Mixed Coding or Mixed Message?

An advocacy website called, Catapult, recently launched a campaign aimed at raising awareness towards human rights violations that women face internationally.  The campaign features fashion magazine covers that depict various forms of human trafficking of women.  Cover lines include “728+ Pages of Hot Street Looks” and “Hide Those Bruises with 35 Easy Makeup Tricks” for “Thirteen Magazine” surrounding an image of a young African-American girl.  Another for “Child Bride” magazine, shows an image of a middle-eastern girl with cover lines such as "Dazzling Bridal Gowns Now for Ages 7-12” and “Exercise Secrets: You CAN get in shape for giving birth at 14!” (McGlensey, 2014).

Baraldi (2006) talks about mixed coding and how the juxtaposition of conflicting cultural icons creates powerful messages.  The clash of pop culture fluff (many times aimed, ostensibly at empowering women) and the harsh realities of women’s rights violations creates a jarring message.  However, one might also view this through the lens of ethnocentrism which, according to Baraldi (2006), is the process through which one evaluates the behavior of others through their own set of values.

The aim of the campaign – to raise awareness of the human rights violations of women and girls - cannot be argued with.  But when creating a sense of self and difference in the context of globalization things can get complicated (Shome & Hegde, 2002).  Shome & Hegde further point out that in transnational circuits of capital, “civilized” nations rely upon developing world workers for cheap labor.

The fashion industry has been criticized for its use of cheap labor both internationally and locally.  And while the fashion industry is not involved in this campaign, the use of fashion magazines (even if it is a critique of pop culture fluff in the face of global horror) creates an ethical dilemma.  Also are the images of an African-American prostitute and a middle-eastern child bride representative of the demographics of each problem or a stereotyped perception of “other” from the perspective of civilization.  Polygamy exists in the United States today, and there are certainly questions of consent that surround it.

The aim of the campaign is commendable, and more attention does need to focus on women’s rights violations globally.  But the campaign also raises uncomfortable questions about cultural perspectives and in terms of such horrific atrocities, the creation of a sense of other so that the horrors feel farther away than they really are.

References

McGlensey, M. (2014, March). Reimagined women’s magazines swap cover girls for slaves. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/07/international-womens-day-magazines_n_4921241.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Baraldi, C. (2006). New forms of intercultural communication in a globalized world.  The International Communication Gazette, 68 (1), 53-69.

Shome, R. & Gegde, R. (2002). Culture, communication, and the challenge of globalization.  Critical Studies in Media Communication, 19, 172-189.

Prehistory goes viral

A recent article in livescience described how scientists have unearthed from permafrost in Siberia a gigantic, unknown virus from roughly 30,000 years ago.  The article suggests that through global climate change, as ice sheets melt, previously frozen viruses from tens of thousands of years ago can be resurrected and possibly infect humans who may not have immunities to these pathogens anymore.  While the chances of such a virus infecting humans and causing a significant health crisis are remote, one scientist states that “There is now a non-zero probability that the pathogenic microbes that bothered [ancient human populations] could be revived, and most likely infect us as well” (Ghose, 2014)

Guillen (2001) says that globalization “entails a ‘compression’ of space and time.  In this instance, space is the ability for the virus to travel around the globe quickly through the use of modern transportation.  Time is compressed through the release of pathogens from thousands of years ago.  In both these cases, human technology has contributed to the potential effects on the world at large.

Giddens (2000) describes two kinds of risk: external and manufactured.  External risks are those events that happen that are beyond human control.  Manufactured risks are ones that are a result of human innovation and intervention.  This resurrected virus is a combination of both risks.  As a product of nature and evolution, viruses are an external risk.  However, their transmission is accelerated through the presence of modern technology both in this case is being resurrected through global climate change.

Global risk, particularly in reference to climate change, is future facing.  Scientists, politicians, environmentalists and more all assess risk in terms of how our present and near future will affect our long-term future.  It may come as a surprise to many that one of the great risks might be in our past.

