Globalization

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of globalization on management of quality in higher education. A Meta-evaluation methodology is used to see how much the current research-supporting hypothesis is related to divergence، convergence or meso of quality management in higher education. In the light of three debates related to the nature of globalization، consequences of globalization and role of globalization in promotion of democracy and human rights، three controversial hypotheses are studied. It is suggested that forces behind these three hypotheses cannot be assessed in isolation، independently of one another، nor from a perspective of either convergence or divergence among them. Rather، globalization، regionaliz- ation، and nationalism should be captured and studied as forces relative to and overlapping one another، sometimes antagonistic and sometimes cooperative toward each other but never harmonious.

This paper is an attempt to shed light on the effects of modernization, urbanization, monolingual educational system, and mass media as well as the process of globalization on dialect leveling among Persian dialects. In so doing, the first part of the paper elaborates on the relationship between globalization and sociolinguistics, and on the concept of standardization. Also, it discusses some factors accelerating dialect leveling among Persian dialects. The second part of the paper presents some empirical evidence for the change, based on the data collected from 3 Persian dialects, namely: Birjandi, Neyshaboori, and Yazdi. Three spoken language sample corpora from two age cohort groups in each speech community were collected. Having transcribed the data, the researchers juxtaposed the phonological, morphological, and syntactic conventions of the two groups of each speech community for further in-depth analysis. Comparing the speech samples of the two age cohorts in each corpus revealed significant movements towards standard dialect. However, the quality and quantity of the observed movements did not appear to be the same across the dialects in question.

The present study aimed to design and validate a “Critical Understanding of the Global Spread of English” Scale (CUGSES). To this end, a framework was designed based on the tenets of linguistic imperialism, English as an International Language (EIL), and globalization. The scale was then administered to a population of 425 participants, comprising English language teachers in language institutes, English language learners in language institutes, parents whose children attended English language institutes, university students majoring in English and English-major university professors. Rasch measurement was utilized to substantiate the construct validity of the instrument. The results of the Rasch analysis revealed that except for three items, the scale is unidimensional and meets the criteria to fit to the Rasch model. Next, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to extract the factors underlying the scale. Five components were extracted and labeled as: domination of English language and culture, preference for home culture and language, age and medium of instruction, native speakerism, and localization in ELT. Implications of the newly- designed scale in the Iranian EFL context were then provided.

The present study probed 409 Iranian English as foreign language (EFL) learners' motivation and attitude toward English as an International Language (EIL) by investigating the causal relationships of their facets via Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). To do so, the Persian version of the ‘attitudes toward EIL’ scale was designed and validated. It measures five constructs of: cultural realism, linguistic cultural disposition (negative), (dis)ownership of English, EIL posture, and localization. Then, the researchers utilized the validated scale along with the adapted Persian version of motivation scale designed by Taguchi et al. (2009) to explore the causal relationship among their facets. The latter scale measures seven dimensions of instrumentality prevention, instrumentality promotion, ideal L2 self, ought-to l2 self, learning experience, motivational intensity, and integrativeness. The findings of the study revealed that students' motivational intensity positively predicted by other motivational and attitudinal factors with 'ideal self' and 'instrumentality promotion' having the highest influence. It was also found that ‘cultural realism’ was a significant predicator of ‘localisation’, and ‘localisation’ was a significant positive predictor of ‘disownership of English’. ‘EIL posture’ was also in a positive direct relationship with ‘cultural realism’, whereas ‘linguistic cultural disposition’ (negative) was found to negatively influence other aspects including ‘motivational intensity’. This study has some implications for ELT professionals to revisit EFL motivation in light of attitudes toward EIL in expanding circle.

This paper is an effort to discuss the concept of glocalization from a semiotic point of view. In order to carry out a semiotic analysis of globalization or glocalization, first globalization needs to be defined from a semiotic perspective. Therefore, first an explanation of globalization and glocalization in semiotic terms is provided. Some believe the ongoing process in the world cannot be best described as globalization and it should be called glocalization. According to this approach, the ongoing universal process is a combination of globalization and localization leading to new diversities, not uniformity. With a structuralist approach to semiotics a better understanding is gained on how glocalization may affect the world in which we are living. After a theoretical argument on the semiotic definition of globalization and glocalization, the results of a number of in-depth interviews with people who have experienced living in two different cultures will be analyzed in a qualitative method to provide further insight on how glocalization might work.

