Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with globalization

A boat is a hole in the water into which you throw money ... but if it's a ship, money comes out?

coffeefilter — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:46:56 -0800

(Freighter experts) Does the world-wide shipping industry have hidden (or open) subsidies? Boats are expensive. Big ships must be really expensive.

So, how is the shipping industry subsidized, or costs externalized, so that it becomes preferable to manufacture or grow something on the other side of the world, and ship it to the US?

How much does it cost to build, maintain, and operate a superfreighter?

[I think everyone's familiar with the labor cost side of the issue, so let's focus on ships.]

Global/International English Resources

tenaciousd — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:04:59 -0800

What tools are out there for globalizing/internationalizing English text? My company is writing training manuals in English that will eventually be used across the globe. We teach in English in about half the countries we serve. I want to make sure that the manuals avoid American English idioms, contractions, and whatever else I’m not thinking of.

The perfect solution would be a tool that scans word documents for non-global terms and highlights or reports them. The next-best thing would be a website or reference book that lists guidelines for internationally-friendly English.

Multi-tasking in the Middle East.

milkdropcoronet — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:16:07 -0800

Multi-tasking in the Middle East -- planning a trip to the region and have a few goals to accomplish. Besides being a vacation, this trip is also equal parts family reunion and cultural diaspora study (personal, not academic). Looking for tips on this kind of trip! Most people asking questions about travel to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, etc. tend to be contractors, workers, people looking to follow the money trail at an emerging center of the global economy.

Me? I'm trying to meet long-lost relatives from the Philippines -- cousins my age (late 20's) who moved to Saudi Arabia and the UAE because they found opportunities there that were more attractive than the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Ultimately, I'm interested in the macro story of Filipinos working abroad, and how our culture evolves and adapts to the countries we work in.

There are a lot of moving parts to a trip like this, so I'm in a research-gathering stage.

- At the minimum, I need to find a place to stay for 3-4 weeks. Staying with my relatives may not be an option. Are there any long-term stay arrangements? Rent a condo? Couch-surfing? Craigslist?
- Something "structured" would be helpful too -- it can be anything from a volunteer abroad program to an internship. Besides absorbing the culture, I'd like to be actively helping in a service organization, or learning something in a structured environment. (Universities are being built at a rapid pace there, and big institutions like NYU are opening campuses in Dubai.)
- Any professional events are also cool to attend. Media conferences, world expos, etc. Anything geeky, techy actually. Not sure if that kind of stuff has made it to the Middle East yet, but I'm sure there are at least a few in 2009. Knowing about these events could help me time when I plan to visit.

My questions are pretty broad, but any info is appreciated as I shape this itinerary.

I'm trapped in a surname factory and I can't get out!

kalessin — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:18:56 -0800

My subcontinental Indian co-workers and vendors keep using my surname as my first name when corresponding with me in e-mail. Why? Also, what's a good way to correct folks who do this while being as polite and supportive as possible?

My name (at work - my full legal name is rather longer) is "Malcolm Gin". When I correspond with subcontinental Indians who don't know me well personally, it seems like there is a 50/50 chance that they'll address e-mails to me as "Gin,".

My first theory was that "Gin" was a common first name in India, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

For further context, our company e-mail directory uses the format, "Last Name, First Name" for our e-mail client, and my email address is "mgin@companyname.com".

Is "Malcolm" a common surname in India?

Hope me find good discussions of globalization.

the littlest brussels sprout — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:52:57 -0800

Can you recommend good blogs about globalization? I am particularly interested in the effects of globalization on modern international and (US) domestic law.

Effects of globalization in urban Ethiopia

carefulmonkey — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:11:51 -0800

Give me examples of Globalization in urban Ethiopia I have to create a paper about the effects of globalization in Ethiopia,however the only information that I can is over 30 years old.I'll accept positive and negative examples.

Get US money out of the Third World now? Or, how best to ameliorate poverty?

ibmcginty — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 08:22:57 -0800

GlobalPovertyFilter: Is poverty in the third world and emerging countries like India and China due more to exploitation by multinational corporations, or due to disconnection from globalization? IIRC, about half the Earth's population lives on under $2 per day.

What I want to know is, where (and how) do they live? Are they generally in disconnected countrysides, living a life that's not to different from how most of the world lived in 1500? Are they in factories cranking out Gap T-shirts and the like?

