Paper #1 Crivelli 1

Federico Crivelli"

Dr. Melanie Eckford-Prossor"

ENG 110H"

September 10, 2014"

Shifting the Boundary of Either/Or!

Moore’s Law states that the number of transistors in a CPU doubles

approximately every two years (Moore’s Law). What this means, is that computing

systems become 100% faster every 24 months. This conjecture, proved fairly accurate

since its introduction in 1970, is right at the base of today’s “globalized” world. In fact,

such fast-paced growth in technology has made it possible for our generation to dispose

of the means to communicate instantaneously with anybody on Earth, obliterating

geographical barriers. In the 21st century, the use of the Internet makes it easy to

connect to people and services located hundreds of miles away. Consequently, it is now

possible to shop online, hold a virtual meeting with professors from international

institutions, or participate in a video conference to discuss about environmental

regulations or commerce. Economically speaking, thus, globalization is indeed an

absolute reality, that is shaping our financial systems and our lives (Stief, Colin)."

On the other hand, however, meant as the formation of a global village and the

consequent demolition of cultural and social as well as economic and political

boundaries, globalization isn’t a phenomenon likely to become real anytime soon. It

would, for instance, describe a utopian world, without conflicts or disputes, in which

people have forgone their beliefs and forgot about their sometimes millenary history to

embrace an impoverished and impure brotherhood. The reality, for better or for worse, is
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that the human being is tribal, wary, and obstinate in its faith. Capitalist societies and

communist regimes will never find an agreement and Muslims or Christians will never

give up the beliefs professed by their religion. No need to say that Arabic countries and

America will never find peace and those fifty stars and those thirteen stripes will always

mean Home and Union to the American people, and, analogously, never to the Greek or

the Taiwanese."

Let’s just be real, we are not ready to give up our identities, neither as single

individuals nor as a whole. How could we claim the opposite when, for instance, the

Imperial System is still in use? Although the so named International System of Units has

been recognized to be more efficient and accurate, indeed becoming “international,” a

few countries in the world, including one in Africa and one in Asia, are still using an

obsolete system of measurement, and this is perfectly fine. The people of these

countries have been exposed to the Metric system, and do, generally, recognize its

advantages. The “problem” is at the base. These citizens have grown up with their

system, which is now an integral part of them, of their tribe. It characterizes and

describes them, and they do not want to forget it. Nothing, nor an action from the

government, as happened in the U.S. with the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, or

‘globalization’ can make them change their mind (Rowlett, Russ). Taking the example of

the United States of America, home of diversity and union, if the greatest power in the

world is not ready to set apart a measurement system, or at least start to learn one that

is universally recognized, then how could we expect its people to embrace and accept a

radically different way of thinking and perceiving reality within the same shared culture?

And noticeably, the aforesaid kind of rejection to “globalize” occurs around other issues
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as critical as the conversion to the Celsius temperature scale, the 24-hour clock system,

the MDY to DMY date system, or using Monday as the first day of the week. It would

just be unreal, eventually ridiculous, to believe or to hope that such elements of

globalization could ever happen anytime soon in the future of human history."

The truth is that human beings naturally develop in “tribes,” or groups of

individuals who share similar attributes, such as race or nationality, and values, such as

religion, political views, or favorite football team. Inevitably, members of the same group

subscribe an allegiance that conveys loyalty and respect and ensures a position of

superiority over any other individual who is not a member. What could be a clearer and

more genuine representation of this assumption than kids forming cliques all the time?

Children don’t act by hidden agenda, they are innocent and act purely, naturally. Their

actions and behaviors depend solely on their natural instinct. Intelligibly, when a few

kids form a little group and get to the point to exclude other peers, they don’t do so to

intentionally harm the excluded, nor are they trying to study their the emotional

response. Children do so because they are tribal. They do so because they feel

comforted by each other’s similarities, just as they don’t feel comfortable with each

other’s differences. They do so because they are able to recognize which other children

are similar to themselves. And they can recognize these similarities because they are

embedded into the roots of their tribes’ history."

As a matter of fact, being part of a group makes us feel important as an

integrative element of a reality, of something larger and bigger than ourselves, while we

run away from the dark mystery and the fear of ever being left alone. This natural

behavior, described by social psychology as the “Need to Belong Theory,” takes up a

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central position in the emblematic pyramid portraying a figurative representation of

Abraham Masolw’s hierarchy of needs (Cherry, Kendra). Maslow was an American

psychologist and a professor of psychology at different institutions of higher education,

including Columbia University. His studies have demonstrated that forming groups, or

“tribes,” of people similar to each other is a hallmark impressed in the DNA and in the

nature of all women and men. These groups, eventually, lead to further development of

more and more particular traits and characteristics— distinctive of that

“tribe” (Encyclopædia Britannica). As a result, similar people become attached to the

attributes and customs that make them unique, reason why they are not willing to give

up their identity."

In one sense, individual identity arises ipso facto from a cultural and national

identity. While cultures are formed by the interconnection and exchange of similar traits

by geographically neighboring individuals, nations are based on their sentiments of

nationalism. Nationalism is the firm opposition of the individual to shift the boundary of

his nation, underlining and making bold the net distinction between his culture and

another. On the same line of thought, the actions and beliefs of the individual depend on

who he is, while who he is depends on the actions and beliefs performed by who lives

around him. Therefore, preserving the traits of the community becomes a priority, and

this has a negative effect on the process of globalization (Schouls, Timothy)."