This article deals with general issues related to the impact of globalization processes on national languages. The work is founded on theoretical research methods based on the inductive method of Material Selection. The author sees the reasons for globalization in strengthening integration between countries and national cultures. The formation of cross-cultural ties, as the phenomena of intercultural communication and their manifestation in the vocabulary indicates both the positive impact of globalization on the Russian language and the need for a deeper study of this phenomenon in connection with the negative impact on the spiritual and moral state of the ethnic group. As a result, the author came to the conclusion that language is, first of all, a way of inheritance of social-practical and spiritual experiences of people, the environment of existence of both an individual and an entire ethnic group, as a carrier of national culture.

Abstract: The main purpose of this research is to explain the role of globalization on the relation-ship between the sovereignty of the country and the identity of the Turkmens. This re-search is a developmental and applied goal and is qualitatively based on the nature of the research. The statistical community in the qualitative section is a social sciences and political scientist. Experts were identified by purposeful sampling and snowflake sam-pling which, according to the adequacy of the data, was interviewed in total with 20 ex-perts. The analysis method was the theme analysis based on Clarke and Bron's approach (2006). The data gathered through an in-depth interviewing. The results indicate that the recognition of the existing gap in the society has been identified in the context of the effect of globalization on the capacities of the Turkmens, the criteria for the formation of the virtual ethnic communities, the collective identification of the Turkmens, the de-velopment of the inside ethnic Turkmen interaction, the recognition of the rights of the Turkmens. In the area of solutions to the emergence of national sovereignty, globaliza-tion problems including cultural and social, and political strategies, economic, and legal solutions were identified.

Abstract: Terrorism is a phenomenon that has spread to almost all parts of the world in the late 20th century and the beginning of the 21th century to the extent that many Middle East-ern countries have been subjected to such violence and unrest; in fact, with the advent of science and technology, particularly the global spread of the Internet and social net-works, the face of terrorism has been changed and in sum, not only facilitated terrorist attacks, but also introduced new lands of opportunities in the field of means and instru-ments for terrorists. Thus, the application of biological, chemical, radiological as well as cyber attacks proves that terrorist groups benefited from modernized science and ad-vanced tools root in the potentials of the globalization age. Clearly, they do so in order to improve the only process of goal attainment. The main issue of this descriptive-analytic paper concerns how new science and technology appealed in line with the de-velopment of terrorist groups actions in the Middle East? Accordingly, the hypothesis is that terrorist groups in the Middle East are constantly using modern facilities and tech-nologies in the globalization space to represent themselves and to create massive terror-ist networks. This will bring more and more propaganda for broader terrorist activities and significantly promote recruitment as well.

Exploring how literature represents social context, the present study aims to critically examine Mark Ravenhill’s plays, Some Explicit Polaroids and Faust is Dead, in terms of Giddens’ concepts of Globalization, Risk, and Transformation of Intimacy. The central argument of this analysis is thus to demonstrate how Ravenhill’s plays represent the social changes of the contemporary era in which the plays have been produced. The study addresses the concepts of Globalization and Risk in the plays in order to illustrate how transformations brought by it affect individual’s day-to-day life in contemporary society. Accordingly, the researcher thus focuses on the impacts of such transformations on the process of self-identity construction as well as the transformation of intimacy in that, as Giddens has contended, the characteristics of the globalized world deeply intrude into the heart of self-identity and reshape the way individuals build up their self-identities. 

Noam Chomsky argues that only a meager percentage of the world, consisting of mainly large corporations and developed nations, prosper from globalization. As stated in Immanuel Wallerstein’s World-System Theory, the modern system of the world, which is constructed according to the economic status of nations, can be divided into three levels: the core, the semi-periphery, and the periphery. While extensive research have been conducted on Immanuel Wallerstein, Noam Chomsky, and Arthur C. Clarke separately, no published work has exclusively studied Wallerstein’s and Chomsky’s theories in Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee’s science fiction novels—Rama novels. This paper first aims to illustrate the relevance of Immanuel Wallerstein and Noam Chomsky and to argue that globalization, enjoyed by the core states, can be a new wave of colonization. Then, it is discussed that in the globalized world imagined by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee in their Rama novels, the semi-periphery and the periphery nations, with only a marginal role in vital space expeditions, are exploited by the core, which runs and regulates the world in the way it desires. Moreover, the paper investigates the way in which the core states in the Rama novels try to ensure a lofty role in the world, the result of which is rape, disease, bankruptcy, and murder.