I'm accustomed to hearing fact-free bromides and smug cliches from both sides of the debate, but I don't know much about what the data show, or where to look for good data. Thanks in advance for any suggestions on either of these fronts.

Question inspired by this globalization-skeptic comment in the Warren Buffet thread.

Are Americans Really All That Ignorant?

BigBrownBear — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 08:11:29 -0800

Are Americans really all that ignorant? I am am American, but I live outside the US and my wife is from outside the US. I am constantly arguing with people that Americans are no more or less ignorant, isolated, or stubborn about their own views than anyone else in any other country. The only differences are that (1) American media and politics extends American points of view further than those of other countries and that (2) because the US is relatively large and isolated, Americans are less knowledgable of different cultures and languages than say the average European, but no different than other large isolated countries.

I don't know whether I am right or wrong, I was wondering if anyone was aware of any statistical studies or thoughtful analyses of this issues.

why do all staplers suck?

craniac — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 15:12:34 -0800

Where have all the good staplers gone? Every stapler we've purchased at work has been crap. Swinglines, swingline electric, Stanley Bostitch heavy duty. They all end up jamming, breaking, or getting ripped off by students (different problem). I'm looking for a reliable stapler, something heavy enough to have served as a murder weapon in an episode of Perry Mason. My sense is that they've just gotten cheaper over the years as an expression of some sort of evil planned obsolescence. No Office Space references allowed in this thread, please.

Africa: the next outsourcing destination?

me3dia — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 08:49:21 -0800

Why doesn't Africa get more outsourcing work? It seems like many African countries would be ideal for companies looking for cheaper locations for factories, call centers, etc. Cheap labor, plenty of land, often even English speaking natives. One downside I could see is the tendency toward corrupt local officials, but I imagine that's often the case in Southeast Asian countries as well. Other than that, is there a particular reason more corporations aren't turning to Africa for their outsourcing needs?

Bird Flu Pandemics

trinarian — Tue, 22 Mar 2005 14:41:01 -0800

I just read a wire story stating that, "hundreds of thousands of people may die and one quarter of the work force could be absent if Britain were hit by a bird flu pandemic said." How seriously should we be worried?

I'm looking for recent films which deal with the topic of globalization in interesting ways.

tulseluper — Mon, 31 Jan 2005 18:47:09 -0800

Globalization on Film: I’m looking for suggestions for recent films which deal with the topic of globalization in interesting ways. [MI+] I’m planning on programming a series of films on the topic of globalization which will screen in conjunction with a university course on the same topic (I am not, however, teaching the course).

Ideally, I’d like between 5-7 films which have been released in the past 5-10 years but did not receive wide theatrical distribution in the US. I’m thinking of films like Ja Zhang-ke’s excellent The World and the hilarious documentary The Yes Men.

Bonus points if the films are unavailable on video or DVD – all screenings will be in 35mm.

Books on Ethnic Minorities in Developing Countries Dominating Said Countries' Economy?

jare2003 — Tue, 05 Oct 2004 13:28:59 -0800

Amy Chua's book "World On Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability"discusses how ethnic minorities in many developing countries dominate the country economically. (The Chinese in many southeast Asian countries, whites in parts of Africa, etc)

Do any other MeFites know of other books or resources that discuss this phenomenon? (which undoubtely will only become more prevalaent as the world globalizes)

What/Where is Globalization?

MiguelCardoso — Thu, 10 Jun 2004 11:50:05 -0800

Where is this globalization one hears so much about? [More inside.] Most people in the world will find it difficult or impossible to accompany the Euro 2004 football tournament. European, American, Asian and African products - including everything from easily transmissible stuff like TV programmes to popular products such as foodstuffs and clothes - continue to be limited to their own markets, often strictly national.

A very tiny amount of imported goods are available - but at outrageously high prices and only to cosmopolitan minorities. Even the Internet is mostly hamstrung by national strictures and provisos. Even wiithin the E.U. or the U.S.A. the availability of enormous amounts of products is still antiquely limited by location. Prices vary tremendously. Disparities reign. You have to travel. Or arrange postal exchanges, the old-fashioned way. Inner knowledge is still uppermost.

Do Americans in general, even New Yorkers, feel somehow connected to the rest of the world? Do Europeans feel connected to the American countries? Is the world really "at our fingertips"?

Is this globalization? What a load of utter bollocks!