GLOBAL AND CROSS-CULTURAL ISSUES
Country, Language, Region-specific, or Limited Area Search Engines and Global Blogs
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
Translate is a useful 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."
Insightful Blogs about
Global Issues-- Global
Conversation (Brown University)
The
Global
Studies Search Engine, from the Center for Global
Studies of the University of Illinois, "offers researchers
more precise search capabilities by pulling information
from a limited pool of academic research centers,
intergovernmental organizations, government agencies, and
non-governmental organizations. These sources have
been selected by CGS staff for
their focus on data sources, policy, theoretical
debates, methodological challenges, program description,
and curricular concerns."
Cross-cultural Issues
• 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 Etiquette Profiles, a blog, and useful phrases.
Global Perspectives and Globalization
• 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, and the CSGR Globalization
Index, which "measures the economic, social and political
dimensions of globalisation for countries on an annual
basis over the period 1982 to 2004, and combines these
into an overall globalisation index, or score."
• Dialogue
on
Globalization-- From the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
(non-profit German institution committed to the principles
of social democracy), this 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."
• 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
well over 100 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.
• 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.
