Kyle Andrei M.

Ponelas 5/15/19

Reaction Paper: Globalization

Globalization, a broad topic it is. There are many things we can think of when we

hear the word Globalization. Like change, modernization, evolution and even destruction.

So now I’m here to say things about Globalization. What it does, how does it happen, and

what is my opinion to it.

So before anything else, let us first define what Globalization is. Well according to

our group’s report, Globalization can be defined as the intensification of worldwide social

relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by

events occurring many miles away and vice versa. This means that Globalization has the

power to intensify the relationship of countries to each other. Thus we can also say that

it can be the solution to end wars and fighting all around the world.

Globalization can also be thought of as the improvement, evolution and growing

impact of world-wide interconnectedness. It is the tendency of businesses, technologies,

or philosophies to spread throughout the world, or the process of making this happen.

Another meaning of Globalization is that it is a process that involves the worldwide

movement of people, knowledge, ideas, goods and money that has led towards

economic, political, social and cultural integration. This means that Globalization has the

advantage to turn all the ideas of change into reality.

Globalization, as we all know is a topic that has many meanings to it. It has the

power to change not only things but also the people all over the globe. Some might say

that it is the changing of the world while others say that it may be the evolution of mankind.

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But philosophers say that it may be the cause of the end of the world. But what is the real

meaning of Globalization? What is its purpose? How does it affect us? And lastly, can it

improve and change the world? Or is it the key to this world’s destruction?

First we must define Globalization. Globalization is a process of interaction and

integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a

process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information

technology. So base on the meaning we can already define what is Globalization and

what is its purpose. Globalization, as said in the definition, is a process therefore we can

deduce that it doesn’t happen right on the spot. It is also said that it is an integration

among people. This means that it needs the people around the world to unite and work

together to improve and fasten Globalization.

Globalization is indeed a good way to change this world. It can improve not only

the economy but it can also improve the quality of life and man’s way of living. So to end

my reaction, allow me to say that I believe that even after all the bad things it can do,

Globalization can change the world for the better and unite all the people like it should

be.

Additionally, many people appreciate the familiar feeling especially in the food industry.

Globalization has given people the warm fuzzy feeling when they’re away in another

country. For example, a person can walk into Starbucks in any part of the world knowing

that their coffee will taste the same or McD’s knowing that McChicken or Fillet O’Fish

taste exactly back home.

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 On the other hand, negative effects of globalization politically are the main

concern of a corrupt government. For example, the turmoil in Aceh and the religious

prosecution of the Chin clan in Mongolia that turned them into refugees in Malaysia

because of their country’s corrupt government. Economically, smaller, local business

establishments will not be able to compete with the major conglomerate corporations

that targets developing countries to take advantage of the free trade zones. Like the

lead of an article in The Australian, “Increasing globalization means stiffening

competition, and the need for greater efficiency.” Those smaller businesses will be at

the losing end.

Besides that, negative effects of globalization socially and culturally is the social

stigma of the people in developing and Third World countries due to the exploitation by

the developed nations on cheap labor and overworked workers to keep a balance with

supply and demand. For example, Nike’s “sweatshops” and culturally, the world is being

“Americanized” or the term Cultural Imperialism. For example, almost everyone owns an

iPod, young generation drinks a can of Coke everyday and many young girls are

behaving more like Paris Hilton.

Finally, to end the negative effects of globalization is the development of

technology. It has enabled users to plagiarize, download files, open file sharing that led

to a lot of copyright issues. Almost anything and everything can be found on the internet

and can be obtained illegally which will lead to serious intellectual thefts.

Environmentally, forest are cleared to make way for development which in long term,

which will cause the pollution and extinction.

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 Audiences and media users are better served with globalization because they

receive all the benefits and they don’t lose anything except a hint of their individuality.

Since all the huge corporations will be competing amongst themselves, the consumers

will benefit from the low, competitive prices. If not, they just have to download whatever

they want, from the latest hits, to Paris Hilton’s One Night in Paris, the latest episode of

Desperate Housewives, the latest season of the satirical House, to assignments and to

computer softwares such as Flash, Microsoft, and Adobe just to name a few.

