Republic of the Philippines

Laguna State Polytechnic University

ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

LSPU Self-Paced Learning Module (SLM)

Course GEC 103 – The Contemporary World
Sem/AY First Semester/2023-2024
Module No. 2.1
Lesson Title GOVERNANCE AND GLOBALIZATION
Week
1
Duration
Date September 25 – 29, 2023
Description
This lesson will discuss different international organizations and identify the five United
of the
Nations active organizations.
Lesson

Learning Outcomes

Intended Students should be able to meet the following intended learning outcomes:
Learning • Understand the concept of global governance
Outcomes • Determine the challenges of global governance in the 21st century; and
• Describe the roles and functions of United nations (UN)
Targets/ At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
Objectives • Appreciate the importance of international organizations
• Enumerate the five united nation active organizations
• Identify the roles and functions of the UN organizations

Student Learning Strategies

Online Activities 1. Online Discussion via Google Meet

(Synchronous/
This module is taken during the fifth meeting of the course. For further
Asynchronous) instructions, refer to your Google Classroom and see the schedule of activities
in your course guide for the whole semester.

Learning Guide Questions

1. Why is global governance multi-faceted?
2. How do international organizations take on ‘’Lives of their Own’’?
3. What are the challenges faced by the United Nations in maintaining Global
peace?

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited
Thinking Beyond Thinking Activity
5 Minute Questions

The instructor will ask three questions that will be answered in the Google Meet
chat box. The first five students who will get the correct answer will earn points
that will be added to the course discussion points.

This activity is short and quick so that Google Meet time will be used for the
online discussion; in giving directions, answering queries, and clarifying grey
areas of the lecture.

2. Asynchronous Activity

This module is available in the Google Classroom for reading and studying
asynchronously

Note: The insight that you will post on online discussion forum using Learning
Management System (LMS) will receive additional scores in class participation.
LECTURE GUIDE

Global governance is a collective effort to identify, understand, and address global

problems that go beyond the problem-solving capabilities of states (Weiss, 2010)

Global governance is the capacity of the international system to provide

governmental-type services and public goods in the absence of a worldwide
government. This kind of governance has gone from a traditional territorial sovereign
state or nation-state to a more flexible and less shaken structure that justifies
international cooperation, movement and response. In response, several non-state
organizations have emerged, including the UN and the G20 - all with ultimate goals
for global action.
Offline Activities As countries practice globalization, the urge to have global governance or world
governance became important. Globalization is like a link that connects every nation.
(e-Learning/Self-
As the link becomes thicker, the problem becomes more significant than the
Paced) capabilities of individual governments. (Botor et al,2020)

International Organization is usually founded upon a treaty, or a multilateral

agreement, and consists of more than two states.

Listed are the Following Power of International Organization (IO)

• Power of Classification (to Create Global standards)
• Ability to Fix Meaning (IO viewed as a legitimate source of information)
• Power to Diffuse Norms (The ability to spread their ideas to the world)

Example of International Organizations

• United Nations (UN)
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited
• European Union (EU)
• World Trade Organization (WTO)
• Group of Twenty (G20)
• International Criminal Court (ICC)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• UNICEF
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO UN)
• International Labor Organization
• Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
• G7
• Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development

United Nations (UN), a critical example of a non-state actor, an international

government organization (IGO) playing a vital role in the world’s affairs, is the
United Nations (UN). The United Nations is an IGO designed to make the
enforcement of international law, security, human rights, economic development, and
social progress easier for countries worldwide. (United nation, 2020)

‘’In the end, it comes down to values We

want the world our children inherit to be
defined by the values enshrined in the UN
Charter: peace, justice, respect, human
rights, tolerance and solidarity.”

