Where the Wild Things Are
I’m really looking forward to the release of this new Spike Jonze movie- it’s an adaptation of the picture book:
Glocalisation, Grobalisation, Something and Nothing
This entry is my attempt to summarize some of the key concepts that George Ritzer defines in his essay: “Rethinking Globalization: Glocalization/Grobalization and Something/Nothing”:
Globalisation can be referred to as a meta-term encompassing various sub-categories and areas. Both grobalisation and glocalisation are encompassed by globalisation. Glocalisation refers to the global and the local (the affects and relationship between both), whereas grobalisation (a term coined by Ritzer) focuses more on the imperialistic influence and imposition of “nations, corporations, organisations and other entities” on numerous geographical areas. The other key focus of the essay is on the concept of something and nothing. Ritzer uses the following table to introduce the terms:
Something Nothing
Place (community bank) Nonplace (credit card company)
Thing (personal loan) Nothing (credit card loan)
Person (personal banker) Nonperson (telemarketer)
Service (individual assistence) Nonservice (automatic, dial-up aid)
I initially understood the concept that he was trying to convey as “something” being a physical attribute and “nothing” being a non-physical attribute. However I initially misconstrued this idea; possibly because the diagram is (I found) quite misleading. The rest of the essay elaborates on the concept of something and nothing making it easier to grasp the idea. I will introduce the terms here: something refers to (typically) an entity produced locally e.g. a handmade scarf (for the example of a thing), or a knowledgeable tour guide (for the example of a person). Nothing can refer to anything mass-produced (e.g. an London bus keyring with a “made in China” sticker stuck to the bottom of it) or a chain store/franchise restaurant (as an example of a nonplace). So the physicality of each does not bear any relevance. It is worth noting that both something and nothing must be juxtaposed with each other or else they would not exist (although it is worth discussing them as a dichotomy).
This gives a brief definition to the terms that Ritzer discusses in his essay. Furthermore he discusses the correlation between glocalisation, grobalisation, something and nothing (this is what I really struggled to get my head around).
Ritzer suggests grobalisation often goes hand in hand with nothing and glocalisation often goes hand in hand with something. I will elaborate:
Glocalisation and something
Ritzer gives the example of glocal things being (for example) handmade/crafted souvenirs made and sold by locals then sold to tourists (hence the global part). However Ritzer suggests that these can often be more expensive and sometimes not as appealing to the tourists as, say, a mass-produced tourist souvenir (e.g. a cheap fake tomahawk with the made in China sticker on it (it is both cheaper and safer)). *As a side note it would be interesting to explore Ritzers ideas in relation to authenticity, as I think there could be some interesting debates.
Grobalisation and nothing
Grobalisation dominates the consumerism market. It encompasses such brands as McDonalds, Starbucks, Borders, Sony, Disney (including Disneyland) and the list goes on and on. The majority of the products that these huge multinationals produce are “nothing” (mass-produced, delivered by nonpeople (McDonalds cashiers)).
Of course there are exceptions that are explored in fully in the essay. But briefly glocalisation and nothing could be mass produced tourist souvenirs, and grobalisation and something could be a rock band performing at local venues in different areas around the world.
There is one thing I am quite perplexed by and that is how all of this can relate to the internet?
I found the essay interesting and if you wish to read it it can be found here
Mae
I came across this today:
Mae (one of my favorite bands) have started a new charity initiative this year, whereby throughout the course of 2009 they will release a song a month and all of the money that is contributed goes to a different charity. Mae are a great band and I think this a great idea. You can check it out here
Some photos from my last role of film…..
I’ve had to learn to take photos the hard way. Nope, no digital for me- mainly because I can’t afford a digital SLR, so my analog will have to do for now. Here is a few shots from my last roll of film…….
Sparklers
This was taken just after Halloween. I went to co-op bought some cheap sparklers, went to a park with my housemates, set my camera up on a tripod, opened the lens, then we lit the sparklers and proceeded to run around like children. This was the result.
Trees
I wanted to get a really deep blue fading from the bottom left sunset. Didn’t quite work out as I’d hoped but I think it kind of has a vintage feel to it.
Bournemouth beach
I love autumn in Bournemouth because I can go down to the beach and watch the sunset. There’s something quite relaxing about the bitter cold and the tranquility of a beach without tourists.
The sky
I posted this up on flickr before I went to bed last night. I woke up this morning and someone had commented: “CHEMTRAILS. its time for the slaves to wake up”. I didn’t know what chemtrails were so I wikipediad it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrails. I really didn’t know a conspiracy theory existed about this!
Circles of light
This was taken at the same time as the other sparkler shot. But whilst rewinding my film manually- the top of camera decided to unscrew itself. I thought the film had rewound but alas it was still half way through so when I opened the back in Jessops it let the shops light onto the film. Hence the overexposed right hand side. But it kind of works in a strange way.
