Global and Cross-Cultural Issues

Search Engine Colossus and Search Engine Guide are comprehensive global master directories of local search engines for regional, country, or language-specific searches. Yahoo! provides country-specific, regional, and official government site search options. Google offers a comprehensive Language Tools Page to search in specific languages or countries, translate text, change language interfaces, or link to country-specific Google sites. Google Translate is another site option. Glearch allows you to search for language and country-specific content in "top results from Google, Yahoo and Bing as well as the most popular search engines for the selected country."

Cross-Cultural Sites

• Culturelink Network-- The network of networks for research and cooperation  in cultural development, established by UNESCO and the Council of Europe. Note the Culturelink Review and databases.

• ExecutivePlanet-- "To inspire business travelers to travel with greater cultural awareness," explanations of business cultures and practices, protocol, and cross-cultural tips for major trading nations around the world.

• Getting Through Customs-- From the intercultural training firm of the same name, selections, tips, and quizzes on customs, taboos, holidays, and general dos and don'ts around the world.

• Kwintessential Language and Culture Specialists of the UK provide cross-cultural guidance in the form of Country Profiles, key phrases, articles, and online quizzes.

• Atlas of Global Inequality-- From the University of California, presentations and downloadable data about the "interaction between global integration (globalization) and inequality [with] maps, graphics and data primarily for use by students and teachers." Indicators with data back to the 1960s concern material inequality, life and death, global connectedness, and economic globalization, with other indicators to be added.

• Centre for the Study of Globalisation and Regionalisation-- At the University of Warwick, England, "the largest academic centre in Europe dealing with this subject area," focusing on "issues of the definition, measurement, impacts, and policy implications of globalisation and regionalisation." Site posts many discussion and working papers, a newsletter, and other publications.

• Dialogue on Globalization-- From the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (non-profit German institution committed to the principles of social democracy), this excellent site presents hundreds of free publications online, ranging from short briefing papers to in-depth studies, many from authors in the Global South. The site also provides information on the agenda-setting of important global conferences and discusses their results.

•  Global Governance Watch-- "Joint project of the American Enterprise Institute and the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies... to raise awareness of the growing global governance movement and to address issues of transparency and accountability at the United Nations, in NGOs, and related international organizations. In particular, the project monitors issues of national sovereignty and the ways in which the agendas of international organizations influence domestic politics."

• Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism-- Professor Richard H. Robbins, SUNY at Plattsburgh, maintains this impressive gateway site to Internet resources on the diverse effects of global capitalism, as a companion to his text and the Online Global Problems Reader.

• Globalist-- Excellent and comprehensive daily online magazine about the global economy, politics and culture that "provides a daily account of key issues before the global community," with news, features, quizzes, and information on many facets of globalization.

• Globalization 101-- "Offered by the Levin Institute [a graduate institute of international relations associated with the State University of New York] to promote a greater understanding of globalization... as an informative and engaging space for those interested in learning more about changes in the international economy."

• Globalization Website-- From Emory University, very useful site about globalization, with data sources, main issues and theories explained, debates, book reviews, glossary, news, student projects, key links, more.

• International Futures-- From the University of Denver, a computer simulation that is "a large-scale, long-term, integrated global modeling system. It represents demographic, economic, energy, agricultural, socio-political, and environmental subsystems for 183 countries interacting in the global system... to facilitate exploration of global futures through alternative scenarios... freely available to users both on-line and in downloadable form."

• Migration Information Source-- From the Migration Policy Institute, Washington, D.C, "fresh thought, authoritative data, and global analysis of international migration and refugee trends... [with] useful tools, vital data, and essential facts on the movement of people worldwide."

• Pew Global Attitudes Project-- From the Pew Research Center, an excellent "series of worldwide public opinion surveys that encompasses a broad array of subjects ranging from people's assessments of their own lives to their views about the current state of the world and important issues of the day." Note the Key Indicators Database, which "allows users to explore public opinion trends in 55 countries on topics ranging from attitudes toward the U.S. to people's assessments of their own lives to views about globalization, democratization, extremism and other important issues."

• Population Action International-- Independent policy advocacy group that "works to improve individual well-being and preserve global resources by mobilizing political and financial support for population, family planning and reproductive health policies and programs." Publications, news, statistics, country studies, and videos on many aspects of global population.

• Population Institute-- "International, educational, non-profit organization that seeks to voluntarily reduce excessive population growth, through universal access to family planning information, education and services." Offers news, factsheets, publications, POPLINE newsletter, and more.

• Population Reference Bureau-- Excellent for authoritative data and analysis on world, regional, and national population and demographics trends. Features a large downloadable graphics bank of PowerPoint presentation graphics. Note their Annual Report and their annual World Population Data Sheet for "up-to-date demographic, health, and environment data for all the countries and major regions of the world." Search for data and analysis by topic, region, or country. The handy DataFinder has comparable data on over 140 population, health, and environment variables for over 200 countries, 29 world regions and sub-regions, and the world as a whole and allows user-created tables. The quarterly Population Bulletins on selected topics are very useful.

• United Nations Population Fund-- "World's largest international source of funding for population and reproductive health programmes." This U.N. site provides much information, news, and analysis on world population issues, including the excellent annual State of World Population report, free online.

• United States Census Bureau's International Data Base-- A rich computerized data bank containing statistical tables of past, present, and projected demographic and socio-economic data for most countries and all areas of the world. Check the International Programs section. Note the World POPClock Projection. The Census Bureau posts online the Statistical Abstract of the United States.

• World Economic Outlook-- "Presents IMF staff economists' analyses of global economic developments during the near and medium term. Chapters give an overview of the world economy; consider issues affecting industrial countries, developing countries, and economies in transition to market; and address topics of pressing current interest." Also note the World Economic Outlook Databases.

• YaleGlobal Online-- This excellent comprehensive and searchable web journal from the Yale University Center for the Study of Globalization features many articles, lectures, news items, and links about globalization in its diverse aspects and effects.