António Guterres
United Nations Secretary-General

United Nations

• It is one of the leading political

organizations in the world where
nations/states meet to deliberate national
and international issues and concerns
• Independent actor in global politics
• Has 193 members nations
• The central mission is to maintain
international peace and security.
• Resolve issues without resorting to violence and war

UN’s Five Active Organizations:

1. General Assembly (GA) – main deliberative policymaking and representative
body; decides on important questions, regarding peace and security, admission of
new members, and budgetary matters. Every decision requires a two-thirds
majority of the General Assembly

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

2. Security Council (SC) – considered as the most powerful body. It consists of 15-
member states elected by GA for a two-year term. This group decides when two
or more countries are waging war or on the verge of war.
Five Permanent Members of UN Security council

• United States of America

• Great Britain
• Russia
• China
• France

3. Economic and social council (ECOSOC) – the principal body for coordination,
policy review, policy dialogue, and social and environmental issues
recommendations. The implementation of internationally agreed development
goals has 54 members elected for a three-year term. This is the platform for
discussions on sustainable development

4. International court of justice – the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
Can settle, according to international law, legal disputes between states and give
opinions, primarily advisory, on legal questions brought to it by UN organs and
agencies.

5. The Secretariat – consists of the Secretary-General and tens of thousands of

international UN staff members; it is the agency of the UN serving as a kind of
international civil service. Headed by the Secretary-General, provides studies,
information, and other dates when needed by other UN branches for their meetings.

Course Discussion
1. How has the United Nations changed the world?
2. Do the big nations have too much power in the United Nations?
3. Does our country respect the United Nations and follow all of its decisions
and resolutions?

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

Performance Task
GLOBAL CRISIS
1. Gather news articles from the Internet talking global crises.
2. Examine how these global crises had been addressed by the UN, G20+, or other international
bodies.
3. In a word format, explain how the Philippines participated in addressing this global predicament.
(Minimum of 100 words and maximum of 150 words)
4. Performance task should be submitted in Google Classroom
5. Date of submission is at the instructor’s discretion.

Understanding Directed Assess

Rubric to be used in grading the activity:

Criteria Exemplary Proficient Partially Proficient Incomplete Rating

4 3 2 1 20/20
Three or more main
Well, developed main points Less than three
points are related to
directly related to the topic. main point, and/ or
the topic, but one Three or more main
Supporting examples are poor development
may lack details. point are present. The
concrete and detailed. The of ideas. The
Main point The narrative shows narrative shows the
narrative is developed with a narrative is
events from the events but may lack
consistent and effective underdeveloped and
author's point of details
point-overview, showing the tells rather than
view using some
story in detail. shows, the story.
details.

The conclusion is strong and The conclusion is The conclusion is

There is no clear
leaves the reader with a recognizable and recognizable, but does
Conclusion conclusion, the
feeling that they understand ties up almost all not tie up several loose
paper just ends
what the writer is ''Getting at'' the loose end end

Three or four Numerous errors in

No grammatical, spelling or More than four
grammatical mechanics,
punctuation errors are present grammatical, spelling,
Mechanics spelling, or usage,
in announcement and event or punctuation errors
punctuation errors grammar,
planning. are present.
are present. or spelling.
Contains no
Cites most data Cites some data
Cites all data obtained from scholarly academic
obtained from other obtained from other
other sources. APA format is resources, only
Citations sources. APA sources. Citation style is
used accurately and internet webpages
citation style is either inconsistent or
consistent. or no reference
accurate incorrect.
page.
Performance Task is
Performance Task is
Punctuality submitted on or before due
Late
date.
Total Points

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

Learning Resources
Aldama, Prince Kennex (2018). The Contemporary World. Manila Philippines: REX Book
Store:
Botor, Peralta, Ferrer, Amparo, Laude (2020). A course module for The Contemporary World.
Rex Bookstore: Manila, City Philippines
Brazalote, Tumoroh, Leonardo, Ryan (2019). The Contemporary World. Quezon City
Philippines. Outcome-based module. C&E Publishing Inc.
Claudion, Lisandro, Abinales, Patricio (2018). The Contemporary World. Quezon, City
Philippines; C&E Publishing Inc.
United Nation (2021) Retrieve from: https://www.un.org/en/about-us
Weiss (2013). The rise of non-state actors in global governance: Opportunities and limitation.
One Earth Future Foundation

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

LSPU Self-paced Learning Module (SLM)

Course GEC 103 - The Contemporary World
Sem/AY First Semester/2023-2024
Module No. 2.2
Lesson Title GLOBAL DIVIDES: GLOBAL NORTH AND GLOBAL SOUTH
Week
1
Duration
Date October 2 – 6, 2023
Description Global North and Global South are not geographic locations but the socio-economic and
of the political divisions of countries around the world. This chapter elaborates on the vast disparity
Lesson between the global North and the global South.

