GLOBALIZATION.

We are the Staple Bullets.

Globalization between the East and the West has brought about the exchanging of culture between the 2 sides. This has, in a way, affected the style of art forms found in both sides.

Western paintings in the past were more concentrated on Man, for example portraits and sculptures were preferred in the West, whereas Eastern paintings tend to focus more on Nature, like paintings of mountains and birds. However after globalization and the exchange of culture, art in both sides are transformed to be more rounded (does not concentrate too much on one single element in the art product).

For example, this sculpture which can be found in front of the brick wall (Crick and Watson block) shows a fusion of the culture of both the East and West. The idea of using a sculpture twined with metal wires was derived from the West. The mythical component of this sculpture (angels) originates from the East (Nature). In this sculpture, the artist has managed to blend in both cultures (Man coexisting with Nature) and form one statuette.

stapled.

Globalization is the shrinking of the world, that is, the world being brought closer. To be more precise, globalization refers to increasing global connectivity through technological advance, integration and interdependence among countries in economic, social, technological, political, cultural, environmental aspects and so on.

The picture above shows the sky and trees which form part of our environment. Environment is undeniable one of the factors that lead to globalization. A good example is the current controversial global issue, that is, the rising level of greenhouse gases in the world’s atmosphere. The rising level of greenhouse gases is brought about by developed and major developing countries all over the world such as USA, China and India. The huge amount of these greenhouse gases resulted in global warming and the dire consequences of global warming are already visible world wide. To solve this global issue, an international agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, was established in 1997 and executed to limit the production of chloroflurocarbons and usage of fossil fuels, so that global warming can be slowed down. United Nations Environment Programme is another international organization that is concerned with the protection of the environment and serves to monitor the state of the world’s environment and to encourage and promote world-wide activities which protect the environment. From here, it can be seen that environmental phenomenon can bring countries closer together and to cooperate and work towards a common goal.

As mentioned earlier, globalization is brought about by ecological and environmental interdependence which connects countries in the world together. An example is the spread of pollution from one place to another such as slash and burn in Indonesia. Fires are lit at the start of each dry season to help clear large areas of forest for new farming areas. As air pollution knows no boundary, Indonesia’s neighboring countries suffered as a result and Singapore is often one of the victims. This allows Singapore and other countries to be aware of the environmental happenings in Indonesia. Besides pollution, disease can also spread from one country to another as in the case of bird flu. Pests can also spread from place to place; hence most of the countries have implemented legislative and legislation method to restrict to control importation. The common and similar approach used by countries all over the world to restrict importation of exotic goods and products is a sign of globalization. The above examples, be it the spread of pollution, diseases or pests, once again, show means of globalization which allows people to gain insights to the environmental and health issues of the world around us.

Yu Yang

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Increasing global connectivity can be through many aspects. Sports are no exception. One significant feature of the school is our very own rock-climbing wall. How does rock-climbing affect globalization?

An introduction to rock climbing, broadly speaking, it is the act of ascending steep rock formations. Strength, endurance, and mental control are required. Although rock climbing is an outdoor activity, many cities are home to indoor rock climbing gyms which can be formatted to match the physical level needed for outdoor climbing, like TJC’s rock wall. They can also be found in other countries. Rock climbing is a sport which is common all around the globe.

As there are many famous western climbers like Peter Athans who conquered Mt. Everest seven times and rock climbing as a popular sport in western countries, it is to my surprise that the idea of rock-climbing came from the Chinese back in 400BC. By the nineteenth century, rock climbing had became an important component of the Victorian. After that, it spreaded rapidly to many places as well. This is a form of globalization.

As rock climbing is an international sport, climbers often travel around, conquering peaks of many different countries. In this process, climbers, with different cultures and background, interacts and make new friends. It is a form of communication between countries.

TJ’s climbing team has also traveled to places including Malaysia for climbing expeditions.

A sport encourages globalization and this can be proven by its history and the extent of its spread today.

Xinci

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Globalization refers to increasing global connectivity, integration and interdependence in the economic, social, technological, cultural, political, and ecological spheres. I will be focusing on the technological aspect of globalisation.