The losers in the era of media globalization have got to be the youth and the

mass consumers. There’s an advertisement on MTV for the show, Pimp It Up. In the ad,

an old man said, “Nowadays, kids don’t want ready made cars, they want to pimp it up”

shows how much we’re influenced by American goods. Another example is Anya

Hindmarch’s “I’m Not a Plastic Bag” bag which is phenomenal and sold out in London

within the first 3 hours. Malaysia and Asia was not spared of the trend as many were

fighting over the limited edition bags. Malaysia caught the fever when E! showed stars

like Keira Knightly, Sienna Miller and Lily Allen toting those bags. The older generation

blames of globalization is the loss of their cultural identity. For example, older

generation wears traditional clothing and believes in, if you’re Chinese, you must know

how to speak Chinese. No excuses. English is frowned upon and deemed as a betrayal

to their ancestral roots. The winner in the era of globalization is the one that could

manipulate the situation to their advantage.

The effects of globalization have to be studied from every possible angle. The

term globalization has been used as “scapegoat” every time something goes wrong.

When there are job losses, economic recession, inflation and the increase in the cost of

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living, it’s easy to point fingers and blame Globalization. In a sordid way, globalization

has brought a new meaning. To be competitive, and customer oriented for businesses.

The article in The Australian then continued to read; “Globalization has meant that

Australian businesses have been more open to competition and has meant that they

have to get efficient and competitive or get out!”

Overall, globalization brings a different meaning to each and every individual.

Besides that, each and every generation derive a different meaning to the term

Globalization. It would be shallow and ignorant to just know about globalization. For a

developing country, being able to influence and manipulate globalization for their benefit

would be a great help to the country. One person who manipulated and influenced

people to their advantage is Oprah Winfrey. Whatever books that she “recommends”

will be sold out. Few books were The Secret, She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb and

Saving Grace by Sarah Brady. All she has to do is to hold the book on her show and by

next day, it’ll be sold out.

Cultural Anthropologist, Appadurai.A. states that “The world is fragmented, disjoined

and cannot be simplified into an East vs. West or 1st World vs. 3rd World model which

most of the people still perceive the world today, because the world is more than that.

Like a Chinese proverb; “As a human, Everyday, we’ll have something to learn.” In

conclusion, we have a lot to learn from the term Globalization and as long as we’re

humans, we’ll learn something new everyday.

REFERENCE: http://www.globalization101.org/What_is_Globalization.html

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 Reacton: How Social Media Can Make History

Ted talk was about how the revolution of social media has changed the way we

receive information, it is about how social media is affecting our lives every single day.

The media gives opportunities to communicate in means that were never possible

before and all these changes have been happening within only these past few years.

According to Shirky, whose consulting firm develops decentralized technologies

such as wireless networks and peer-to-peer, what matters in today’s communication “is

not technical capital…it is social capital.” He continues that it “isn’t when shiny, new

tools show up that their uses start permeating society. It is when everybody is able to

take them for granted” that they become truly useful.

o be involved in a flawed discourse such as social media raises many questions,

one of which is whether or not the flaws within it may ever be mended. Social media, a

force which cannot be ignored in today’s modern society, brings together a specific

group of people; ones who take great pride in the strides of their generation and do not

want to risk being on the outside looking in on the world they have grown up into and

developed. That is what would happen if any one person in this discourse, or any other,

criticized the discourse to which they belong. According to the same principle, someone

who is not a member of that discourse may not offer criticism, for one has to be a part of

a group to fully understand their ideas, rituals, and beliefs. This paper investigates

whether this society is forced to live with the flaws of the discourses within it with these

seemingly contradictory theories in place.

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 by each discourse individually a discourse while being a part of it, because then

by definition it would eliminate them from that discourse. One can, however, criticize

from other viewpoints, but cannot criticize without a point of view, or different discourse.

He also notes the difference between learning and acquiring knowledge stating,

“aquirers usually beat learners and performance, learners usually beat aquirers at

talking about it, that is, at explication, explanation, analysis, and criticism”. Now, both

these points raise many questions revolving around what this means for society as a

culture, specifically participatory cultures such as social media.

It is no secret that social media has many flaws. For one, it seems to distract

people from their real life situations and absorbs them into presenting a certain type of

online presence of themselves that they have created.

