In The News

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...

The Assimilated Terrorist: An Outsider No Longer

Jesse Washington May 14, 2010
As father, husband, financial analyst and US citizen, Faisal Shahzad surprised some profilers, amateur and professional, with his attempt to explode a car bomb in New York’s Times Square. With instant communication and complaints raging over the internet, “Globalization is competing fiercely with assimilation,” writes Jesse Washington for the Associated Press. “Blind to the faults of Islamic...

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...

Think Again: The Internet

Evgeny Morozov April 29, 2010
The Internet was once seen as a force for tremendous good around the world, promoting commerce, peace, human rights, and democracy. But none of those promises have come fully true. The transnational networks created by the Internet can be as much a force for ill as for good. Twitter and other social networking media may be useful for activists but they are also useful for repressive governments....

D.I.Y. Culture

Michael Kimmelman April 23, 2010
Discussions of globalization often focus on how it is a homogenizing process, portraying Western culture as a hegemonic force that penetrates new markets and kills off traditional culture and local customs. Yet, argues New York Times columnist Michael Kimmelman, such a "dubious concept" of globalization fails to acknowledge that individuals can utilize its technological and...

Leave it To Turkish Soap Operas to Conquer Hearts and Minds

Nadia Bilbassy-Charters April 21, 2010
Turkish soap operas are surging to popularity in the Arabic world, with over 80-million Arabs watching the recent finale of one show. The shows press the boundaries on traditional social issues and one, which is set in the West Bank, has sparked conversation about the Israel-Palestine conflict. Perhaps as a result of these shows, Turkey's reputation in the Arab world is improving and Arab...