In society, technology is a consequence of science and engineering. Technology can refer to material objects of use to humanity, such as machines and hardware, but can also encompass broader themes, including techniques, methods of organization, and schemes. It also includes the development of technologies and the shrinking of the world.

The picture shows a row of cars, with different brands and colours. Cars are a significant invention in history as it marks the high level of technology man has achieved. In the past, man got around on foot on or animals. Now, the invention of the wheel has helped humans in travelling and in controlling their environment. Cars, aeroplanes and many other advanced transportation vehicles are used to get around. It enables interaction and communication in any direction, anywhere, at any time or place. With much technology such as the car, state borders and boundaries such as road blocks and such are rendered meaningless as man can use technology to defy human boundaries. The car shown above has a Korean brand, Hyundai. This shows that there is continuous connection between different countries in the world as people are able to communicate with one another and trade with each other. For example, one can just drive to Malaysia to visit or go on a holiday. This shows a means of communication, they transport goods and enable one end of the world to communicate with the other, this supports and encourages globalisation.

Isabelle :D

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Globalization, referring to the increasing global connectivity, has been taking place since many many years ago. The spread of multiculturalism and cultural diversity have allowed better communication among different countries around the world. Singapore, being an island located at the Earth's equator, has since developed a multi-racial trait. Singapore consists of mainly four different races, namely Chinese (standing the highest percentage of residents in the city), Malay, Indian and Eurasians. We seek to understand the aspects of different ethnicities not only through interaction with friends of other races, but by learning their languages and culture too.

In the picture above, it's a showcase of four genres in modern dance. The genres include (from the left onwards) Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop and Chinese Contemporary. As we can see from the picture, Singaporeans have picked up the techniques and styles of various cultural dances.

Ballet is best known for its unique features and techniques such as the pointe work, turn-out of legs and high extensions. Its style is graceful and flowing, and it consists of precise movements and ethereal qualities. Ballet first originated from Italy in the 1500s, and was later cemented by the French. Incorporating some aspects of Italian ballet, the French ballet eventually gained prominence internationally. Although the Italians began the ballet tradition, the brunt of ballet vocabulary came from the French.

Contemporary Dance is a collection of systems and method developed from Modern and Post-Modern Dance. The development of Contemporary Dance was parallel. The greatest contributors to Contemporary Dance were the Europians, Canadians and Americans. It is a result of globalization, as the techniques of Contemporary Dance are partly influenced by the techniques from Ballet and other forms of Modern Dances.

Hip Hop is a cultural movement developed in urban communities starting in the 1970s, predominantly by African Americans and Latinos. Since first emerging in New York City in the 1970s, Hip Hop has grown to encompass an entire lifestyle that consistently incorporates diverse elements of ethnicity, technology, art and urban life. The Hip Hop Dance is divided into two sub-categories namely the Old-School and New-School styles. Old-School Hip Hop Dances are styles that evolved in the 1970s and 1980s, such as popping and locking. New-School Hip Hop began in the 1990s, and the specific styles are krumping, harlem shaking, snap dance, clown walk, grinding, and hyphy. Examples of the Hip Hop Dances include the Breakdance and Street Dance.

Lastly, the Chinese Contemporary Dance. It is again, an obvious result from globalization. The Chinese Contemporary Dance is a fusion of Chinese Traditional Folk Dance and the Westernized Contemporary Dance. It emphasizes on flexibilty and body extension, which are styles evolved from Chinese Traditional Dance and Contemporary Dance.

The idea of dance exists throughout history. Traditions of narrative dance evolved in China, India, Indonesia and Ancient Greece. With globalization, different forms of dances eventually evolved and many prominent countries are great contributors to fusions of dances. A distinct example of Eastern-Western dance form is the Chinese Contemporary Dance. Such significant cultural exchange marks an importance of globalization.

Jennifer :D

Credits to

Michelle, Meng Ai, Andrea and Marlene from the TJC Modern Dance Club for the photo

Wikipedia for precised infos

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April 2007

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