The rise of the new media has closely related to
globalization of the world. Are new media enabling the globalization or the
other way round? According to Flew (2002), he stated globalization occurs because of
the evolution of the new media technologies. New media technologies have created
a wide communication beyond the boundaries of particular nations. It has
shortened the distance between the people all over the world, therefore
globalization occurs.
So, is new media technologies helpful in collaboration between countries?
New media technologies enable the people to connect with
each other easily. However, are the connection benefits to each other? Or it is
actually harmful?
New media technologies enable the people to connect with each other easily. However, are the connection benefits to each other? Or it is actually harmful?
World system theory which is introduced by Immanuel
Wallerstein, an American sociologist has been widely spread across the globe. World
system theory refers to division of labor and it is an approach to social
change and world history whereby the world has divides the countries into core,
semi-periphery and periphery countries. World system theory actually suggested
that in the world economic system there are some countries are benefit and some
countries are being exploited.
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| Core / Periphery Division of the World |
According to the theory, core countries are powerful. They
are strong in military, government and political system. Therefore, they are
powerful enough to exploit the other countries which are semi-periphery and
periphery countries. The power allows them to pay lower prices for labor and
raw materials.
Japan, are you helping us or what?
An example of core country is Japan. Japan is a major
economic power in the world. Japan is advanced in technology, has fast growing
economy and stable government. However, the agriculture from Japan is
insufficient to supply the high population of the country. Therefore, Japan has
to import food from the other country. Besides that, raw materials such as oil,
aluminum and woods are also insufficient in Japan, trade must be done in order
to get those essentials food and materials.
An example of core country is Japan. Japan is a major economic power in the world. Japan is advanced in technology, has fast growing economy and stable government. However, the agriculture from Japan is insufficient to supply the high population of the country. Therefore, Japan has to import food from the other country. Besides that, raw materials such as oil, aluminum and woods are also insufficient in Japan, trade must be done in order to get those essentials food and materials.
Japan has provided their car technology to Proton Malaysia
in the beginning. Japanese car company, Mitsubishi was instrumental in the
foundation of Proton. A majority of vehicle platforms, engines and technical
expertise were once sourced from Mitsubishi. Proton’s staff were trained by
Mitsubishi in Japan as well.
To the contrary, Japan is lacking of land to produce
agriculture and food for their nation. Therefore, Malaysia is rich in oil, gas
and woods, which are able to export to Japan.
From what we see here actually looks like a win-win
situation. Both countries get what they want through the trade. But there is a
hidden fact behind which is Japan as a developed country (core) is exploiting the
other underdevelopment country (semi-periphery ad periphery). Japan provides
their high technology to the poorer countries by charging them with a high
price. On the other way round Japan buy raw materials from the poor countries
with a low price. Poor countries only rich in natural resources, they have no
idea how to fully utilize the resource they have. Hence, they export it to rich
country with a low price. Rich country uses the raw materials and manufacture
it into a high quality product and sell it back to poor countries with a higher
price.
Starbucks coffee or Brazil-bucks coffee?
Another example is from Brazil. Brazil is rich in coffee
beans. They export the coffee beans to the other countries. Starbucks, an
American global coffee company has transformed the coffee beans to another
standard. The coffee company buys the raw material, coffee beans from Brazil
and process it to a better coffee. By putting in some marketing tricks, those
coffee beans have turned into a high standard coffee and sell it with a higher
price throughout the world.
Many regions in Brazil are used for coffee planting.
Many Brazilians work as coffee farmers, but they do not know that their pay
is relatively low compared to the revenue earned from processed coffee.
Another example is from Brazil. Brazil is rich in coffee beans. They export the coffee beans to the other countries. Starbucks, an American global coffee company has transformed the coffee beans to another standard. The coffee company buys the raw material, coffee beans from Brazil and process it to a better coffee. By putting in some marketing tricks, those coffee beans have turned into a high standard coffee and sell it with a higher price throughout the world.
Many regions in Brazil are used for coffee planting.
Many Brazilians work as coffee farmers, but they do not know that their pay
is relatively low compared to the revenue earned from processed coffee.
For semi-periphery countries, are those countries between
the core and periphery. Semi-periphery countries can come from the developed peripheries
and the declined cores. They are relatively
developed and do have diversified economics, but do not dominate in international
trade.
Are we a nice country?
Are we a nice country?
