the city
gentrification program
 ‘Jakarta Baru’/ ‘New Jakarta’ Plan:
Gradual relocation of densely populated, ‘informal’ settlements in the city core to suburban public housings

Jokowi, Indonesian President 2014-2024

Example: Indonesia

Urban poor communities across Jakarta and other

cities such as Malang (East Java) reinvent themselves
to avoid evictions and regain economic functions
‘Kampung Warna-Warni’ or Rainbow Kampong
Project Rainbow Kampong in Jodipan, Malang, East Java
community-driven Source: Atlas Obscura

self-organised
attract local tourism
grow SMEs
inspiration: the ‘Favela’ in Brazil Brazilian Favela
(Source: The Chandler Foundation)
2. Gentrification and inequality

Economic globalisation is extractive, resulting in a stark spatial

and socio-economic inequality
Chicago household rent represented in height of places (Source: Guardian)
Johnny Miller, Drone Photos – Mumbai
2. Gentrification and inequality

Global cities are the locus of transnational activism and political

resistance (Click on the image for the source)

Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement - The Pink Dot Singapore Rally, 2022 African Climate Alliance Rally, Cape Town, 2022
worldwide (est. 2005)
THE RISE OF
‘CREATIVE CITY’

Credit: Creative-Arts6 on DeviantArt

 Art and cultural centres

Sydney Opera House (est. 1959) Esplanade, Singapore, est. 2002)

M50 Creative Park (est. 2000), Shanghai King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (est. 2017), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
 The rise of ‘creative city’

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), 2004:

“cooperation with and among cities that have
identified creativity as a strategic factor for
sustainable urban development”
A ‘creative’ city is more than a ‘functional’ city
‘Culturalisation’ of the city
heritage preservation
diversity and inclusivity
social cohesion
meaningful, ‘affective’ and ‘sensuous’
experience
Heritage Murals in Singapore (Source: IPack Travel)
 The rise of ‘creative city’

A new generation of the ‘creative class’ (Florida, 2002)

“The bearer of this creative ethos is a new, rapidly spreading

and culturally dominant professional group, the ‘creative
class’, busy involved in producing ideas and symbols, working
in fields ranging from advertising to software development,
from design to consulting and tourism” (Reckwitz, 2017, p. 15)
Singapore's Renaissance City Plan:
Cultural Clustering

“The advantage of clustering is that arts businesses will

have easier access to content creators and specialised
art services and thus greater efficiency and synergy are
achieved. For example, situating commercial galleries
near artist studios, an arts storage facility, an arts
logistics company and a conservation house will allow
the gallery to minimise the need for costly transport of
fragile and valuable artwork or artefacts” (p. 23)

Singapore National Arts Council (2008). Excerpt: ‘Renaissance City Plan III: Arts
Development Plan’. Available at: http://www.nac.gov.sg. pp. 3-37.
Singapore's Renaissance City Plan:
Cultural Clustering

Source: Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority

Properties of a ‘creative city’

Culture as resources
Cultural branding
Cultural & creative clustering
Benchmarking against other cities
Exclusion of organic, bottom-up culture (?)
Recent event: An old shopping mall transformed into a street art sanctuary

Comeback of an organic, bottom up culture?

Some takeaways

The emergence of
global cities ‘Creative City’

Globalisation cause Globalisation effect New Media New Globalisation

Cities becoming: Cities becoming invested in

Central commands of rebranding and (re)developing a
global economic activities unique cultural identity
Intermediaries between use of culture as resource
global and local processes creative clustering
Sites of social inequality, emphasis on design and
marginalisation, conflict, urban renewal
and resistance Are global cities becoming more
competitive?
FGP ESSAY ASSIGNMENT
PREPATION
FGP ESSAY ASSIGNMENT

Assignment 1: Analytical Essay (c. 1000-1500 words)/ 30% of final grade/

Due 15th March 11.59pm on Canvas

Write an analytical essay that explores one of the four fundamental

globalisation processes covered in weeks 3 to 6:
The emergence of a transnational state
The development of global consumer culture
The spread of the network society
The emergence of global cities

Relate your chosen process to a contemporary media example. This can be

interpreted broadly, for example, as a technology, a text, a practice, a
platform, an industry, or a new cultural style.
AN ANALYTICAL ESSAY PRODUCES AN ARGUMENT

What is an argument?
A main point, backed up by supporting points, which
are themselves backed up by evidence.

