Globalization, as an imperfect but veritable buzzword, has been used both popularly and academically to describe how the world has become increasingly interconnected in multiple ways. As the Canadian media scholar Marshall McLuhan’s famous coined phrase—the “Global Village”— suggests, the advancement of media technology revolutionizes the ways human beings connect and communicate with one another. By the word “globalizing” (in the title), the course construes trends of globalization both as on-going and deepening processes, and as an ensemble of powerful cultural, economic and social forces productively shaping our lived experiences. With the booming circulation of media/cultural products worldwide and the surging mobility of populations across boundaries, new questions arise: to what extent is the globalization of media production and consumption molded in the Western, especially American, culture? How do non-Western audience consume, interpret and appropriate American media products? How do transnational migrants/diaspora negotiate their identities in relation to media representations? What role do new media and digital technology play in the deepening of the globalizing processes? Through a critical/cultural examination of the relevant literature and cases, the course helps students better understand topics and issues related to media and identities in the globalizing era.

The first half of the course will concentrate on the globalization/localization of media production, the transnational media flows and cultural consumption. The interlocking economic, cultural and political factors that drive these processes are unpacked. The latter half of the course will be devoted to issues about cultural identities, migration and diaspora as well as media representation in multicultural societies.

Throughout the course, the roles of both old and new media will be studied in the transnational and global contexts. The course will help students: 1) To understand the broader context of media operations and cultural consumptions and their underlying motivations; 2) To apply critical/cultural or political economy theories (with an emphasis on media and communication) to the analysis and conceptualization of media markets and audience’s engagement; 3) To recognize the significant role of media in shaping identities and identifications; and to recognize the responsibility of media in a diverse, multicultural and democratic society.