The Ocean of Possibilities: The Internet Revolution of Grassroots Globalization.

Hakutermit: Internet, globalization, grassroots, identity, civil society This research examines how the internet can be used to promote the system and process of grassroots globalization. This promotion is needed because the current process of corporate globalization has driven both democracy and civil society into crisis. Furthermore, in the era of the information revolution the conflict between McLuhan’s visual and acoustic spaces is intensifying. The internet is a tool to bridge the gap between visual and acoustic space and the hemispheres of thought. This bridge can then facilitate the progress of grassroots globalization, which in turn will enhance the formation of global civil society through the creation of social capital. Finally, this process can consolidate global democracy and lead towards a real global village. First, the theoretical underpinnings of this thesis extend the ideas of Joshua Karliner and Marshall McLuhan. First, Karliner’s notion of grassroots globalization is developed in combination with other major thinkers of this area. Special emphasis is given to the transformation of identities. Second, this research uses McLuhan’s understanding of electronic visual and acoustic spaces to explain the possibilities of the internet to create peaceful cooperation instead of conflicts. Finally, this thesis builds on McLuhan’s idea of the tetrad by creating a tetrad structure explanation of the internet. The empirical part of this thesis is divided into two: in the first part, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted among the young members of the German ethnic minority in Poland. Through these interviews, this research addresses the individual aspect of the connection between internet and grassroots globalization. In the second part, Brazilian grassroots organizations’ (GROs) activities in the internet are analyzed through a “surfer’s” analysis. This addresses the organizational level of the connection between grassroots globalization and the internet. This research argues that the internet offers an “ocean” full of possibilities for grassroots globalization, at both the individual and the organizational level. Especially, the communicational aspect of the internet creates webs of interconnection between global people and global groups of people, which can increase the mutual understanding and peaceful cooperation towards global civil society. The internet promotes grassroots globalization by facilitating the fragmentation of national identities, by offering the means to receive and distribute information and communicate, and by being an example of truly a global phenomenon at the grassroots level. Finally, this research emphasizes that the internet offers practical possibilities for enhancing grassroots globalization. Three suggestions are made: First, create a global web of grassroots internet portals. Second, form organizational grassroots alliances. Third, promote the communicative aspect of the internet. Fulfilling these three practical internet suggestions would further enhance grassroots globalization.Acknowledgments…………………………………. 8 Theoretical Framework 1. Introduction ­ The World Was Born in Porto Alegre….. 11 2. The New Media and the Crisis of Democracy………………….. 17 3. Explaining Globalization……………………….. 20 3.1 Traditional Definition of Globalization……….. 21 3.2 Redefining the Traditional Definition of Globalization… 22 3.3 Two Directions of Globalization……… 24 3.4 Defining Grassroots Globalization…… 28 3.5 Cultural Globalization as Creolization……… 30 4. Global Civil Society…………….. 32 5. Globalization, Nationalism, and Identity……….. 34 6. Explaining the Internet…….. 38 6.1 Visual and Acoustic Space of Electronic Networks…. 417. The Internet and Globalization……………. 47 7.1 The Challenge of the Digital Divide………….. 48 8. The Era of International Conflicts, Electronic Acoustic Space, Global Civil Society and the Future of Democracy….. 50 Empirical Research 9. The Research ­ Introduction……………. 52 9.1 Methodology of the Research……. 53 9.2 European Ethnic Minority and Brazilian Grassroots Movements as Examples of Grassroots Globalization via the Internet….. 59 10. The German Minority in Poland…………... 62 10.1 Interviews of the German Minority in Poland…… 63 10.11 Background of Interviewees…………. 65 10.12 The Meaning of the Internet…….. 66 10.13 Identity……………………….. 70 10.14 The World……………………. 79 10.15 The Internet and Globalization……. 91 10.2 Conclusion ­ Visiting Onet.pl………….. 94 11. Group Perspective ­ Brazilian Grassroots Organizations (GROs) in the Internet………………………….. 96 11.1 The Conservative News Media…….…… 97 11.2 The Possibilities of the Internet……… 99 11.3 Globalized GROs Need Globalized Media…….. 100 11.4 Brazilian Grassroots Organizations in the Internet... 100 11.5 Conclusion ­ Brazilian GROs Usage of the Internet… 104 Concluding Thoughts and Ideas 12. Can the Internet Promote Global Civil Society and Global Democracy?…… 106 13. Towards Society without Borders ­ the Clash of Identities……. 108 14. The Internet’s Quest for Grassroots Globalization and Promotion of Democracy……………... 110 14.1 New Theoretical Understandings…….. 111 14.2 Practical Internet Suggestions to Facilitate Grassroots Globalization….. 114 15. Conclusion ­ Global Village in a Topsy-Turvy World…117 Appendices A. Research Instrument: Questionnaire………. 123 B. The List of Internet-sites Mentioned by the Interviewees, Most Commonly Used Services………... 124 C. Definitions of Some Key Terminology of This Thesis…………. 125 References References………………... 127 References to Internet Sites………………… 13