In The News

Unity Through Soccer? Not in the Middle East

James Montague June 15, 2010
While soccer has contributed to nationalism in the face of sectarian violence for some Middle Eastern countries, it also reemphasizes some deep divisions that resound across the region. The violent fallout stemming from the Egypt-Algeria World Cup qualifying match indicates how notions of Middle East unity remain idealistic. Rivalry becomes an excuse for crime, riots and ethnic violence. Soccer...

Learning Chinese in Mexico: Children Prepare for the Future

Tracy Wilkinson June 9, 2010
Despite its tough policies on Asian immigration, Mexico hurries to increase economic and cultural exchanges with China. Mexico, late among Latin American nations to sign a free-trade agreement with the rising giant, is now China's second largest Latin American commercial partner and the largest importer of Chinese products in the region. Responding to global economic trends and China's...

Move Over US Soaps, Telenovelas Seduce the Globe

Susan Froetschel June 1, 2010
There was time when the US dominated daytime television programming with soap operas designed for housewives. Spanning decades, television producers and storylines kept up with social themes, like AIDS or racism, but did not adjust to changing US demographics or work patterns. Directors in Mexico, on the other hand, tweaked the US model early on, initially emphasizing Catholic values, but also...

Taming Globalization? Kebabs, Mini-Skirts and Meth – Part I

Jamsheed K. Choksy and Carol E.B. Choksy May 18, 2010
Politicians try to rile or sooth citizens as needed with a few select details of globalization. Yet with the speed and far-reaching nature of modern trade, travel and communication, these attempts to corral bits and pieces of globalization are futile. A savvy public – young or old – comes to understand other intricate connections and recognize the attempts as distractions from far more serious...

As Rupees Roll Into Hollywood, India Is Opening Up on All Fronts

Nyay Bhushan May 11, 2010
The international film industry is increasingly transformed by globalization. A prominent example is Bollywood: Film studios in India partner with US studios on new movie projects, with financial support and actors crossing national borders. Bollywood and Hollywood both look for long-term growth, teaming up and reaching into the other’s territory. Globalization creates new opportunities and...

Dealing With Disasters in a Connected World

S.L. Bachman May 10, 2010
Natural disasters are as old as the planet, but new technologies are making a difference. Social-media networks that thrive on cell phones, other mobile devices and the internet – including Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and more – have reduced the waiting time for news, relief and fundraising after any natural disaster. The response after three major earthquakes this year on three...

Listening to (and Saving) the World’s Languages

Sam Roberts May 4, 2010
Immigrants in New York City have made it a place of remarkable linguistic diversity. There are an estimated 800 languages spoken, meaning that globalization has allowed languages born in every corner of the world to gather in New York City. As globalization places a priority on a handful of major languages in the world for business purposes, other languages have become rare and are dying out. But...