This may be due to the fact that people are so involved in their own feeds,

profiles, and other social media outlets that highlight their own lives. Another example is

the fact that people now seem to be doing things just for the sake of enhancing their

online presence.

For instance, if someone goes to the gym, they’ll get ready, go to the gym, take a

“workout selfie” and then call it a day because everyone will think they worked out,

regardless of they did or not. Things are becoming less and less about their actual

benefits, and more about making one’s life look interesting through the lens of social

media. One more flaw is the fact that people who use social media often have a

compulsion to

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 check all their sources in fear that they’ll miss something. People are constantly

checking every feed they have — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. —

sucking up a ton of their time, merely just because of the paranoia that Beyonce will

tweet something hilarious and they’ll miss it. Because according to these rules, no one

can point out these flaws without being immersed into the social media atmosphere,

under the pretense that no one can really understand these flaws well enough to

criticize them without being a part of them.

However, if someone involved within the social media world were to criticize that

same discourse that they’re a member of, they would no longer be a part of it, therefore

violating the first rule. And people cannot simply learn to be a part of a discourse, they

must acquire it, much like how one can learn all the technological aspects of a

language, but will never understand the nuances that each one possesses unless they

grew up immersed in it.

So does this mean that this culture will forever go on with its flawed ways?

Despite this, there have been plenty of people who go out of their way to give their own

take on this issue, whether or not it is justified by Gee’s regulations of criticism. But it is

regarded as not justified when it is from someone outside of the discourse, and a

betrayal by someone who is within it. So none of the comments seem to gain any

traction or hold weight.

For example, many of the people who have strong voices within society currently

are not necessarily within the discourse of social media. While everyone from news

anchors to authors is forced to have at least a limited knowledge of the subject if they

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want to stay relevant, it does not mean that they truly understand the purpose and

culture of it.

So if those people, let’s say ages 30 and up, gave their take on the culture

of social media, the real body of beast, which is people around ages 13-25, would not

take that criticism seriously, because it is someone talking about a culture they know

nothing about. It would be as if someone who learned English as a second or third

language in the later stages of life corrected native speakers on their grammar.

Even though they may be right, their comments are not appreciated or taken

seriously by the main group.Much like learning a language from another country to

understand the people, there is a certain type of literacy that is required for being

knowledgeable within the atmosphere of social media, such as “text speak” and

“emojis”.

Speaking within texts can be as simple as knowing what “lol” stands for, but also

can become as complicated as deciphering the phrase “hA hwz It? wnt 2 MEt ^ l8r?”.

It’s simply an encoded language.

Similarly, emojis are used in a fashion that may not make sense to the naked

eye. Instead of being used outright to express the emotion, action, or figure they are

presenting, many of the emojis have implied meaning that would only make sense to

people who have used it long enough.

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 It can be learned to an extent, but there comes a point where acquired

knowledge becomes necessary for full understanding. This same logic is used in other

languages such as English; people who grow up here know when to use “a” and when

to use “the”, however it isn’t something that can be learned, but something that can be

acquired.

. More simply put, this means that as long as the difference between acquiring

knowledge and learning it exists, people who happen to come from backgrounds that

give them a leg up on acquiring certain skills will always have an advantage over those

who haven't had the privilege of having that backgroundit” this generation commenting

on its own creation would be like a parent criticizing its own child.

The advancements of the internet, social meidia included, are a part of this

generation’s lifeblood, and we as a whole do take great pride in the strides that have

come upon society while we have been at the wheel, and also are proud of the abilities

we have to work these advancements to their full potential.

In my opinion, this generation is much too proud and absorbed in the

achievements that they have accomplished, as well as making each one bigger, better,

brighter, and streamline, to ever consider the flaws that are being concocted

simultaneously.

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 Reaction: Lost in Translation

Lost in Translation is a movie that reflects deeply on society at large. Is real

communication often disregarded by, and through, a society’s language and culture?
While the story takes place in Tokyo, it contains a very contrasted backdrop of westerners
in Tokyo, arguably the epicenter of eastern culture. One of the main characters, Bob
Harris, is a middle-aged man and faded movie star who travelled to Japan to shoot a
whiskey commercial in exchange for $2 million.

During his time in Tokyo, he met a young newlywed named Charlotte who was with her
husband. They ran into each other while staying at the same hotel. Despite their age
differences, there was a natural emotional bond between Charlotte and Bob. That was
how the story began.

