Globalization: key trends

This web project  is inviting you to explore and analyze the ongoing globalization processes in the world economy from the various angles. Of all the most indicative trends you are to choose and investigate in depth the one which is the most   interesting  for you.
The culmination product of the 1st block of the project "Globalisation: key trends" should become a personal essay on the preferred issue and the overall united Powerpoint presentation highlighting the main research results of all the members of the class.
The final product of the 2 block "Going glocal" should become the creation and completion of the collaborative web project site highlighting the globalisation impact on the  local and individual level of the two Russian (Tomsk) and Kazakhstan (Ust-Kamenogorsk) localities.

The ASSIGNMENTS for the "Going glocal" project:

1. Go through the following preparational Task with your instructor in the class to make sure there is proper understanding of the fundamental global processes discussed previously in the 1 block as the necessary basis for the next stage of deeper independent research.

Read the following statements about globalisation and identify the key concepts in each.

• It doesn't matter how far apart we might be geographically, economically or culturally, we're all held tightly together as members of the human race in an all-embracing web.

• Jobs are leaving many of the developed nations and moving to developing nations. The money earned helps those developing nations move forward in the world - more jobs, cheaper goods, more profits for research and development. Everybody wins.

• Countries which are open to external investment are able to develop their economies to generate incomes from exports and raise their standards of living.

• Of the world's 6 billion people, 175 million are migrants, a phenomenon which has 'internationalised' many cities. Melbourne is the world's third largest Greek-speaking city, and in New York there are more people who speak Spanish as their first language than there are who speak English. The overseas earnings of migrants assist their country of origin - the Philippines was less severely affected by the Asian financial crisis than its neighbours, aided in part by more than $7 billion in annual remittances from overseas Filipino workers.

• Young people have adopted international brands and styles without discrimination. They dress up like their favourite band, mouthing the words to songs they don't understand and that support values that don't belong to them. Our culture is under siege!

• Recently we have seen the collapse of undemocratic regimes, improved workers' rights, an increase in environmental awareness and responsibility, and an increase in consumer advocacy. When companies abuse their global position they are caught out and forced to change their ways, thanks to the empowerment of the global consumer.

 2. What are the most important global issues today?  Look at the below list of the suggested biggest issues of globalisation and brainstorm on the other ones to be added. As a result every student will pick up one from the listed aspects to deal with further in the web project.

• Impact of global economy/trade
• environmental crisis
  
• energy
• over-population
• terrorism
• unemployment
• migration
• poverty/famine
• technological advancement
• cultural identity
• .............?
• ..............?
  

3. Write your personal profile for the front and personal topical page of the site added by your photo

4. Write a specific piece of information about your native country and city for the common cultural rubric at the front page of the site

5. Write a specific piece of information about your University/Faculty for the common cultural rubric at the front page of the site

6. Collect the variety of resources in the Internet ( links)  on the chosen topic for presenting it on your  topical page of the site. Make up the final webliography.

7. Participate in the collaborative session with the team members to discuss and construct the questions for the future interviews 

8. Enter the local workforce and hold the arranged interview with one/two professionals on the global impact in their field and their attitudes to it.

9. Enter the local community  and hold the interviews with as many different people as possible  on the global impact on their everyday life.

10. Write a case study based on the material collected from the professional/individual interviews and your theoretical knowledge of the process under study.

11. Compile all the selected materials of your reserach and publish them at the web project site.