3.2 Using Communication Technologies

September 7th is a national holiday in Brazil. It is our “Independence Day” - the day when Brazilians were set free from Portugueses. My family was telling me how Mass Media reported all the celebrations for the day, reinforcing how free our nation is, and so forth. This slogan sounded nice, but it did not entirely convince me. Then I started reflecting how independent we are - not only as a country, but as human beings.We live in a time of constant transition, and inevitably we end up dependents of resources invented by other people.

When it comes to the use of communication technologies, there are certainly advantages and disadvantages. In one hand it is excellent to learn new information; on the other hand, we are servants of new technologies. Technology became so advanced, that there is no return. Life will go on….so will new technologies. In chapter 12 of the text the author invites us to “think of the constant updates on computer software that sometimes seem more a nuisance than a help, requiring us to learn new features and to re-learn how to do some tasks that had become routine…”

3.1 The meanings and uses of Organizational Communication Technologies

The ultimate modern gift I received from my parents during my youth was an electronic typewriter. For years that machine “saved my life”. I can not even count how many projects I typed on that efficient typewriter….until the moment that my ultimate gift became so obsolete, that I urgently had to buy my first computer…which ended up getting outdated pretty quickly. Then my husband gave me a laptop…which became too slow if compared to whatever was available out there. And guess what? We’re getting a second laptop this week.

Reflecting on this short journey of typewriter, PC’s, and laptops reinforced in my mind how dependent we are of technologies. It is almost impossible not to rely on some kind of technology nowadays, and those who reject to learn and use them will become socially excluded somehow.

Few days ago I was talking to a friend of mine – by email, of course, and she was proud of sharing that her grandmother had just purchased her first laptop. With my mouth opened I heard that her 89 year-old-grandma is now sending emails to the whole family, displaying her pictures and information on Facebook & Orkut, etc. And my friend told me not to be surprised when I receive Mrs. Ambar’s first message, because my electronic address was already on her address list. I should not, but I was astonished! Chapter 12 of textbook says that “technology is often seen as synonymous with change”. Who is going to deny it?

2.5 Diversity & Values

Spending time with my family and traveling are things I truly care about. Time spent with my family makes me stronger for life; and travelling teach me how to appreciate my own culture even more, and also understand and respect other people’s cultures.

On chapter 14 of textbook we see that “when we are faced with sharply different beliefs or values, our own assumptions suddenly stand out. Travel can have this effect, as when a North American confronts a radically different pattern of living, in say, Latin America…is likely to encounter more collectivist, inherently social conceptions of values, mores, and notions of correct behavior.”

Breaking down this citation, I perceive that whenever we interact with people from other cultures, we tend to make some comparisons with our own culture. Brazil, for instance, is very family-oriented. Usually people do not always move out their parent’s house as soon as they turn 18 years old. Instead, they move out when it is time to get married or live with a partner or friend. Having family around is one the strongest characteristics of Brazilian Culture.

2.4 Global & Local

It is quite interesting to think about what falls into global category, and what fits better into local category. On Chapter 13, page 383, we see an example of Coca-Cola Corporation. Although they sell their products across the globe, they realize the importance of developing products that local people would be willing to appreciate. I honestly believe that one of globalization’s roles is “bring nations together”, instead of imposing standards of right or wrong.

“According to the marketing professor Fuat Firat, globalization is not a uniform and universalizing process but a fragmented set of lifestyles, products, and consumption patters – typically North American – across the globe.”

In Brazil, for instance, barbecue is a serious tradition. However, Brazilians usually do not use the famous A1 on barbecues because it is not something we enjoy; On the other hand, Brazilians love Tabasco Pepper Sauce, produced by Mc. Ilhenny Co., on barbecues. By these ordinary examples, I want to address the fact that if companies such as Kraft Foods need to come up with some product that satisfies people in general, instead of just imposing whatever is successful in other parts of the world. Apparently Kraft understands it, because Brazilians consumer several other products they produce. “Some businesses acknowledge that globalization does not (or should not) necessarily homogenize tastes”.

2.3 Social Exclusion

Nowadays people are more “into the idea” of technology than ever before. Some might think: I can not imagine my life without Internet. On the one hand, Internet makes life easier – instantaneous communication with doctors, online shopping, and why not to say, this online class; on the other hand, it deprives human interaction. On Chapter 13 of textbook, Peter Monge defends that “certain kinds of interconnection imply disconnection”.

It has been an incredible experience to learn how to create my own blog, and eventually figure out how to put together my own website for COMM 244. However, I can not help wondering how our relationship as classmates would be if we had to meet in person once a week. I am not against technology, do not misunderstand me! But fact is that people live more anxious due to the expectation that they always need to be ready for whatever is coming up in terms of new technologies. Consequently, on the swing of this vicious circle, time spent with family and friends shrinks more and more.

Still on chapter 13 of the textbook, the sociologist Manuel Castells “argues that the informational global economy is characterized not only by increasing interdependence but also by exclusionary segmentation – increasing divisions within a society or culture between those who can access the benefits of globalization and those who cannot.” Somehow, I label it Social Exclusion.

Garota de Ipanema

2.2 Technology’s impacts on Globalization

Once a month, the Human Resources Teams from the United States, some countries from South America, and Central America “get together” to discuss what is happening on their respective countries. These monthly meetings which take place at the company I work for are doable, mainly because of new communication technologies such as teleconferencing.

After participating on one of these meetings this morning, and with chapter thirteen of the textbook in the back of my mind, I caught myself concluding that there are not boundaries that technology can not cross. The theorist Marshall McLuhan defended that “since electronic communication is almost instantaneous, it is able to link events and locations and create interdependence.”

Although there are participants across the globe on these meetings –bringing different languages and cultures to the context, every single one is trying to obtain something – either just get updated on last topics or present their ideas and projects to the group, in order to unify the company’s processes. In other words, the textbook defines globalization “as a process of perception, understanding, and, by extension, persuasion”.

Garota de Ipanema

2.1 Global Awareness

I am convinced that global awareness can be achieved in the future, but so that it happens, it is mandatory that local issues are addressed right now. On the one hand, issues such as productivity and efficiency are often discussed; on the other hand, issues such as equal distribution of resources – food, jobs, health care are still not reality in many people’s lives, and unfortunately they have not been treated with the required sense of urgency by the government, companies, and society in general.

When people do not have their basic needs supplied, they will hardly go beyond the ordinary thought of how they will survive the present day. Maslow’s pyramid clearly exemplifies how important it is for human beings to have their primary needs supplied, so that they take global topics like Social Responsibility and Global Warming as their own cause.

Garota de Ipanema