The first half of the movie is filled with chill and dry humor to highlight the problems
associated with cultural differences and language barriers. For example, when the
Suntory company sent a “Premium Lady” (an escort) to Bob’s hotel room, she insists that
Bob “Lip” her stockings. This scene is particularly humorous since her heavy accent
prohibits her from properly pronouncing “Rip.” However, it is unclear whether Bob may be
thinking that their culture actually does anything called lipping. So, he seemed confused,
startled, and annoyed all at the same time.

Such emotional frustration did not end in the hotel room. For example, Bob’s feelings
seemed to ebb and flow from confusion and annoyance to frustration during the filming
of the commercial. He seemed to be out of his element during the shoots — maybe as a
result of feeling left out or not belonging.

While Bob was shooting the commercial, the director’s aggressive and verbose manner
confounded him. He rarely felt confident in knowing what the director wanted because of
the enormous discrepancy between how long-winded the director was yet how extremely
brief the translations were. That makes Bob feel uneasy since he thinks the translator is
hiding something from him — the resultant of cultural differences, which Bob does not
understand.

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The primary reason people find it difficult in understanding each other is logical —
 language and culture. Indeed, trying to fit into a foreign environment and culture can be
challenging. It certainly was for Bob and Charlotte. As the story unfolds, a sense of
belonging and understanding of each other is critical, not only to Bob and Charlotte but
also in human relationships generally. After a long day, they each happened to wander
into the hotel bar not knowing of the other’s intention to do the same. Perhaps they were
lost, or just tired from a long day in a strange foreign land.
Their attempts to blend into their surroundings were futile. Once they each settled
into their respective spots in the bar, they each caught a glimpse of the other. We’re not
sure if he was looking for company, but he was suffering from a middle-aged crisis and
felt loss. He wanted a sense of comfort in a foreign country, and then he met Charlotte.
They both shared feelings of loss in different stages.

For Bob, this could be his marriage — for Charlotte, hers too. As Charlotte approached
Bob, he playfully said, “Can you keep a secret? I’m trying to organize a prison break. I’m
looking for, like, an accomplice. We have to first get out of this bar, then the hotel, then
the city, and then the country. Are you in or you out?” Charlotte understood Bob, and it
excited her.

Bob avoided his marital problems by focusing on other things, like his kids and the rug
colors in his home. Charlotte, on the other hand, buried in loneliness in the hotel and was
ignored by her busy husband. Both of them felt out of sync with each other’s spouse and
lost in each other’s translation. I think this is the point that the director Sofia Coppola
wanted to highlight — human being is always hard in understanding each other disregard
language and culture. Language is the first weapon that leads isolation and conflict.

Despite the bitterness of loneliness, the movie has a lovely ending. Bob was about to
leave. He rushed to Charlotte and whispered something to her ears, kissed her and left.
Such sweet scene enhances the movie to another level because it brings imagination and
intimacy to whom enjoys the film.

Life is full of transient happiness and stays banal for most of time. However, the glimpse
of wonder, like stars in the sky, guiding people moving forward with hope.
Lost In Translation is a deeply personal portrait of love, relationships and isolation set in
the backdrop of Tokyo’s incredible scenery. We follow Bob Harris, played expertly by Bill
Murray giving one of the best dramatic turns of his career.

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As an aged Hollywood star in his twilight, Bob leads a deeply unhappy life full of
disconnection from his wife and children. His life changes when he meets an equally lost
soul of Charlotte, played by a young Scarlett Johansson. The two form an unusual
romantic bond as they learn to live their lives fully — and ultimately let go of the things that
make them unhappy. It is a love story with no sweeping romance, it is a comedy without
overt laughs, it is a drama of small stakes. I would call Lost In Translation none of these,
but rather an exploration of what love means in the modern world.

Coppola uses silence in her films to great effect, whether it is backed by the melancholic
soundtrack, the lively city life of Tokyo, or simply being with the characters in the frame —
 with them in the moment. Silence in Coppola’s films offers us an insight into how our
characters feel and invite us to think about how we would feel in their situation.

To further the motif of silence, Lost In Translation is a movie about what is unsaid. A film
where characters spend the whole time communicating via technology (with phones, fax
and notes) or by proxy through interpreters.

