Global communication - inequality or integration?

Abstract

Abstract provided by author:

Today we live in a world that is increasingly globalizing, different parts of the globe are woven together by complex and multilayered linkages that both bring us closer to one another and make us aware of our differences through increased dissemination of information on a global scale. If knowledge is perceived as power, then it is important to be aware of the mechanisms and actors that control the acquisition of it. Otherwise it is impossible to engage in critical analysis of the world and events that take place around us

In order to get a holistic picture of the phenomena included in global communication, I have chosen a multidisciplinary approach to global communication with emphasis on its role as a defining aspect of international relations, particularly those between the North and the South. In a rapidly changing world it is important that we understand and discuss the nature of our interconnectedness, that our engagement into global communication becomes a conscious exercise instead of us being unaware of the underlying trends, motives and the image forming role carried out by means of global communication

Global communication is an ubiquitous phenomenon, it would be difficult to escape from all forms of contact that result in an exchange of information on an international level, and next to impossible would be not to use or pass on any information gathered by means of global communication. Because of the inherently shared nature of communication it is important for us all to examine different aspects of global communication: How it evolved?, What is the underlying structure of the system?, Who are the most prominent actors in global communication? All these help us to understand how global communication moulds and shapes our views and our thinking, how we perceive others and ourselves in the world; and to what extent these views are manipulated to serve alternative interests

In a world that is rapidly turning into a highly sophisticated information society, I see global communication as a field of study that is emerging as one of dominant elements in international relations as we approach the beginning of the new millennium