Malaysia's position in world system theory is rather confusing. Malaysia isn't developed enough, but in some sense, Malaysia is a semi-peripheral country. Malaysia
is rich in their natural resources. One of the main resources is rubber. Rubber
manufactured industry in Malaysia is very strong and Malaysia’s total exports
of rubber products amounted to RM14.5 billion in 2012. Rubber industry Malaysia
collect rubber and manufactured it to different products such as rubber glove,
tyre or shoes. These rubber products are exports to other countries, USA is the
largest export destination for rubber.
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| Rubber Industry Malaysia |
Although Malaysia is not a powerful country as compared to
USA, but Malaysia does exploit other countries too. To handle the large
manufactured industry in Malaysia, it needs more workers to work. Therefore,
Malaysia hired cheaper labor force from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Philippine. These
countries are considered as a periphery because they have least economically
diversified and tend to have high percentages of the poor and uneducated. Therefore,
people from periphery country tend to seek jobs outside of their country in
order to get a better salary for life.
After so many paragraphs, many might still confuse, how can the new media affect world trade. But let's see it this way: before the existence of phone, ships, flights, stronger countries have no access to poorer countries. But now that they have all the technologies as means of access, the stronger countries can 'collaborate' with poorer countries. This collaboration, however, only benefit the stronger countries. So, again, media technologies got the blame of allowing exploitation.What do you think, readers?
Hai Inphiniti,
ReplyDeleteSaya bersetuju dengan pendapat penulis, namun begitu saya tegas mengatakan bahawa tanpa perubahan yang membawa kepada kemajuan teknologi, ekonomi dunia juga akan berjaya. Perkembangan teknologi ini sebenarnya membawa kepada kemajuan perubahan ekonomi dengan lebih cepat dan pantas. Membawa kepada keuntungan yang cepat namun juga membawa kerugian yang pantas. Ingat lagi Suatu ketika dulu negeri Melaka juga terkenal dengan pusat perdagangan yang terbilang dimana pedagang dari negara Arab dan China datang untuk berdagang. Namun, dari semasa ke semasa pembangunan dan pemodenan dunia kini menjadi asas kepada kehebatan sesebuah negara.
Perkembangan ICT pula menunjukkan tahap imej sesebuah negara dimana semuanya terdedah melalui dunia tanpa sempadan ini. Maka wujud disini sistem globalisasi. melalui sistem ini, dunia dikatakan compact dimana yang jauh menjadi dekat dengan hanya kuasa di hujung jari melalui penggunaan internet. Tidak dapat dinafikan globalisasi merupakan titik tolak perbandingan negara-negara menampakkan lagi jurang negara maju dan negara mundur secara langsung mewujudkan teori sistem dunia. Kemajuan-kemajuan ICT itu sendiri telah menjurus kepada perbandingan ini dimana negara yang maju dari aspek teknologi dikatakan negara yang lebih hebat. Menurut penulis pula, negara yang maju dari aspek ICT ini pula dikatakan core country seperti negara Jepun walaupun kurang dari sumber ekonomi namun berjaya dari aspek teknologi berjaya membangun namun bergantung sumber makanan khususnya dari negara yang lain. Isu ini telah menimbulkan win-win situation negara Jepun dengan negara Malaysia dimana saling bergantung dengan sistem timbal balik yakni import dan export.
Namun, apa yang harus kita ketahui, core, semi-periphery and periphery countries ini bukan melibatkan semua negara di dunia ini. Terdapat sebilangan negara yang betul-betul mundur walaupun mempunyai sumber negara yang berharga seperti negara Afrika dengan sumber minyak yang dimiliki. Nyatanya, sumber negara ini tetap dimonopoli oleh negara teras tanpa adanya timbal balik seperti negara maju dan separa maju yang lain. Pada pendapat saya, teori ini hanya bertepatan dengan sesetengah negara sahaja. Walaubagaimanapun, saya bersetuju bahawa perkembangan dunia pada masa kini dilambangkan dengan perkembangan teknologi sesebuah negara.
I agreed with what author said. ICT plays an important role in economy of world. ICT can make the production even faster, more benefits are gained by using ICT. The success of the economy is depending on how much focus on the ICT of certain countries. Why Japan and Malaysia has so much different in economy growth? In my point of view, I think is because of the Japan they put effort on the ICT. they always able to create new technologies device or improvement than other countries. As one country has success to utilize their ICT, there are much more easier to improve the economy of the nation. That's why Japan has become the core country today.
