This paper wants to emphasize the relevance of new information and communication channels created by Internet technology for shaping the international relations landscape. As method it will approach the argument comparing and connecting the notions of Globalization and Glocalization as well as of Hegemony and Counter-Hegemony and analyze these frameworks in context to Internet information flows. Furthermore, to complete the argument, it will be discussed if and how national and transnational nongovernmental players gain global
visibility and importance through using Internet information technologies.
Introduction
Information and communication technologies have always been playing a crucially important role for society and human relationships at many levels. Today the notions of “Information Age” and “Information revolution” have become commonplace and stress that information has become more important than ever before from many perspectives, or, as Emery and Bates (2001, 94) put it, that “Information is the fiber that is reweaving the fabric of the societies, their transitional systems, and their relations to others, both in the regions and around the world.”
Especially the Internet with its rapid spread all over the world is about to become the biggest information and communication network in history. When Hanson (2008, 1) mentions that “...an array of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) is affecting not only the relations of nations in war and peace but also human activity at every level and, indeed, the nation-state system itself”, this perfectly holds for the Internet as a fast growing force in shaping not only personal relations and exchange, but consequently also the international political environment.
“At the blazing speed that information technology is developing, it is probable that it will change the way the world functions ... the invention of the Internet surpasses all limits and disentangles from the real world to create a new zone of the World Wide Web, controlled by variables and constants of an `information community’ where information is power.” (Tandon, 2004)
To underline the importance of opportunities provided by new information and communication channels in the IR field, the following chapters will discuss the ideas of Internet technology as globalising and homogenizing force confronted with the notion of “Glocalization”, which, in contrast, recognizes the re-emergence of local factors too. Furthermore, it analyses if the Internet and the control and exploitation of it is used as hegemonic means or if the provided freedom of exchange should rather be seen as sort of counter-hegemonic force. In addition, it will be shown how the Internet has become an extremely important tool for national and transnational activism and nongovernmental institutions, which are able to gain new global visibility, bypass authoritarian control and tie new connections with sympathetic groups or individuals.
Globalization or Glocalization?
As Kraidy (2001, 30 -32) summarizes, the concept of Globalization, which first appeared in the 1980s, has become a quite popular term which has been discussed and defined from various viewpoints. Definitions of Globalization include intensification of worldwide social relations linking distant localities stronger, decline of geographical constraints on cultural modalities and, as described by Robertson (1992, 8), “the compression of the world and the intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole”. Using the concept of Globalization, according to Thomas Risse (2007, 133), it is often overseen that “Globalization processes entail a lot more than material and economic forces and equally include cultural phenomena and the spread of consensual knowledge as well as principles and norms.” The Internet as relatively broadly available instrument for communication and exchange, which reshaped the media environment dramatically, lifts the Globalization of communication to a new level creating common principles and rules.
Hanson (2008, 86 - 91) concludes her discussion about the homogenizing trend of communication technologies describing a movement in three directions: The first is a movement towards convergence since not only the Internet but all main communication branches use digital processing (e.g. digital telephony, online versions of newspapers) leading to easier interaction between the channels. Secondly, the fast development of mobile devices which can be used as fully functional computers may have some important implications for the spread of Internet availability, since it is much easier and cheaper to install cellular networks than landlines. The third main movement goes towards increased active participation in interactive exchange, i.e., a trend towards user generated content of various type broadcasted and shared easily through new platforms on the Internet. (Hanson 2008, 86 - 91)
“As the Internet becomes an everyday appliance and accessible from every point on the globe, more and more disparate geographical enclaves separated by distance and time will be linked into all sorts of Cyberrelationships. The ability of the technology to link diverse cultures, economies, and political systems into new Cyberrelationships that are uninhibited by conventional definitions of geographic territory and national sovereignty could create a true global village” (Ebo 2001, 1)
The expression global village is another notion that has become really commonsense and emphasises the diminishing role of geographical distance in communication and interaction. But it should kept in mind, that there is a really important concept contradicting the idea of the Internet as a purely and universally connecting and homogenizing force unifying the world and developing equal standards: The concept of Glocalization.