Learning Outcomes

Intended Students should be able to meet the following intended learning outcomes:
Learning • Describe the emergence of global economic, political, social, and cultural systems.
Outcomes • Understand the issues confronting the nation-state
Targets/ At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
Objectives • Explain the two major global divisions;
• Identify the category of states or nations in international divisions;
• Compare and analyze the components of the global North and the global South; and
• Identify the key factors of developing nations

Student Learning Strategies

Online Activities 1. Online Discussion via Google Meet

(Synchronous/
This module is taken during the sixth meeting of the course. For further
Asynchronous) instructions, refer to your Google Classroom and see the schedule of activities
in your course guide for the whole semester.

Learning Guide Questions:

• What is the difference between the Global North and the Global South?
• How global divisions affect the flow of globalization?
• How do you define the criteria of being core nations, semi-peripheral, and
peripheral?

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

Warm-Up Activity
5 Minute Trivial Questions

The instructor will ask three questions that will be answered in the Google Meet
chat box. The first five students who will get the correct answer will earn points
that will be added to the course discussion points.

This activity is short and quick so that Google Meet time will be used for the
online discussion; in giving directions, answering queries, and clarifying grey
areas of the lecture.

3. Asynchronous Activity

This module is available in the Google Classroom for reading and studying
asynchronously

Note: The insight that you will post on the online discussion forum using the Learning
Management System (LMS) will receive additional scores in-class participation.

LECTURE GUIDE

The Brandt Line was created in the 1980s to highlight how the world was
geographically divided between relatively wealthy and poorer nations. According
to this model:
• Richer countries are almost all located in the Northern hemisphere, with the
exception of Australia and New Zealand.
• The majority of poorer countries are found in tropical areas and in the
Southern Hemisphere. However, as time passed, it became clear that this
viewpoint was overly simplistic. Argentina, Malaysia, and Botswana all have
GDP per capita that is higher than the world average, but they are nevertheless
Offline Activities classified as being in the ‘Global South.' Countries like Ukraine, on the other
hand, appear to be among the poorer countries when measured in the same
(e-Learning/Self-
way.
Paced)

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited
Source: Jovan (2015) ‘’ The Brandt line and the division of the World on poor south and rich north.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/The_Brandt_Line.png

Despite enormous development accomplishments that have lifted millions

of people out of poverty around the world, there is evidence that the gap between
the world's wealthiest and poorest countries is expanding.

Many poorer countries have seen tremendous economic and social

improvement, making the world far more complex than the Brandt Line represents.
However, within-country inequality has been rising.

The availability of natural resources; different levels of health and

education; the nature of a country's economy and industrial sectors; international
trading policies and access to markets; how countries are governed and
international relationships between countries; conflict within and between
countries; and a country's vulnerability to terrorism are all factors that contribute to
inequalities. Prompting some pundits to coin the terms "Global North" and "Global
South," referring to richer and poorer populations found both within and between
countries.

Development is a multifaceted and multilayered topic; classification of a

particular country, whether it belongs to the Global North or Global South, has to
be based on factual data. The Human Development Index (HDI) was created to
analyze the socio-economic status of each country systematically and
comprehensively. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in an
annual series of Human Development Reports, highlights the enhancement of the
Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI measures critical dimensions of
human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and having a
decent standard of living. (Coronacion et al. 2018, Odeh 2010).