ReplyDeleteHowever, no matter what, exploitation is existed. In the world of capitalism, there are two groups, proletariat and bourgeoisie. This two groups always cannot achieve a balance between them. Bourgeoisie is higher class than proletariat, proletariat always being exploit. This is the system in the capitalism. Same goes to the world system theory, similar approach always applied here. The core country is the higher class of the country and they will exploit the semi-periphery and periphery countries. There is no such balance between on them. The one with strong power, they have the authority to do anything they want.
As conclusion based on my opinion, for those countries who are fully utilize and success in their ICT, there are core countries.
Wow, this post has exposed me to a wider view to our world problem. I didn't realise that new media technologies can actually affect the functioning of the global financial at a whole!
ReplyDeleteNow that I start to understand this issue, I find the collaboration between countries are pretty tactical. Every trade is done to gain more benefits for themselves. Modernization theory which emphasizes on the contribution of ICT in developing a country has the good intention. But it seems like, again, the technologies have been misused! I strongly opposed the use of technologies to gain personal benefits, especially in global scale. There are peoples in Brazil who work hard but gain way lesser than they should be.
Strong core countries should be able to assist the poorer countries without any self interest. Afterall, we are a family right now, with the help of technologies. When all the countries are developed, then the world will be a better place.
If most of the Africa regions are still left to be exploited, the country will soon fall. Illness might occur, and there's no doubt the whole world will be affected. I thought, Ebola is a very good reminder to us.
Dear world, let's help each other.
As we know modernization theory is explaining the growth and the development of societies or countries. Some countries think that modernization is the guide for them to have rapid growth in development of countries just like America. Therefore, they strongly belief on other countries like Japan and China which were well developed by providing extremely cheap raw materials for the exchange of advance technology.
ReplyDeleteHowever, development is not in unidirectional way. The development of country depend on its cultures, economy and many other internal and external factors which are vary among country. It is impossible for every country to be developed in unidirectional or through the same process.
Each of every country actually emphasize on their own benefits instead of the developments of other countries. Why not they work together and use their knowledge to innovate technology that can help others who are suffer from natural disaster? For example, there is one nonprofit organization in Taiwan work together with other country to produce a special boat to help those country who are facing flood or tsunami. It is very important for countries to cooperate and make full use of their knowledge of technology and media to help each other's to enhance peaceful. Technology and media should be used in a meaningful ways instead of self benefit.
In my opinion, modernization does important that will bring us fast forward to a better life with the innovation of new technology. Sometimes I was thinking about how would our life be without all this technology in our daily life? As an example, we don’t have refrigerator or washing machine at home. Some people who are working from 8am to 5pm and come back home tiredly then need to wash clothes by using hand, besides need to go to the market first to buy meat or vegetables to cook for dinner because there are no refrigerator at home.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the invention of technology also gives bad impact to peripheries countries according to the World System Theory. I am agreed with the article that peripheries countries have been exploited by core countries. I think the policies of trading things between core and periphery countries should be altered, such as if country A buy raw materials with country B, country B should get less price for invented products of the raw material has been supplied or something like that.
But, it is hard to change what already practiced nowadays. It must be a revolution at least, to change all those things right? So, the thing that we think its good actually has it bad impact too. In order to gain something for its benefit, we also need to think twice about how it will harm others or us in the future.
Hi Inphiniti,
ReplyDeleteSeperti yang kita tahu perkembangan ICT telah membawa kepada perkembangan pasaran ekonomi dunia. Negara yang mempunyai teknologi yang canggih sudah pasti akan mengawal pasaran ekonomi dunia seperti USA.
Dalam pasaran ekonomi dunia sudah pasti akan wujud kebergantungan antara negara. Pandangan saya negara mundur sudah pasti akan dieksploitasi oleh negara maju. Negara kita mungkin berada dalam kelompok ‘semi-periphery’ di peta dunia. Oleh itu, negara kita harus berkembangan dari segi sains dan teknologi supaya mampu mewujudkan situasi di mana negara lain bergantung dengan negara dalam pasaran ekonomi. Adalah tidak mustahil jika kita menjadi ‘core country’ suatu hari nanti jika kita kurangkan kebergantungan dengan negara lain namun cuba berdikari dengan mencipta inovasi.