Almost all of the direct conversation in the film is between Bob and Charlotte, as they are
the only two people who understand one another. When minor characters, like John,
speak to our main characters, they project and don’t say what they feel or really want.
Look at the way John’s friends talk to Charlotte. They speak a lot without actually saying
anything.

The setting of Lost In Translation adds to our character’s reflection. Tokyo, a metropolis
of millions of people, is relegated to a view through a hotel window. The hotel itself is a
contained microcosm of artificial life. It’s filled with oddities of Japanese culture, safe jazz
music and people who are there to experience Japan without actually experiencing
anything.

The hotel suffocates Bob and Charlotte and it becomes a luxurious prison that keeps
them from enjoying their lives. Furthermore, the fact our characters are literally
surrounded by people speaking a different language, unable to properly to communicate
with almost anyone outside the hotel, adds to their imposed silence.

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Consider that, in my opinion, the most important parts of Lost In Translation are moments
of silence, or reflection. Moments where our characters come to a realization, or a
moment of reflection, or simply enjoy the presence of the other. That is where I think this
movie shines. Creating two people, who are very alone and find part of themselves in one
another.

In the final scene, as Bob says goodbye to Charlotte, knowing that their circumstances
means that they could never truly be together. The last words they share are left
intentionally silent. As Bob is driven to the airport, he leaves in the same way he arrived,
in silence. Yet, he is changed by the city, by Charlotte and by himself and as the Tokyo
cityscape envelops him, the screen fades to black and leaves us — in silence.

Charlotte’s youth and curiosity about the world helps to change Bob too as he
rediscovers the joys and thrills of being care-free and being able to laugh with someone
who puts no pressure on him.

After appearing on cheesy talk shows and doing uninspiring whiskey commercials,
Bob is able to have fun and enjoy himself around Charlotte. From the one-sided phone
conversations you hear from Bob and his wife back in Los Angeles, neither of them seem
happy or fulfilled about their marriage. I don’t want to spoil the ending for those of you
who haven’t watched the film but it is possible that Bob and Charlotte will find romance
or love when they least expected it to happen.

I have to admit that the first time I saw Lost In Translation, it made me really want
to visit Japan.

The nightlife and crowded streets of Tokyo interest me quite a bit. I was also
intrigued by a scene from the movie that was set in Kyoto, where Charlotte takes a high-
speed train to the city to see the Shinto temples and the beautiful cherry blossoms. The
cinematography and settings of the film are very moving and beautiful. Lost In Translation
has a reputation of being a serious and deep film with little humor mixed in.

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 However, I would disagree with this assessment because there are a lot of scenes
of light-hearted humor especially when Bob Harris, Bill Murray’s character, is on the set
for a Japanese commercial.

Many things are ‘lost in translation’ as he looks for guidance and help from his
translator but she never gives him the full story of what the Japanese director wants.
There are other humorous scenes where Bob appears as a guest on a goofy talk show
with a quirky host. Another classic moment is when a Japanese escort is sent to Bob’s
hotel room and asks Mr. Bob Harris to “lip her stockings.” It’s a subtle English faux pas
but I found it hilarious the first time I watched it.

Two strangers who meet in a hotel bar and get to know each other over a drink is
not a new movie concept. However, the relationship that develops after that chance
meeting is what makes Lost In Translation a great film. The on-screen chemistry between
the two great actors, Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson also draws the viewers in to the
plot. There can be few other cities as magical, crazy, and hypnotizing as modern Tokyo.

The neon lights, huge skyscrapers, and hoards of people make it a unique setting,
which is rarely used in Hollywood films. Lost In Translation isn’t your typical romance
movie and it doesn’t have a clear-cut ending. What it does offer the viewer are the special
moments of two lost souls making a deep connection with each other in a foreign city,
and enjoying those experiences during the short time that they have together.

REFERENCE:https://medium.com/@sophieli1231/lost-in-translation-reflection-on-true-
communication-in-modern-world-2eead985dd29

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335266/plotsummary

https://geeks.media/lost-in-translation-film-review-and-analysis

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 Reaction: Pop Culture in the Arab World

The presentation was given at the July 2009 TEDGlobal conference in Oxford,
England. TED is a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading great ideas. According
to the TED website, conference attendees are “opinion leaders, influencers, captains of
industry, creatives, venture capitalists, inventors, and entrepreneurs.” This presentation,
"Pop Culture in the Arab World," was one of a series of presentations with the theme
"Media with Meaning."

