Thanks to globalization, the world is getting smaller and smaller. But, is it getting better?

“We live in an interconnected world, with all of its problems and all of its merits.

[Globalization] is transforming old institutions and, most importantly, forming new ones,” said James Bohman, professor of philosophy. At Saint Louis University, Bohman was one of three speakers at the “Globalization and Culture” round-table discussion that was one of several special events for Atlas Week.

He was joined by Ching-Chih Chen, professor of historical studies, and Elizabeth Fonsecca, associate professor of Spanish, both of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

The event, which was sponsored by the International Studies Program, took place at 3 p.m. in the Argentum Room of the BMC, was attended by approximately 85 people. The diverse speakers presented a broad range of issues about globalization in general and specific changes due to globalization in East Asia and Latin America.

Bohman spoke first about the topic of globalization and contemporary society. He explained that people are undoubtedly being forced to deal with international interconnectedness, citing the spread of Mad Cow Disease, the international intervention in the Asian financial crisis and the rise of transnational associations like Amnesty International and their tremendous impact on international politics.

He went on to explain that while many welcome the advancement of the “global village” with open arms, there are many that see globalization as a “new assault upon local communities” and a phenomenon that is inducing a reaction of increased regionalism. This increased regionalism can be observed with the formation of the European Union and other regional trade agreements.

Both Chen and Fonsecca spoke about their respective regions of expertise, East Asia and Latin America. Chen began his presentation with an economic and political overview of East Asia, explaining that while the countries of East Asia have a lot in common, there is also a great deal of economic and political diversity in the region. He said that Japan is the second largest economy in the world and that the other countries have learned from it and are becoming quite industrialized.

“The living standard of these countries is going up, which is good, but it also has a negative side,” Chen said. “There is a widening gap between the rich and poor. Rich are getting richer; the poor remain poor.” The result is that many Asians seeking better opportunities migrate to the cities and even across borders to Western Europe and the United States, and Asian culture continues to spread.

Fonsecca’s discussion of globalization in Latin America was much different than the first two speakers because it was grounded in a personal perspective. Fonsecca, who was born in Brazil and moved to Mexico and then to the United States, interjected personal anecdotes of assimilation during her overview of Latin American culture and politics.

Fonsecca explained that globalization has had undeniable effects on the relationship between the United States and Latin America, especially between the United States and Mexico. According to Fonsecca, Mexico has received the most U.S. press coverage of the Latin America countries, and the largest growing population in the United States is Hispanic. She said that the ratification of NAFTA was a clear victory for globalization and a strong step in bringing better economic opportunities to Mexico.

But despite the lowering of some barriers that comes from globalization, Fonsecca argues for the preservation of cultural identity. She concluded, “It is important that we each retain an important part of our own culture as we move on to this bigger global culture.”