Not only Risse (2007, 135) notes that “people will continue to enact their local scripts and follow local norms of appropriate behaviour” and that “hybrid culture are likely to emerge which incorporate some global scripts into the local habits, while rejecting others” concluding that “Glocalized” cultures are likely to emerge. Also Kraidy (2001, 39) holds that this concept in fact is a suited and defensible framework that captures contemporary international developments:
“Glocalization, understood as a blending of global forces with local elements, adequately accounts for the complexity of global relations in the Information Age ... Glocalization is a conceptually viable and empirically defensible theoretical framework.”
He further strengthens his claim underlining that the concept of Glocalization recognises the decentralizing direction of economic developments, e.g. small companies using their advantage in local knowledge as competitive tactic. Moreover he mentions how new opportunities for interchanging, as through Internet, re-enforces the dialogue of groups which otherwise would not have the possibility to interact and cultivate their specific cultural characteristics, i.e. communities adapt global media and “instead of the destruction of local traditions, we see these traditions rearticulated within the globalizing force of modernity.” (Kraidy 2001, 38). This complex and dynamic pattern between the local and the global is also mentioned by Hanson (2008, 214) when she writes that “Satellite channels and the Internet are even preserving the cultures of dispersed ex-patriates, émigrés, and their children who are growing up in very different cultures”. Both describe the local-global interaction as “hybridization” concluding that it is a more appropriate term that captures the importance of local factors, actors and the resulting fragmentation better than the idea of the Internet as purely homogenizing realm creating common values only. Of course the debate about the concepts of Globalization and Glocalization is a far more complex and longer one and it is not the aim of this paper to discuss them in depth. The goal of this part is to show that the new more vital interaction created by Internet technology is not just reflecting the multitude of real life`s human relations, groupings and their shared characteristics on all social levels, but is making them even more dynamic and visible in a global context.
Hegemony or Counter-Hegemony?
Frequently asked questions
What is the central theme of the text?
The text explores the role of the Internet and information and communication technologies (ICTs) in shaping society, human relationships, and the international political environment. It examines whether the Internet acts as a globalizing and homogenizing force or if it also fosters "Glocalization," where local factors re-emerge and are reinforced. Additionally, it discusses whether the Internet serves as a hegemonic tool or promotes counter-hegemony by empowering national and transnational activism and non-governmental institutions.
What is the significance of "Globalization" in the context of the Internet?
Globalization, as discussed in the text, refers to the intensification of worldwide social relations, the decline of geographical constraints on cultural modalities, and the compression of the world. The Internet is seen as a key driver of Globalization in communication, creating common principles and rules. The rapid development of mobile devices and user-generated content further contribute to this trend.
What is the meaning of "Glocalization" and how does it relate to the Internet?
Glocalization is a concept that recognizes the re-emergence of local factors alongside global forces. It acknowledges that people continue to enact their local scripts and follow local norms, leading to the emergence of hybrid cultures. The Internet, in this view, reinforces the dialogue of groups and communities, allowing them to cultivate their specific cultural characteristics and adapt global media to local traditions.
How does the text address the debate between Globalization and Glocalization?
The text highlights that the interaction facilitated by Internet technology reflects the multitude of real-life human relations and groupings on all social levels, making them more dynamic and visible in a global context. It acknowledges the debate between Globalization and Glocalization but doesn't aim to delve into the depth of it. Instead, it uses the concepts to demonstrate the complex interplay of local and global influences on the Internet.
Does the Internet strengthen cultural hegemony or promote counter-hegemony?
The text examines whether the global scripts and values of the Internet reinforce a cultural hegemon or whether the provided freedom of interaction creates a counter-hegemonic direction. It explores the potential for the Internet to empower national and transnational activism and non-governmental institutions, enabling them to gain global visibility, bypass authoritarian control, and connect with sympathetic groups or individuals.
What is the role of ICTs in shaping international relations?
The text argues that new information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly the Internet, are affecting not only the relations of nations in war and peace but also human activity at every level and the nation-state system itself. It emphasizes the importance of opportunities provided by new information and communication channels in the field of international relations (IR).
What future trends for Internet use does the text anticipate?
The text anticipates an increasing active participation in interactive exchange, moving towards a trend of user-generated content of various types broadcasted and shared easily through new platforms on the Internet. The ease of cellular network installation in contrast to that of landlines will likely increase Internet availability.
- Quote paper
- Simon Plaickner (Author), 2009, The Internet and its role in global politics, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/145684