In this paper, we use a multi-sector specific factors model with international capital mobility to examine the effects of globalization on the skill premium in U.S. manufacturing industries. This model allows us to identify two channels through which globalization affects relative wages: effects of international capital flows transmitted through changes in interest rates, and effects of international trade in goods and services transmitted through changes in product prices. In addition, we identify two domestic forces which affect relative wages: variations in labor endowment and technological change. Our results reveal that changes in labor endowments had a negative effect on the skill premium, while the effect of technological progress was mixed. The main factors behind the rise in the skill premium were product price changes (for the full sample period) and international capital flows (during 1982-05).   JEL Classification: F16, J31.

Globalization and democracy have become the most debated issues throughout the world, which, no doubt also influence Iran. This paper highlights these phenomena with respect to Iran but takes up the issue through various description and features presented by the con-temporary socio- political thinkers and economists. Considering globalization, although the subject matter is very recent but Iran has been experiencing this phenomenon with the emergence of modern communication networks and economic growth. The democratic proc-ess had started early in 19th century but was thoroughly suppressed by the despotic regime. However, the globalization trends in 1990s have affected most of the countries and Iran too has experienced the changing mood of the people. Present study focuses on the various as-pects of globalization and its influences over democracy during post- revolutionary period.

The investigation of Habermas’s political ideas of philosophical perspective and measuring his philosophical principles ratio, which is the deliberative democracy, is a purpose of this study that will be followed. On the one hand, the importance of this issue is this that represents the new readings of democratic standards and on the other hand, consolidates one type of the democracy that has an epistemological distinction with the liberal democracy. Because of this, it is trying to analyze the philosophical foundations of Habermas, and the main components and standards of reinforcing ideas of deliberative democracy to be explained. The findings of present paper suggesting the political views and beliefs of this political philosopher that are arisen from his philosophical thought, has been based on the standards and teachings of communicative action, discourse ethics, rational consensus and public spheres; In addition, the theory of Habermas’ democracy with the discourse consensus has a relatively flexible capability to confront the globalization challenges and from one perspective tries to realize the real sovereignty of people over their own fate.

The contemporary globalization which is based on Post-Fordist Economy , was formed on the basis of informational capitalism, and has been differentiated from other concepts due to some characteristics like information economy, global economy, and network economic activities. The characteristics of post-Fordist Economy create a situation where capitals and productions are changed from place-based to spatial flexibility. In these circumstances, cities play the role of spatial support in social network and inside the post-Fordist Economy as new actors of transnational spaces. Metropolises are trying to provide parts of their expenses from the contemporary globalizing situation by using city diplomacy. Today, managements of metropolises are eager to be linked to world cities, not only to earn their management expenses, but also to create job opportunities for their citizens. And, this becomes evident through the city diplomacy. As such, it can be said that new actors of political geography in the 21 st century cities, the, are looking for their financial benefits. The current research deals questions such as: what are the contexts and how cities enter the transnational spaces as new players in the international system? Here, a descriptive - analytical research methodology has been applied. Finally, the paper considers the theory of Peter Taylor, a famous political geographers who theorized globalization, world cities network, the entrance and performance of metropolises in transnational spaces; for instance, new players in the framework of conceptual model.

The study aims at focusing on the relationship between motivation, culture, and success in foreign language learning in globalizing world. Many studies have been done to examine the relationship between them. The studies showed that culture can play a motivating role in language learning success. Considering Gardner's instrumental and integrative motivation, a learner with a high degree of integrative motivation is likely to make more efforts to form bonds with people of the target culture. To conduct the survey 48 students of Ardestan Azad University were chosen. Some activities and techniques were taken to promote their multicultural competence. In the first session a brief explanation was given to the students along with some questionnaires regarding cultural issues to answer. During 16 weeks of the semester students were taught and monitored through class discussions, essay writings etc. The goal of the activities was to encourage and estimate their respect, tolerance and empathy to people of different cultures. In the last session a questionnaire designed by the researcher was used to collect data. It was composed of three sections: 1) 11 statements about cultural issues to be rated with a likert scale of agreement (based on the Bennett's intercultural communicative model). 2) 10 rating questions (considering Byram& Risager's multidimensional model of ICC).  3) 5 open questions about their belief and behavior to elaborate on. The results showed that respect for others, adaptation and integration with people of target culture were the highest rated among others. An unexpected result was that there was no significant relationship between students' lesson scores and their attitude toward foreign language culture. This can be justified by globalization process by which "people of the world are incorporated into a single world society, global society". Therefore learners who belong to a global English-speaking culture are ready to suspend disbelief about others and adopt new cultural aspects while respecting and maintaining their own culture.