Social Contexts in Schooling

1. Social Contexts in Schooling INTRODUCTION TO GLOBALIZATION

2. What is Globalization? Globalization refers to countries joining together economically, through education, society and politics, and viewing themselves not only through their national identity but also as part of the world as a whole

3. Benefits of Globalization • It reduces poverty worldwide. • It allows developing countries access to technology. • It promotes world peace. • It benefits women and children’s rights. • It raises life expectancy

4. Resistance to Globalization • Weakens the traditions of a country • Exposes people to “corrupt” ideas • Concentrates national wealth into the hands of outsiders or a few powerful leaders • Country becomes too dependent on other countries – loses individual independence • Threat from “outsourcing”

5. OUTSOURCING • Outsourcing = a company contracts another company, often in another country, to provide services at lower costs that might otherwise be performed by local employees • Many large companies now outsource jobs, such as technical services, e-mail services, and payroll • Concern  while outsourcing benefits a nation which gets the jobs, it takes jobs away from the country that outsources

6. Some Effects of Globalization • Trade • Emergence of worldwide production markets and broader access to a range of foreign products for consumers and companies. • Movement of material and goods between and within national boundaries. • The interconnectedness of markets means that an economic collapse in any one given country affects every other country

7. Finance Emergence of worldwide financial markets and better access to external financing for borrowers. As these worldwide structures grow more quickly than transnational regulations, the instability of the global financial companies dramatically increases, as evidenced by the current financial crises that started in 2008

8. Information • Increase in information flows between geographically remote locations. • This is a technological change resulting from fibre optic communications, satellites, and increased availability of telephone and internet • Language • Most commonly used language is English. • About 35% of the world's mail, telexes, and cables are in English • Approximately 40% of the world's radio programs are in English • About 50% of all Internet traffic uses English.

9. Environment • On the positive side, global environmental problems might be solved with international cooperation, such as climate change, cross-boundary water and air pollution, over-fishing of the ocean, and the spread of invasive species. • On the other hand, economic development requires a "dirty" industrial stage • It is argued that developing countries should not be prohibited from increasing their standard of living • Factories built in developing countries with less environmental regulations increase pollution both locally and globally

10. Reflective Questions • How does globalization relate to “social contexts of schooling”? • How does globalization impact on Bahrain education at the primary, intermediate, and secondary levels? • What do Bahrain students need to know to deal with globalization? • What changes in Bahrain education are needed in relation to globalization? • Do you believe that globalization will benefit Bahrain, or does it threaten traditional values?