The speaker, Dr. Shereen El Feki, lives in Cairo, Egypt, but she grew up in Canada.
She is half-Egyptian and half-Welsh. She began her career in medical science, with a
PhD in molecular immunology from the University of Cambridge, and now works on
Arab social issues. Her projects promote dialogue between Arabs and non-Arabs. Dr. El
Feki is a writer and academic but dedicates much of her time to issues facing youth in
the Arab world.

Shereen El Feki shows how some Arab cultures are borrowing trademarks of
Western pop culture -- music videos, comics, even Barbie -- and adding a culturally
appropriate twist. The hybridized media shows how two civilizations, rather than
dividing, can dovetail. Many people have said this. And i will say it again.

Culture and Religion are two different things that are too commonly mistaken for
etch other.

Saying Islam or Muslims is like saying Christian and Christian; ignoring the fact
that there are many different sects ( sunni, shiea, catholic, protestant ). It is unfair and
ignorant to simple generalize. The Arab world is vast and has so many differences in
culture its as if the only thing in common is the fact they speak Arabic. Its the same as
Europe only an uneducated person will say that the UK and Germany have the same
culture. We are all different and no one is right or wrong. What we all need is tolerance
and to accept people for who they are.

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Cultures of the Middle East

Globalisation, urbanisation, migration, technological development, etc. increase the need

for people and societies in different cultures and regions of the world to understand each
other. Our understanding of people and events in the Middle East requires familiarity with
classical Islamic texts and history, as well as knowledge of the region’s more recent
history, especially the last one hundred years with the formation of modern states,
administrations, school systems and media.

With the dissemination of printed books and newspapers followed by the electronic
media, political opinions, religious sentiment, cultural self-perception, etc. have changed
from being part of the heritage handed down from one generation of the family to the next,
to issues disseminated and presented in newspapers and films, on radio and, most
recently, via the Internet, satellite TV and social media.

When, for example, a mufti (an Islamic scholar) issues a fatwā (a learned
interpretation of issues pertaining to Islam), it is no longer the case that is received solely
by the people it is intended for, and in the social or cultural context in which it is formulated.
Instead, it is also disseminated via the media to new contexts in which it is viewed in a
different cultural light and is perhaps understood in a different way to that originally
intended by the mufti in question. Studies of the mechanisms at play are vital to an
understanding of the Middle Eastern societies and populations.

For years, Jakob Skovgaard-Petersen and a number of his colleagues at the Department
of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies (ToRS) have studied the cultures of the Middle
East, including media, media consumption, the media’s ownership, legislation and the
media situation in general. Their in-depth knowledge of Arabic and other main languages
of the Middle East such as Farsi, Hebrew and Turkish enables them to study how, for
example, the Muhammad cartoon crisis or the current refugee crisis are treated by the
media. In this way, they build up and maintain in-depth knowledge of the Middle Eastern
societies and current trends in the Islamic world.

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This knowledge of the Middle East is a key element of the basis for ToRS’ MA programme
within the subject area of the languages and societies of the Middle East. MA graduates
contribute their language skills and knowledge of cultural conditions in positions at, for
example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark or in private companies that
cooperate with and export to this region.

Below are a few examples of Jakob Skovgaard-Petersen’s extensive dissemination

activities, which make a substantial contribution to increasing the level of knowledge
among the general public in Denmark concerning societal development and the conflicts
in the Arab world, and thereby also of the relations between Denmark (the civil society,
the business community and political Denmark) and the Arab countries.

Jakob Skovgaard-Petersen is frequently – typically several times a month – asked to

comment as an expert in the Danish media, explaining the background to and the
significance of current events in the Arab world. He also gives lectures and holds courses
for the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI)’s exporting companies, for business
executives under the auspices of the VL Groups (the Danish Top Executive Network), for
diplomats under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, and for the upper-secondary-
school sector’s associations for teachers of religious studies, history and social sciences.
He has written the textbook for upper-secondary schools entitled Moderne Islam (Modern
Islam) (Gyldendal), which considers Muslims’ understanding of their own religion.

