Globalization Has Been Most Prominently

Globalization has been most prominently seen as an economic issue, affecting business dealings among the various countries. Concomitantly, the different paradigms of culture have been seen as an important issue relating to business. With the inception of the Internet and the widespread use of instant electronic communication, the final divisions between countries and cultures began to melt away. It is important to understand that not only business and economics, but also many other areas have been affected by the phenomenon. In particular, academic areas of study and practice, such as psychology, have experienced significant affects relating to globalization.

Psychology is the study of the human psyche. Like religion, this was generally focused on a single culture in the past. However, globalization has resulted in the communication of many different cultures. Communication itself is a psychological phenomenon, as each culture has its own mode of interaction and nonverbal communication and clues. In this, the study of various different "psychologies" can help to facilitate intercultural communication. Indeed, this can also help in business communication and economic prosperity for all countries involved. Globalization therefore has the effect of developing psychology from a single-culture focus to a multicultural one. With an increasing amount of countries including many more than one culture, it has become essential for psychology to evolve accordingly.

Another issue relating to globalization is the necessity of increasingly rapid human adaptation. To pursue the best of careers and lifestyles, many people emigrate from their own countries. Of course this necessitates rapid adaptation to communicate and find work in the new country. In this way, one of the primary focuses of psychology has become the study of human adaptation. Moreover, psychology incorporates the need to understand the adaptation abilities and needs of the different cultures inherent in each country. Like globalization, psychology has therefore become a multi-faceted phenomenon that itself needs to adjust to the various needs of each person. Of course this has always been the case on an individual basis; no two persons experience their lives and needs in the same way. In a broad sense however, the discipline has been fairly homogeneous in terms of population group. Globalization has necessitated the broad-scale adaptation of both the cultural and individual paradigm in psychology.

The inner human mind as the field of psychological study has also been affected very strongly by the globalization phenomenon. In addition to breaking down psychological barriers between cultures, globalization has also begun to break down barriers within the human mind itself.

One such area is education. Globalization, facilitated by the above-mentioned phenomenon of electronic communication, has facilitated part-time or full-time online education. Such education differs from the traditional paradigm in various ways. Many campuses offer full online programs, by which it has become unnecessary to attend lectures at specific times. Lectures are offered in a format that is accessible to students at their convenience. This phenomenon has necessitated psychological adaptation in students. Not being forced to attend classes at certain times provides students with considerable freedom. Nevertheless, this does not mean that study materials can be avoided. Taking part in online courses requires a particularly organized psychological mindset in order to succeed. Students need to be self-driven and motivated, as lecturers are not available in real-time classes to provide the motivation. All motivation, communication and interaction take place online.

The same is true of the workplace. Employees are provided with much more power and opportunity for self-management than has been the case before globalization. The reason for this is that very large companies tend to branch out to other countries. Often therefore the top management team is located in a different country from the subordinate teams. Online communication facilitates the process, but still the subordinate team is largely expected to assume operational control in itself. This is indicative of the mutual effect of globalization and the business place in the world of work. Globalization necessitates the foreign expansion of business, while such expansion necessitates the adaptation of the work paradigm towards a more independent style. Furthermore, the rate of change in terms of technology and business necessitates the rapid adaptation of the workforce to keep up with new technologies. This, concomitantly with the need to self-manage, may need to an escalation of stress levels among the workforce, which is another fruitful area of study for he psychology profession.

Another area where greater human control has become possible is human health. The Internet provides a wealth of information on any topic, including the health sciences. With globalization, the Western views of health have begun to see a significant change of paradigm from disease driven to health driven. Many Eastern philosophies have become integrated in these models as well. Health has also become a psychologically driven phenomenon, with many believing that positive thinking practices can significantly influence physical health. The way in which globalization integrates with this is by means of many pervading philosophies now becoming general knowledge, which would have country-focused without globalization.

Furthermore, many more people can now be reached by means of campaigns focusing on increasing and benefiting human health and disease prevention via the Internet. Campaigns for example that focus on anything from smoking to severe diseases such as Aids can benefit from such global exposure. In general, the psychological effect of globalization on human health is favorable, promoting the health rather than the disease model.

From the above, it is clear that globalization provides the world with a wide-reaching means of communication, learning, and business for any possible purpose. Not regulated or controlled by any single political entity, it is a unprecedented, free system of communication unlike any other before it. The effects of this for psychology is profound. As a result of many integrated cultures and the homogenizing effect of global communication, the opportunities for investigation in terms of the psychological discipline abound. Not only does the profession have the opportunity to help millions manage their increasing stress levels, it also has the opportunity to promote the new, more positive paradigm of proactive control.