Method stages
1. Read texts on the chosen FGP and extract its properties and
sub-properties (analysis)
2. Hypothesise that a certain media example will work
(deductive intuition)
3. Read texts on the media example and its properties (analysis)
4. Connect the features together (synthesis)
5. Contemplate the connections to produce an argument
EXAMPLE

Properties of global cities and creative cities

Global cities Creative Cities

Culture as resource
Focal points for global economy Cultural branding
Creative clustering

Urban renewal and gentrification

Gentrification and inequality Exclusion of organic, bottom-up culture
Creative vs. non-creative class
EXAMPLE

ARGUMENT: Competitiveness with other global creative cities creates

standardised and concentrated urban experiences that ironically
undermine a city’s organic cultural characteristics.

SUPPORTING POINTS:
1. Cities now compete against each other as economic hubs
2. Creative cities competitively benchmark themselves against each
other
3. This standardises creative practices
4. This concentrates creative spaces and excludes organic creative place
making
EXAMPLE

Other possible connection arguments

1. Cultural branding attracts big firms and professional

talent attracted by to a cosmopolitan milieu
2. Creative clustering serves the corporate services
complex, for example with advertising professionals
3. Creativity and culture furthers the forms of
gentrification already underway due to the
emergence of global cities
YOUR PREPARATION:
Ask Yourself:

1. What is my FGP and what is my media example?

2. Where can I find relevant sources?
3. What are the properties and how do they connect?
4. Have some interesting arguments emerged?

WEEK 7 - PREPARATION FOR WRITING THE FGP ESSAY

1st hour:
Tips on arguments and essay structure
Citation style
Writing examples
2nd hour: Essay consultation
Have the basic components of your essay (e.g. chosen FGP, media
example, main argument) ready to discuss with the lecturer/ tutor
BLOCK 1 - FUNDAMENTAL GLOBALISATION PROCESS:
LEARNING AIMS AND OUTCOMES

1. Engage with key concepts of globalization and the

important trends in communication flows in the
backdrop of globalization
2. Explore various aspects of new media at the intersections
of organizations, communities, industries, and societies
within the landscape of globalization
3. Understand the complex nature of globalisation and be
able to write and talk about this complexity, citing crucial
evidence
BLOCK 2: CRITICAL ISSUES IN GLOBALISATION AND NEW MEDIA

Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11

Surveillance & Control Media & Environment Intelligent Technologies & Activism & Alternatives
Automation

Assignment 2: Critical Questions

Identify a specific critical issue nested within the broader readings
and transform this issue into a critical question.
max. 80 words per question
weekly submission on Canvas (between Week 9 and 13)
MID-SEMESTER FEEDBACK
Please complete this feedback survey
Reference list
Castells, M. (2010). The Rise of the Network Society. (2nd Edition). Malden: Blackwell.
Florida, R. (2002). The rise of the creative class: And how it's transforming work, leisure, community and everyday life. Basic Books.
Reckwitz, Andreas. The Invention of Creativity: Modern Society and the Culture of the New. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Sassen, S. (2004). The Global City: Introducing a Concept. The Brown Journal of World Affairs, 11(2), 27–43.
Singapore National Arts Council (2008). Excerpt: ‘Renaissance City Plan III: Arts Development Plan’ . Available at:
http://www.nac.gov.sg.pp. 3-37.

Film:
Jakarta Unfair. 2016. Directed by Dhuha Ramadhani. Produced by WatchDoc.