Pier
Keith and I headed on down to Bournemouth pier on a gloomy Saturday afternoon. It was fun. Keiths blog can be found here
Two days ago…..
… I decided to change my dissertation topic simply because my previous topic just wasn’t engaging enough to write my entire dissertation on. I had enjoyed researching it in my second year for a theory options essay. My idea was to expand on what I had already written for that essay. But it just felt like I had already said what I wanted to say on the topic of identity in participatory forms of media.
I have made the decision to write my dissertation on how the US presidential election was blogged about from a global perspective. I find this topic very interesting and engaging, so I think it will make researching and writing a lot easier for me. The downside is that changing my dissertation topic this late on means I am behind on my research and writing so I’ll have to put some hard work in to catch up. But I feel my new topic is a lot more contemporary and relevant to my previous topic.
So I guess I’d better start reading……..
ME++ The Cyborg Self and the Networked City
by William J. Mitchell
ME++ gives an insight into the complex reliance upon technology that we have within contemporary culture. In retrospect, I should have read the blurb properly before reading this book because it is not explicitly helpful for my dissertation (which I was reading it for). However I still found Mitchell’s writing interesting and captivating enough to continue reading the book despite its relevance.
Predominantly the book is quite descriptive about this dependence upon technology. This is obvious and I highly doubt anyone is oblivious to how much we rely on technology, especially in the digital age. But Mitchell explores this reliance; not by discussing it’s effects on the self (this is what I was hoping it would explore) but more as a general overview about how we have come to rely upon and what we use technology for. As the book progressed I found it quite thought provoking: especially his discussion about the crashing network. He gives an example of a kid from Massachusetts. Whereby he hacked a telephone switch that wiped out the custom settings in the area, which in turn shut down the telephone lines. This not only blocked any calls but also shut down a local airport because it relied upon these telephone lines activate landing lights. I found these discussions were very interesting and engaging. So in conclusion I enjoyed reading Mitchells book despite its relevance to my dissertation.
Josh
Josh is kool with a k.
Here he is today. Having fun in the media labs:
Flower Guitar Power Man
!A few photo’s from my Summer
Some photo’s I took from my Summer:
The last few books I read
The Perks of being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky
Written entirely in first person, letter format, the narrative follows Charlie, a “freshman” at high school, go through various stages of a typical high school life. This may sound common and generic, but the way the story is told is far from it. Charlie’s character is quite shy, innocent, and gifted, with an outlook full of optimism, which results in a very likeable and relatable character.
The book explores various different aspects of the American teenage high school culture that he is apart of. His experiences and thought processes throughout these adventures, couldn’t help but make me smile. The innocence and openness of Charlie, as he watches the world pass him by is both charming and refreshing. Chbosky has taken a storyline that, on the surface, may sound quite unappealing, and turned it into a really beautiful piece of literature. I really couldn’t recommend this book enough.
The Catcher in the Rye- J.D.Sallinger
This is one of those books that you have to read at school. I had never had this opportunity so I decided it was about time I got round to reading it. I don’t know if it was my high expectations that kind of spoiled this for me but it just didn’t quite match up to all the great reviews I had read about it. I usually don’t mind if a book has a slow pace, but, personally, only in a few rare instances did I find the main character relatable to, which again, wouldn’t really deter me from enjoying a book but this matched with the slow pace of the narrative offered me barely any engagement with the story. So, for me, it was a fairly mediocre read.
The Fuck-Up- Arthur Nersesian
To start with, who calls their book “The Fuck-Up”, I mean, really, what a strange title. Anyway it caught my eye, so I bought it and it was great.
Set in the city of New York the story follows a (incase you couldn’t have guessed by the title) slacker through many of his life’s adventures. The storyline was so engaging that I really couldn’t put this book down, so I didn’t until the end. I really really enjoyed the way the protagonist was written, through his outgoing personality and outlook on life the character really made me laugh. The title doesn’t really do the book justice, but I suppose without such a controversial title it wouldn’t have caught my eye in the first place.
On the Road- Jack Kerouac
Wow, I really enjoyed reading On the Road. It completely exceeded my expectations based on what I had been told about it.
The plot follows Sal Paradise, a traveler, and his friend Dean through their various different trips across North America, set in the 1950’s it is considered one of the most important books of the beat generation. And after reading this I really wish I was alive and living in America through this era. Kerouac really makes traveling so appealing and this really is an inspiring book.
JPod- Douglas Coupland
JPod is a story about Ethan, a games designer working in a sector of a company called JPod. The narrative explores his eccentric life, delving into the depths of his crazy existence. The narrative is full of humorous characters and adventures, whether it be with Ethan’s drug dealing mother, or his geeky co-workers. This novel is very cleverly written and both very very funny and enjoyable.
