Globalization wields powerful influence over societies and cultures. Business travelers and tourists both observe and distribute new ideas. New ideas, interactions, foods and products are tried, then embraced or discarded. With the internet or satellite television, films, publications, photographs, news reports and cartoons can travel instantly, entertaining or angering audiences around the globe. With social media like Facebook or Twitter, individuals offer news and own instant pronouncements on trends. Whether slowly through immigration or immediately online, these connections bring about some convergence of norms on fashion to human rights while also provoking challenges from traditionalists. A global society has emerged, and it’s tightly linked.

Patent Your Heritage

Traditional medicine online? India claims property rights of its cultural and biological legacy in a new online library.
Tina Rosenberg
December 15, 2002

Talk to Foreigners and We Will View You as a Spy, Iran Warns Academics

Governments that threaten academic freedom lack confidence in their way of life
Robert Tait
June 4, 2007

Solar Flashlight Lets Africa’s Sun Deliver the Luxury of Light to the Poorest Villages

Access to light during nighttime hours opens new opportunities for impoverished Africans of all ages
Will Connors
May 21, 2007

Traditional Korean Marriage Meets Match on the Internet

Advocates of arranged marriages rely on the internet to pinpoint the ideal mate
Choe Sang-Hun
June 6, 2007

In Nouveau Riche India, Even the Poor Show Off

With luxury products come prestige, so Indian consumers demand the very best when purchasing the latest gadgets
Mark Sappenfield
June 11, 2007