Bukan itu sahaja, kita tidak harus sentiasa bergantung dengan negara maju dalam pemprosesan bahan mentah seperti minyak mahupun getah namun haruslah memiliki kilang yang tersendiri untuk memproses barang mentah tersebut. Jika kita tidak mampu menjadi core country di peringkat dunia, mungkin kita boleh menjadi ‘core country’ di peringkat ASIA mahupun Asia tenggara. Bagi saya, itu sudah cukup membanggakan.
Persoalannya adakah eksploitasi ekonomi hanya berlaku antara negara sahaja? Dalam negara? Semenanjung Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHai Inphiniti..
ReplyDeleteTerima kasih atas perkongsian maklumat yang sangat berguna untuk tugasan yang diberikan kepada saya. Berdasarkan penelitian saya terhadap artikel yang telah ditulis oleh anda, saya mendapati bahawa kemodenan yang mencetuskan lahirnya pelbagai teknologi-teknologi moden hari ini. Dengan adanya teknologi ini ia juga membantu untuk menyumbang kepada peningkatan dari aspek ekonomi di dalam sesebuah negara. Ya, saya sangat menyokong teori pemodenan (modernization teory). Hal ini kerana, tanpa adanya pemodenan di dalam sesebuah negara kita tidak dapat mengecapi kemajuan hari ini.
Sebagai contoh, negara kita Malaysia sudah mampu berdiri sama tinggi dengan negara-negara maju seperti Jepun, China dan lain-lain. Sebagai pengeluar kereta pertama buatan malaysia iaitu PROTON pada 7 mei 1983 adalah satu kesan daripada kemodenan yang dicapai oleh negara kita Malaysia. Justeru, kita tidak terlalu bergantung dengan produk daripada negara-negara luar.
Salam semua..
ReplyDeleteMemang tidak dinafikan, seperti apa yang dikatakan dalam artikel bahawa teknologi media baharu merupakan jambatan kepada berterusannya eksploitasi terhadap negara-negara sedang membangun dan juga negara yang mundur oleh negara-negara maju/berkuasa. Namun begitu, penjelasan artikel hanyalah tertumpu kepada perspektif ekonomi yang mana bukanlah sesuatu yang kukuh untuk dijadikan sebagai bukti negara-negara maju mengeksploitasi negara-negara yang berada di kedudukan yang lebih rendah darinya. Apabila kita bercakap mengenai ekonomi ataupun perniagaan, objektif utama adalah mengaut keuntungan. Penggunaan sumber dan kos secara minimum untuk menghasilkan produk yang berkualiti serta menjamin keuntungan adalah sesuatu yang sangat penting dalam meneruskan kelangsungan sesuatu perniagaan. Akan tetapi, semua ini sebenarnya adalah didorong oleh kuasa tidak kira dari segi ekonomi, malah kuasa politik turut menjadi pendorong kepada berlakunya pengeksploitasian. Jika dilihat dari segi kemanusiaan, memang jelas sekali pengeksploitasian berlaku. Namun, jika dilihat dari segi strategi ekonomi, ia merupakan tindakan yang bijak untuk menjamin keuntungan.
Walau bagaimanapun, perkara sedemikian bukanlah sesuatu yang baharu dan bukanlah berpunca dari munculnya teknologi media baharu semata-mata. Pengeksploitasian ini telah berlaku sejak beratus-ratus tahun lagi, iaitu sejak zaman penjajahan lagi. Tetapi, disebabkan berlakunya penjajahan inilah, terbentuknya hubungan antara negara-negara berkaitan. Sebagai contoh, negara A merupakan negara maju manakala negara B merupakan negara sedang membangun. Andai kata negara B mengalami masalah berkaitan dengan pencerobohan ataupun melibatkan ketenteraan dan sebagainya, negara A akan menjadi penaung serta membekalkan tenaga ketenteraan untuk membantu menyelesaikan masalah yang dialami. Jadi, kita dapat juga melihat kebaikan yang diperoleh melalui hubungan dua hala ini.
Selain itu juga, jika dilihat dari segi ekonomi, eksploitasi tidak semestinya berlaku. Sebagai contoh ADIDAS, yang merupakan produk keluaran Jerman. Andaikan sepasang kasut dibuat di Jerman dan harganya RM499 (andaian bahawa kos tenaga buruh dah bahan mentah tinggi). Sudah tentu sanagt mahal bagi golongan yang berpendapatan sederhana. Tetapi, andai kata jika kasut yang sama, tetapi dikilangkan di Thailand dan harganya RM199 (andaian bahawa kos tenaga buruh dan bahan mentah murah). Boleh dikatakan harga mampu milik untuk mereka yang berpendapatan sederhana. Jika dilihat, hal ini turut memberi manfaat kepada golongan yang berpendapatan sederhana. Bagi saya, ini merupakan strategi pemasaran dan bukannya eksploitasi.