Characteristics of the North Characteristics of the South

1/4 of the world's people 3/4 of the world's people
4/5 of world's income 1/5 of world's income
Average life expectancy more than 70 Average life expectancy of 50 years
years
Most people have enough to eat 1/5 or more suffer from hunger and
malnutrition
Most people are educated 1/2 of the people have little chance of
any education
Over 90% of the world's less than 10% of the world's
manufacturing industry manufacturing industry
About 96% of the world's spending on 4% of the world's research and
research and development development
Characteristics of the Brandt Line

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

Source: https://intranet.kes.hants.sch.uk/resource.aspx?id=145038

As demonstrates in the table, Brandt suggested that countries north of the

division were more developed as they had been able to interact successfully with
others, benefitting from higher levels of trade and thus boosting the quality of life
for their population.

However, global economic welfare has changed greatly over the last 30
years; urging today’s leaders to question the relevance of Brandt’s North-South
division.

According to Odeh (2010), “There are four broad indicators that distinguish
global north economies from global south economies, they are namely: politics,
technology, wealth and demography.” The global North are the developed societies of
Western Europe, North America, South Africa, and other countries. These countries
are described to have established democracy, wealth, technological advancement,
political stability, aging citizens, zero growth in population, and dominance of
world trade and politics. The global South refers to principally agrarian economies.
Africa, India, China, Latin America, and others that are not as financially stable and
politically steady as their global North counterpart and will, in general, be described
by disturbance, war, struggle, poverty, insurgency, and oppression. Scholars used
the words “metropole” and “center” to describe wealthy societies while “satellite”
and “periphery” are used to describe poor communities. To put it plainly, the global
North is synonymous with developed economies, while the global South is
equivalent to the term underdeveloped economies. (Odeh, 2010)

Below is a comparative chart that indicates various aspects of human development

between Global South and Global North

Developing
Developed
Characteristic Global
Global North
South
Number of countries 179 69
Population 9.6 billion 1.2 billion
Land Area (thousands of sq. km) 98, 797 35, 299
GNI ($ billions) $ 15, 649 $42, 415
Gross national income for each $2, 780 $ 42, 415
person
Imports ($ billions) $ 5, 503 $13, 710
Exports ($ billions) $ 5, 938 $ 13, 710
Women holding seats in parliament 18 % 22%
(%)

Life expectancy at birth 67 80

Infant mortality rate per 1, 000 births 50 6
Access to improved sanitation 55% 100%

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited
(% o population)
Paved roads (%) 24% 87%
Personal computers for each 100 5 68
people
Internet Users for each 100 People 15 69
Population covered by cellular 76% 99%
networks (%)
Daily newspapers for each 1,000 59 261
people
Electric power consumption for 1,478 9,753
each person (kwh)
Source: https://www.slideshare.net/kmrizon/the-global-north-vs-the-global-south

Rizon (2014), in her presentation, described the Global South as a zone of

turmoil. Global South countries are mostly afflicted with poverty, war, and
tyranny. Internal and external factors hinder the progress of the Global South.
Geographical location and landlocked areas that affect transportation and
infrastructure, lack of modern technology, and flawed management systems are
some of the identified “internal factors.”

Furthermore, Rizon (2014) enumerated the “external factors” that hinders

development. The capitalism of the core nations (developed countries) opens the
way to cultural penetration. The capitalists lead the impoverished country to export
their goods (low-cost raw materials) and import the high-cost finished products. As
the periphery (least developed countries) embrace the colonial culture, dualism
occurs. Dualism happens when a nation acquires two social systems, an
underdeveloped rural sector and an advanced urban sector that do not interact to
resolve national issues.

Defining Developing Nations

There are several ways to separate the planet for economic segmentation
objectives. The concept of classifying countries as First, Second, Third, or Fourth
World was developed during and after the Cold War, which lasted roughly from
1945 to the 1990s.

