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.

AIDS: Facing the Second Wave

India's methods of combating the disease could provide examples – positive, as well as negative – for developing countries
Pramit Mitra
January 20, 2005

Japan's Laborious Dilemma

The island nation faces a population crisis but does not appear to like the possible solution: mass immigration
David McNeill
January 13, 2005

Learning the Hard Way in Kosovo

The struggling UN mission in the Balkans holds lessons for future peacekeeping operations
Alkman Granitsas
December 9, 2004

Bloggers Cut Through Fog of War

Weblogs of US soldiers, Iraqi citizens reveal viewpoints beyond mainstream media reports from the war front
Mark Glaser
October 29, 2004

好莱坞何以主导美国影院?

Christina Klein
August 17, 2004

Indonesia: Democracy Wins, but Danger Remains

Political Islam is still on the march, stirring fears about the country's economic future
Sadanand Dhume
October 22, 2004

The Rise and Rise of Fake News

Journalists and readers alike must sharpen their critical reading skills
November 7, 2016

The Secret Eye Inside Mosul

Blogger risks life to document city life under ISIS rule
Robin Wright
November 2, 2016

Top-Down, Bottom-Up Urban Design

Climate change, big data and informality shape cities
Elizabeth Greenspan
October 25, 2016

Study: Decline of Traditional Media Feeds Polarization

Declining newspaper budgets contribute to fewer informed voters
Ricardo Gandour
October 3, 2016

The Growing Gap Between Town and Country

Diverse cities thrive on connections, not walls
Ronald Brownstein
September 26, 2016