References

Ghose, T. (2014, March). Giant Virus Resurrected from Permafrost After 30,000 Years.  http://www.livescience.com/43800-giant-virus-found-permafrost.html.

Giddens, A. (2000). Runaway World: How globalization is reshaping our lives. New York: Routledge. (selected chapters).

Guillen, M.F. (2001). Is globalization civilizing, destructive or feeble? A critique of five key debates in the social science literature.  Annual Review of Sociology, 27, 235-60.

Medicine Mandates

According to an online article in The Almagest, the FDA is issuing penalties to Indian drug manufacturers for adulterated and fake medicines.  The penalties have ranged in severity from large fines to outright bans.  Because 40% of U.S. consumer drugs are supplied by India, these penalties can have a major impact on the American marketplace.  Conversely, pharmaceutical manufacturing is a key sector in the Indian economy and any disruption can have major implications for the Indian workforce, as well (Francescangeli, 2014).

As discussed in class, the collapse of cultural, economic and political barrier is in evidence.  It is cultural in terms of social responsibility, economic in terms of the implications for both the American consumer and Indian manufacturers, and political in the FDA’s role in regulating Indian manufacturers.

There is a sovereignty question present here.  Traditionally, international relations were based upon sovereign interests, but in transnational social spaces the lines are blurred and unilateral policy across traditional national boundaries is no longer possible (Barber, 2002).  The regulatory power of the FDA is an assertion of American sovereignty, but such policy has a significant effect on the Indian labor force.  And in a world economy, the leverage of labor to protest policy is diminished as the labor market now competes globally (Sklair, 1999).

This is a manifestation of the idea of Glocalization, where the impact of the local must be understood in terms of its effect on the global and vice-versa (Beck, 2000).  In this case, the effects are two-way.  American values and consumer needs are legitimate in terms of safety and should be understood, as well as the impact of unilateral bans and resulting resent from India.  The two economies are tied closely together and issues of globalization need to be addressed in order to navigate the conflict described in the article.

References

Francescangeli, C. (2014, February). Medicines imported from India not safe: FDA. Retrieved from http://www.thealmagest.com/medicines-imported-india-safe-fda/10222.

Barber, B. (2002, January 3). Beyond Jihad vs. McWorld. The Nation. Retrieved from http://www.thenation.com/article/beyond-jihad-vs-mcworld

Beck, U. (2000). The world horizon opens up: On the sociology of globalization. In What is globalization? (pp. 17-30). Cambridge: Polity Press.

Sklair, L. (1999). Competing conceptions of globalization. Journal of World-System Research, 2, 143-163.

Data Mining and Me

This week the FDA warned a google-backed company called 23andMe to stop sales of its DNA testing services.  23andMe provides a self-administered DNA test that customers send back to 23andMe and receive detailed genetic reports, ancestral information and health recommendations.  The FDA’s concern is focused on customers opting for unnecessary treatments and surgeries based upon information received from 23andMe. 

This, of course, is a legitimate concern.  But when I heard it was google-backed, my thoughts went to data.  And, as expected, the privacy statement on 23andMe’s website has a large section devoted to the sharing of “Aggregated Genetic and Self-Reported Information.”  The aggregated genetic data, stripped of individual identification, could be used in peer-reviewed research studies.  Such assurances that individual identification will not be linked to shared data may seem adequate on the surface, and sufficient to satisfy many considering signing up for their services.

However, the deeper implication is in what the aggregate data is being used for.  Who is doing the study and for what purpose?  Is it going to insurance companies?  Can they be searching for health trends and adjusting policy accordingly?  Might it be food, alcohol, or tobacco companies looking for ways to combat criticism of their industries?

This might seem to be a very cynical point of view.  I do recognize that there are those who would take this data and use it to help society.  But, this story demonstrates again the need for people to understand the implications of data mining, and to think more critically about how their data is used whether or not their names are attached to it.