Economic status and significant economic variables such as gross domestic

product (GDP), GDP growth, GDP per capita, employment growth, and
unemployment rate characterize countries in general. Low production rates and
labour market difficulties are frequently associated with low levels of education,
inadequate infrastructure, poor sanitation, restricted access to health care, and lower
living costs in developing countries.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank attempt to give
global aid for projects that serve to build infrastructure and economic systems in
general, keep a careful eye on developing countries. These countries are classified

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited
as lower-middle or low-income countries by both organizations. Many investors
aim to uncover potentially significant returns through probable growth prospects in
developing countries, while the risks are also substantially higher. Developing
countries are often thought to be performing poorly economically. Technological
and innovative discoveries can result in significant advances in a short period. (San
Juan, 2018)

Course Discussion
1. Do you agree with the categorical titles of Global North and Global South?
Explain
2. Give specific examples of impediments that hinder the development of a
country.
3. How can you contribute to the development of your own country?

Performance Task
Directions: You are going to create a photomontage about our topic on Global Divides: North and South.
A photomontage is a combination of pictures that makes a composite photo. A photo montage can be
created manually through cutting and pasting of the old magazines, newspapers, printouts came from the
internet can also use. Cut the pictures and paste it on the A4 size bond paper. For students who will submit
their activity through online, you can do it in MS Office or do it manually and photograph your work.

Your photomontage should have the following:

✓ Visual representation of disparity between Global North and Global South
✓ Your photomontage should have its title inside a textbox at the bottom center of the page
✓ Your full name, date, and section indicated on the lower right corner of the montage

Note: Online submission will be on Google Classroom.

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

Understanding Directed Assessment

Rubric for the photomontage Total Score: /20

Extraordinary Above Average Average Below Average Poor

5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
The work carefully The work carefully
The work The work shows The work shows
Understanding planned; planned;
adequately planned; little evidence of no
The instructions and understanding of all understanding of
understanding of understanding the understanding of
concepts are clearly concepts and most concepts and
some concepts and concepts and the concepts and
understood instructions is clearly instructions are
instructions shown instructions instructions
shown shown
The work shows The work shows
Craftsmanship/ The work shows The work shows The work shows
outstanding poor
Skill good craftsmanship, average below- average
craftsmanship, with craftsmanship
Neatness, precision, with some attention craftsmanship craftsmanship and
explicit attention to and no attention
care to details attention to details attention to details
details to details
The work shows
Creativity/ The work shows The work shows The work shows an The work shows
lacks of
Originality unique expression, some unique average amount of slight expression,
expression,
Expression, ideas and ideas and expression, ideas expression, ideas ideas and
ideas and
creativeness creativeness and creativeness and creativeness creativeness
creativeness
Performance task is
Performance task
Punctuality submitted on or
is late
before due date

Learning Resources
Coronacion, D., Calillung F., and Marcaida, M. (2018). Convergence: A College Textbook in Contemporary
World. ISBN 978-621-409-108-9. Books Atbp. Publishing Corp. Barangka Drive, Mandaluyong
City
iRubric: General Horticulture Project Rubric - ZX3C489 ....
https://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?sp=yes&code=ZX3C489&
Jovan (2015). ‘’ The Brandt line and the division of the World on poor south and rich north.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/The_Brandt_Line.png
Odeh, Lemuel. (2010). A Comparative Analysis of Global North and Global South Economies. Retrieved from
http://www.jsd-
africa.com/Jsda/V12No3_Summer2010_A/PDF/A%20Comparative%20Analysis%20of%20Global
%20North%20and%20Global%20South%20Economies%20(Odeh).pdf
Rizon, K. (2014). The Global North VS, The Global South. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/kmrizon/the-global-north-vs-the-global-south-32554915
San Juan, David Michael (2018). Journeys though our Contemporary World. Vibal Group Inc. Quezon, City
Philippines
Tait, Ollie (2016). The North-South divide. Retrieved from
https://intranet.kes.hants.sch.uk/resource.aspx?id=145038
The Audiopedia (n.d.) North-South Divides Meaning, Definition, Explanation. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WQrY4xMfks
The UN Least Developed Country Category. (2017) Retrieved from https://youtu.be/0hFOIVZD0dM

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

LSPU Self-paced Learning Module (SLM)

Course GEC 103 – The Contemporary World
Sem/AY First Semester/2023-2024
Module No. 2.3
Lesson Title MEDIA AND GLOBALIZATION
Week
2
Duration
Date October 9 – 13, 2023 and October 16 – 20, 2023