Of course, on the other hand, the word “Globalization” is itself controversial. It is

becoming nothing more than the cliché of our time (Global Transformations). In one

sense, it is indeed a new concept introduced after the Second World War, when the first

corporations made their appearance in the global economy. This nuance in its meaning
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distinctively describes a specific process in which local barriers have been broken down

to create one planetary market. That being the case, the current level of globalization is

a direct result of the significant development in the transportation and

telecommunication systems, and relies on the liberalization of financial markets. In this

sense, we are in a time of globalization surely more than any generation of the past,

and certainly much less than any generation of the future (Ritze, George, and Zeynep

Atalay)."

Under a different perspective, however, globalization can be considered as a

natural process due to human thirst for discovery. From this point of view, it is indeed

nothing new. Humans have come to know each other through conflicts, wars, treaties,

and many discoveries (SUNY Levin). In the Classical period, age of the expansion of

the Roman Empire, we can recognize an ancient example of “globalization.” At the

beginning of the 2nd century AD, almost two millennia ago, when America and Oceania

hadn’t been discovered yet, the Roman Empire reached its peak, extending for a vast

part of the known and developed world at the time (UNRV History). The Empire,

flourished around the Mediterranean Sea, or, as they liked to call it, Mare Nostrum (“Our

Sea,”) expanded from Rome, in Italy, to all Western Europe, North Africa, and part of

Western Asia and Arabian Peninsula. While today the people of these countries are

different in every aspect of life, including the divergences in their cultural, social,

political, and economic regulations and values, 2,000 years ago they were united under

one rule. They were all expected to speak the same language and worship the same

God(s); the central importance of the family and the indistinct love for Rome was

undiscussed among all Romans; the faith to the same leader was guaranteed; and
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commerce between locations today part of different continents happened regularly and

actually represented a vital resource of the Empire’s economy (Encyclopædia

Britannica)."

Once we realize this, how can we still talk about globalization? In one sense, we

are indeed far less “globalized” than the Roman Empire 2,000 years ago, in spite of all

the technological advantages that we can benefit from. This demonstrates that

globalization has its roots in the history of humanity, and that really the creation of an

interconnected society is nothing new, while the future existence of a ‘global village’ is in

fact less foreseeable today than ever."

Unless an external force, like an improbable sudden alien invasion, were to

threaten the entire globe’s population, a genuine global village would not have a chance

to be constituted. Being able to admit and recognize human limits is important for the

constant progression of our species. We are now in front of a natural human limit, which

would accordingly require a natural catastrophe to be overcome. In the hope that no

catastrophe occurs, we will continue to be tribal as commanded by nature, and

globalization will not take place in the entirety of its essence."

After some analytical reasoning, we have reached the conclusion that

globalization develops on at least two different and separate lines of thought: one

mainly economic, and one social. Under an economic perspective, the phenomenon of

globalization refers to the “shrinking of the world,” meant as the achievement of

technological advances in communication systems, transportation, and financial

markets. As traveling the world becomes easier, the interaction between peoples from

different countries brings about a significant cultural exchange. As a result, one of the
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consequences of a “smaller” world could potentially be a better understanding of

different cultures in the future; however, this hypothetical enhanced understanding will

never be able to grow into true acceptance, because the human being is inevitably

naturally and instinctively tribal. The traits at the root of an individual’s existence will

never be swapped for someone else’s different beliefs. As a support to this theory,

crucial disagreements separate today the countries of the world from simple topics such

as the measurement or date systems, to much more complex divergences such as

religion, political views, and languages. In addition, as we have learned from Dr.

Maslow, every human psychologically needs to feel part of a group of similar people.

Enlarging this cluster to the whole world population substantially would imply the

belonging to the only one group existent, which practically translates into belonging to

no group. Clearly, humans are not prepared for this. Humans by nature, are tribal. And

wether we like it or not, these tribes will keep us from forming a global, united society. 

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"
Works Cited"

"
Cherry, Kendra. "What Is the Need To Belong?" About Education.

Psychology.about, n.d. Web. 29 Aug. 2014."

David Held, Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt and Johnatan Perraton. "Global

Transformations." What Is Globalization? Polity.co.uk, 1999. Web. 05 Sept. 2014."

"Moore's Law." Moores Law. MemeBridge, n.d. Web. 29 Aug. 2014."

Ritze, George, and Zeynep Atalay. "Is Civilization Civilazing, Destructive, or

Feeble? A Critique of Five Key Debates in the Social Sciences Literature." Readings in

Globalization: Key Concepts and Major Debates. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K.: Wiley-

Blackwell, 2010. 4-7. Print."

The Editors of UNRV History. "Roman Empire Population." Roman Empire

Population. UNRV History, n.d. Web. 04 Sept. 2014."

Rowlett, Russ. "Units: The Metric System in the U. S." Units: The Metric System

in the U. S. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 8 Aug. 2000. Web. 29 Aug. 2014."

Schouls, Timothy A. "Identity Politics and Pluralist Theory." Shifting Boundaries:

Aboriginal Identity, Pluralist Theory, and the Politics of Self-government. Vancouver:

UBC, 2003. 8. Print."

Stief, Colin. "Read Up on the Positives and Negatives of Globalization." About

Education. Geography.about, n.d. Web. 29 Aug. 2014."

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The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Abraham H. Maslow (American

Psychologist)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 29

Aug. 2014."

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "The Expansion of Rome."

Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 04 Sept. 2014."

The Editors of SUNY Levin. "What Is Globalization?" Globalization101. State

University of New York: Levin Institute, n.d. Web. 29 Aug. 2014.