He also advises e.g. the Danish Ministry of Social Affairs and the Interior and a number
of Danish local authorities on Jihadism, integration of Syrians in Denmark and other topics
that require a mastery of Arabic in combination with an extensive knowledge of the Arab
countries’ culture and history.

The main idea of the book is that popular culture and not politics unites Arab countries.
This powerful notion is the driving force behind this fascinating book.

Before Andrew Hammond tackles engaging themes such as Arab pop music, the power
of the Arab satellite channels and the increasing consumer culture, he devotes a whole
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chapter to the Arabic language which has been a unifying factor in the region. With the
help of satellite channels promoting singers and TV presenters from all over the Arab
world, colloquial dialects, whether from the Gulf or the Maghreb, are no longer seen as a
dividing factor but rather as a means to facilitate mutual understanding between different
countries.

The author also highlights the positive role played by the written media “in
simplifying classical Arabic for modern usage.” Novelists and poets are following suit as
they aspire to reach a greater number of readers by using colloquial rather than classical
Arabic. As a result the Arabic language is rediscovering its plural roots from centuries ago
when it absorbed a number of foreign words: “Only today are linguists and sociologists
coming to grips with the idea of Arabic as a dynamic and changing language” explains
Hammond.

The present vitality of the Arabic language is unfortunately shadowed by Arabic

literature’s lack of recognition. Literature, in the Arab world, is not a popular topic; it is
rarely discussed on television and up to the present, there is no best seller list available.
Even Egypt’s main English newspaper, Al Ahram Weekly, has stopped publishing a
monthly literary supplement. However, the literary scene in the Arab world is vibrant and
alive with a whole new generation of young writers.

While a breed of savvy and innovative writers is coming up in Egypt, other regional
literatures, unknown previously, such as Gulf literature, Palestinian and North African
literature, are gaining momentum. Unfortunately, Arab literature lacks Arab readers: “A
bestseller in Egypt might sell as few as 10,000 copies, even though the country’s
population is over 70 million,” explains Hammond. Consequently, many Arab writers are
genuinely grateful when their works are translated into English. In this respect, the
American University in Cairo Press is spearheading the efforts to familiarize the world
with the works of an unprecedented number of Arab essayists, historians, sociologists,
and novelists in particular.

Religious culture, on the contrary, has gained in popularity since the 1970’s especially in
Egypt. Books and religious cassettes are competing now with an increasing number of
television programs and the Internet.

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 New faces are causing a stir, especially the Egyptian Amr Khaled dubbed the “society
sheikh.” Hammond says, “Though he lacks formal qualifications and doesn’t sport a beard
or wear clerical robes, Khaled has become well-known through regular appearances on
numerous Arab satellite channels (he appears weekly before a rapt audience on Iqra)
and Internet sites www.forislam.com. Khaled is interesting too because of the overt
absence of a political agenda in his preaching.”

In the last few decades, religious conservatism has swept across Arab countries but this
strengthening of Islamic faith is also happening at a time when Muslims feel threatened
and ostracized, particularly by Western powers. In this respect, Hammond rightly
observes: “It has become received wisdom in the Arab world that the United States wants
to ‘secularize’ Islam and reduce its social and political power in Egypt and Saudi Arabia
in particular.”
Three of the most entertaining chapters focus on Arab consumer culture, Arab pop
and the satellite revolution. It is obvious that the author has lived in the Arab world. And
he has made good use of his first hand experience. Almost nothing escapes his attention,
from the growing consumerism which is even affecting the holy month of Ramadan to the
increasing popularity of the ‘shisha’. In Beirut, you can order a ‘shisha’ (water-pipe) on
the phone.

The author also highlights the successful creation of an Arab pop music which, for
more than two decades, has been successfully competing with Western pop music, a
success boosted by the satellite channels.

He even mentions the famous interview when Shaaban Abdel-Rahim, the singer
people love to hate, told the TV host that his outrageous flowery shirt was made from the
same material used to cover his mother’s sofa. Andrew Hammond’s thorough research
laced with pertinent remarks and genial observation add a touch of brilliance and make
this a fascinating read.

REFERENCE: https://www.texasgateway.org/resource/becoming-critical-listener-
english-iii-listening

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