Description The evolution of media industry has been a part of globalization process. Discover how
media and culture interact and bring about social change. Analyze the issues involved in
of the
media and globalization.
Lesson

Learning Outcomes

Intended At the end of this lesson, the student should be able to:
Learning • Analyze how various media drive various forms of global integration
Outcomes • Explain the dynamics between local and global cultural media production
• Generate a social media campaign advertisement
Targets/ At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
Objectives • Discuss the role of the mass media in the globalization of culture
• Explain how various media drive various forms of globalization
• Explain the dynamics between local and global cultural media production

Student Learning Strategies

Online Activities Synchronous Online Discussion via Google Meet

(Synchronous/ This module is taken during the seventh meeting of the course. For further
instructions, refer to your Google Classroom and see the schedule of activities
Asynchronous) in your course guide for the whole semester.

Learning Guide Questions:

1. What is the role of media in globalization?
2. How media and globalization create cultural homogeneity?
3. What are the concerns of media and globalization?

Asynchronous Activity
This module is available in the Google Classroom for reading and studying
asynchronously.

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited
Offline Activities LECTURE GUIDE
(e-Learning/Self- Is media the catalyst of social change or is it culture that causes
Paced) advancement in media in order to adapt to the boundless need of the society to
discover the unknown?
“The medium is the message,” this was one of the famous phrases of
Marshal McLuhan, a well- known Canadian philosopher and media theorist. He
believes that media is far more important than the content it carries and that media
shapes the culture. It influence the process on how the brain works and it
physically affects the central nervous system whether it is print, broadcast, or
internet media (Lule, 2012)
McLuhan stated that “media were making the world smaller and bringing
people together.” He also predicted that “media would transform the world into
a global village!” (Lule, 2017)
Jack Lule’s (2012) perspective on the other hand considers the reciprocal
influence of culture over media. Culture is shaped by media and media at any
form shapes culture. He mentioned that “The evolving media technology has
changed relationships socially, economically, and politically.” Why do media
seem to play a vital role in our culture? Is it really media that influence changes
in the culture or the culture itself dictates what media has to present to the society?
We will see how the cohort of media and culture bring about inevitable
social change.
Media and Culture

In the following discussion we will refer to media as communication

devices. Medium (media in plural form) is an instrument or a means of
transmission. Culture in simplest term is the ‘way of life’ of a collective group of
people.
In terms of personal communication, we use our voice or vocal chords to
transform ideas into audible words. Under special circumstances some people use
gesture and or sign language. These days, there are many platforms in expressing
ideas; writing, drawing or illustrating, audio or video recording, blogging (internet
journal), or vlogging (blog that includes video material). When we take these
devices to communicate to a large segment of population then it becomes mass
media which is intended for mass communication.
The media industry had gone a long way in terms of accessibility,
connectivity, and diversity in forms and functions. We will see how media and
culture interacts with each other as the society progresses towards our
contemporary world.
Jack Lule (2017) suggested a five time period of media and globalization;
oral, script, print, electronic and digital. We will be conversing three eras of mass
media; print which was the foundation stage, broadcast which is parallel to Lule’s
electronic stage, and Internet which is also labelled as digital stage.

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited
Print Media: The Foundation Era

During the 15th century, print media became possible when a German
inventor Johannes Guttenberg created the movable type printing press. The
European Renaissance and Protestant Reformation were attributed to Guttenberg’s
invention of print media. These massive cultural movements were started when a
bigger number of people were given an access to read printed media. In 1810,
another German Friedrich Koenig more than doubled the rate of production from
480 pages per hour when he hooked the steam engine to a manual printer. (Lule
2012)
Newspaper had been a significant part of the culture of European settlers
who moved to the “New World,” which eventually became the United States of
America. It was their way of finding out what was happening in Europe, to
connect to their former home. As the people develop their new way of life, the
newspaper reflected their emerging culture. Consequently, newspapers and other
publications helped the Americans in coping with the demands of the Industrial
Revolution (around 1760-1820). It was the era when the Americans have huge
financial capability and more leisure time. The newspaper somehow unified them
with common goal and common values, a sense of national identity. (Lule 2012)
In the 1830s, penny press (similar to tabloid) was a cheaper alternative to
newspaper. It contains more sensational news and scandalous stories that caters
to wide array of readers. Newspapers were patronized by the elite and educated
readers while the penny press was more affordable and available for everyone who
finds entertainment in reading. (Lule 2012)