"World System Theory"
ReplyDeleteSejajar dengan pembangunan teknologi yang semakin berkembang semua negara-negara di dunia ini dapat dihubungkan bukan sahaja dari segi komunikasi malah pertukaran idea dan maklumat juga dapat berlaku dengan cepat dan mudah. Teori ini menjelaskan bahawa negara-negara di dunia ini terbahagi kepada Core. Semi-periphery dan periphery. Pada pandangan saya teori ini tidak sesuai kerana negara yang tergolong dalam kategori periphery seperti ditindas secara halus oleh negara yang tergolong Core country. Walaupun teori ini menjelaskan bahawa ketiga-tiga jenis negara ini saling membantu antara satu sama lain seperti negara Japan yang bertukar teknologi dengan negara periphery namun mereka menggunakan kuasa sebagai Core country ini untuk mengawal segala sistem sehingga mempengaruhi negara yang tergolong dalam periphery. Contohnya negara Core ini mempunyai kuasa ke atas kawalan harga dimana negara periphery harus mengikut harga yang telah ditetapkan. Hal ini menyebabkan negara periphery ini tidak membangun dengan sendiri jika terus bergantung kepada Core Country.
Oleh itu, negara core country juga tidak boleh terlalu sewenang-wenangnya menggunakan kuasa yang mereka ada untuk menakluki dunia.
"World System Theory"
ReplyDeleteSejajar dengan pembangunan teknologi yang semakin berkembang semua negara-negara di dunia ini dapat dihubungkan bukan sahaja dari segi komunikasi malah pertukaran idea dan maklumat juga dapat berlaku dengan cepat dan mudah. Teori ini menjelaskan bahawa negara-negara di dunia ini terbahagi kepada Core. Semi-periphery dan periphery. Pada pandangan saya teori ini tidak sesuai kerana negara yang tergolong dalam kategori periphery seperti ditindas secara halus oleh negara yang tergolong Core country. Walaupun teori ini menjelaskan bahawa ketiga-tiga jenis negara ini saling membantu antara satu sama lain seperti negara Japan yang bertukar teknologi dengan negara periphery namun mereka menggunakan kuasa sebagai Core country ini untuk mengawal segala sistem sehingga mempengaruhi negara yang tergolong dalam periphery. Contohnya negara Core ini mempunyai kuasa ke atas kawalan harga dimana negara periphery harus mengikut harga yang telah ditetapkan. Hal ini menyebabkan negara periphery ini tidak membangun dengan sendiri jika terus bergantung kepada Core Country.
Oleh itu, negara core country juga tidak boleh terlalu sewenang-wenangnya menggunakan kuasa yang mereka ada untuk menakluki dunia.
Hello inphiniti,
ReplyDeletePada pendapat saya sendiri, eksploitasi tidak hanya berlaku dalam skala besar sahaja. Kita boleh ambil contoh eksploitasi yang berlaku di dalam negara kita Malaysia sendiri.
Sabah dan Sarawak kaya dengan hasil bumi seperti kayu balak dan minyak mentah. Namun demikian, kekayaan hasil bumi ini tidak menjamin pembangunan di dalam negeri itu sendiri. Sabah terutamanya telah dikategorikan sebagai negeri yang termiskin di Malaysia pada tahun 2012. Hal ini sangat mengejutkan kerana negeri yang kaya dengan hasil bumi di Malaysia tidak sepatutnya berada di kelompok bawah. Dalam pemerhatian saya sendiri, negeri Sabah dan Sarawak tidak membangun dengan sepatutnya jika dibandingkan dengan negeri-negeri di semenanjung Malaysia. Contoh ini bukannya berniat untuk membuat provokasi tetapi lebih kepada memberi informasi kepada kita sendiri. Pada pendapat saya, Sabah dan Sarawak telah dieksploitasi oleh pihak yang bertanggungjawab kerana hasil kekayaan ini tidak dinikmati oleh negeri yang kaya dengan sumber asli itu sendiri.