Reflection: Week One

Through further examination of the issues of globalization and nationalism in our class on Thursday, I came to fully appreciate the unique power of Franklin Foer’s How Soccer Explains the World. When I first began the book, I was surprised that a book subtitled “an unlikely theory of globalization” did not clearly state an opinion on the matter. However, after the class discussion, it became apparent that the vagueness of the thesis purposefully provoked debate about the pros and cons of globalization. The author uses a simple sport, soccer, as a metaphor to explain the much more complicated idea of globalization. Through his book, Foer allows readers to assess the everyday effects of globalization and nationalism in a way they can easily understand.

This week, I had discussions in various classes that allowed me to further study this topic of globalization, specifically the cross-sections of different cultures. In Cross-Cultural Communication with Professor Chin, my class examined the miscommunications that can occur when individuals in different cultures are forced to interact. I was introduced to the idea of “cultural schema,” in other words the cultural glasses with which we view the world. In listening to these outside discussions, I remembered the stories of players like Edward in Foer’s book who adapted to life in Ukraine by modifying his “cultural schema.” Through this, it became clear that international sporting events can be the perfect platform to experience the grand “clash of civilizations,” as described by Samuel Huntington. In an increasingly globalized society, it takes Foer and other bright minds to remind us of the glasses that limit our perception of political and social interaction in the world around us. Thank god someone thinks to remind us that we were wearing glasses after all.