Broadcast Media: The Expansion Era

In the 1920’s radio and film boomed in popularity. Radio was extensive
and inclusive. It caters to a massive number of audience who can listen to a
broadcast of a live event at the same time. USA President Calvin Coolidge’s pre-
election speech was recorded to have reached 20 million listeners in 1924. Radio
became a great opportunity for advertisers. According to Jack Lule “With a
countless audience the radio has helped forge an American culture with unified
sense of American lifestyle driven by consumer purchases of read-made exact-size
clothing, electric phonographs, vacuum cleaners, etc.” Consumerism was notable
in the 1920s, however, it was considered as a contributory factor to the Great
Depression in the 1930’s. (Lule 2012)
A more enticing form of media was introduced in the 1946 (after the World
War II), and that was the television. With the audio-visual technology that
television provides, it became the most dominant form of mass media. Television
became a part of an “image” for an average American family along with a car and
a house in suburban area. Television programs have fixed airing time which draws
the viewers to anticipate and watch the same show at the same time. As television
reshapes the behavior of the viewing public, critics noticed the possibility of
promoting homogeneity and suggesting a culture of conformity through broadcast
media. Radio and television broadcast significantly changed the lifestyle of the

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited
people from having the flexibility and availability of print media to the fixed,
immediate and temporary entertainment of broadcast media. (Lule 2012)
Consequently, the influence of western culture had spread globally.
American hegemony had been evident in the consumers’ choice of products and
brand all over the world. “Western mentality” or western cultural imperialism was
the term coined by critics like McLuhan who declared television was turning the
world into a “global village” which is the result when people read, listen, and
watch the same thing.
The spread of cable television in the 1980s to 1990’s brought major
changes to the behavior of the viewing public. Several networks and television
channels provided multiple options of shows that cater to the interest of an
individual. Sports enthusiasts could watch sports channel, movie fans could
choose their own genre of film; drama, comedy, action, fantasy, etc. Cable
television offers a wide array of entertainment and information for all ages! Global
village continued to expand and cross-over local and national boundaries through
cable television. Cultural imperialism relentlessly thrives despite people’s
exposure to television with diversified programs.

Internet and Social Media: The Era of Convergence

Mainframe computers were huge when they were first created. Jack Lule
said, “Portable computers were just a dream in the 1960s!” However, that dream
became a reality at the dawn of 21st century when internet became widely popular.
Swiftly citizens became a part of worldwide mass communication through internet
media and they are now called as netizens (internet citizens). While print and
broadcast media maintained features that last through the ages, internet media
similarly offers utilities of print and broadcast media however it is far more
advanced since it has interactive functions. Recently, information can be accessed
through a single electronic device such as computer laptop, computer tablet, or a
handy smart phone! Everyone who has access to internet has the liberty to express
their opinion! The public is no longer mere audiences and viewers but active
participants in online forums and discussions!
Mobile phones are now capable of performing several functions aside from
telecommunication. These single handheld devices can take photos and videos,
function as radio or television, access information, navigation guide through GPS
(Global Positioning System), it can also be used for banking, teleconferencing, etc.
With all its astonishing features, mobile phones were concurrently used as a social
media weapon in spreading fake and unverified news, attacking people (cyber
bullying), and scamming.
Internet technology opened the gate to social media like the extensively
popular Facebook and Instagram applications. The more sophisticated printed
publications are written by trained personalities. Every book, article or any form
of write-up goes through the process of proofreading, editing, and revision.
Broadcasting media goes through similar process and information is tailored with
the limited air time for each program. However, social media is “unmoderated
and uncurated,” as Jack Lule described. This is why it tends to get flooded by
views and opinions of users with diverse background that ranges from intellectual

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited
and highly trained professionals, amateur broadcast wannabes, to those who would
just join the loudest and most popular band wagon.
Devon McNiven in her YouTube presentation enumerated the characteristics of
globalization through media industry, they are as follows:

1. Growing level of connectedness between individual, societies, nations and

states on global level.
2. Reduction of time and space between and across borders.
3. Development of information and communication technology.
4. Rapid transfer of information and knowledge capital.

McNiven (2016) also clearly stated the concerns of media globalization we

summarized those concerns into three main concepts:

Consumerism
Globalization of media first and foremost upholds a capitalistic ideology
and promotes consumerism to the public. This consumerism like many
other sources is driven by the exploitation of the third world.
Cultural Imperialism
Western countries are the multimedia elites restructured into multimedia
conglomerates. There is an inextricable linkage between media industry
and ideology of consumerism.
Lack of Equity
Developing countries are being left behind because of the uneven flow of
information within the global system with different levels of access.

Conclusion

The world had gone a long way in terms of media globalization. Local and
international migration, colonization, revolution, evangelism, culinary fusion,
language, education, fashion, business integration, and inter-cultural marriage are
products of partnership between media and globalization. Culture had been a
dynamic part of human society that organically shifts its shape according to the
mold of richer and more powerful countries. Exploitation of vulnerable third
world countries appears to be inevitable under the tempting advertisements of
capitalists.

Course Discussion:
1. In McLuhan’s perspective, medium is somewhat more important than the
content as he said that “The medium is the message.” What do you think are
the factors that lead him to reason that way?
2. With the various media landscapes that we have these days, which form is the
most reliable and beneficial? Why?
3. What are the conditions in our country that may contribute to further
globalization of media?
4. What are the steps that you will take to use social media responsibly?

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

Performance Task
As a media advocate, you will create a campaign advertisement with an intention to solve one of the
problems of media and globalization and write a narrative report about the whole experience.
1. Your instructor will assign one of the three issues of media and globalization
a. Consumerism
b. Cultural imperialism
c. Lack of equity (imbalance)
2. Use visual aids with “catchy phrases,” and creative illustrations that will hook your audience.
3. Post your campaign advertisement in a social media platform (YouTube, Tik-Tok, FaceBook, or
Instagram) and ask for comments and reactions from your network of friends. Don’t forget to include
a disclaimer that your post is an activity for your GEC 103 course.
4. Take note of all the comments and reactions that you will get within three days.
5. Write a narrative report (minimum of 200 words and maximum of 300 words) about the activity. How
was the experience? What have you realized? Do people care about your concerns?
6. Upload your narrative report with a link to your social media post in the Google Classroom under this
assignment.

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally Accredited

Understanding Directed Assessment

Rubric Score_______/20
Criteria/ Points 6 4 2 1
The instruction There were few
was carefully mistakes in There were several
followed and the following the mistakes in Did not follow the
Content and content of the instructions but the following the instructions.
Comprehension campaign add content of the instructions. Most of the
(6) and write-up is campaign add and The campaign add contents are
highly write-up is and write-up is incorrect.
substantial adequately substantial
substantial
The output has The output has
The output has
interesting and very adequately clear
Clarity unclear details.
clear details. details.
(4) Ideas were
Ideas were highly Ideas were
incomprehensible
organized. organized.
The poster is highly
The poster is The poster lacks
expressive and
interesting meaning
Creativity interesting
Words used in the Words used in the
(4) Words used in the
narrative were narrative were
narrative were
good. below expectation
carefully selected.
Time Submitted on or Submitted three
Submitted one day Submitted two days
Completion before the days after the
after the deadline after the deadline
(6) deadline deadline

Learning Resources

Devon McNiven, March 1, 2016 “The Media Industry and Globalization” retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amzcVwKE3Oc May 22, 2020

Jack Lule. (2017). Globalization and Media: Global Village of Babel 3rd Ed. Rowman and
Littlefield

Jack Lule. (2012). Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication.
Boston, MA: FlatWorld

LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: GEC 103 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD