Both French and American students seemed to converge for the most part in their description of this phenomenon as a mighty force greatly facilitated by technological advances, which is rapidly transforming the economic reality of the world. 

On both sides, note was made of the great potential for exchange - not only commercial, but also cultural - that is, and will continue to result.  But there was an interesting point of divergence of which I will make mention.  The responses would suggest that the young people of France are far more likely to make the connection between globalization and international development than their American counterparts - who generally expressed more doubt and wariness about its potential harmful effects on the environment, the poor, fragile developing economies, and indigenous peoples.  I am curious as to why that doubt seemed to exist more prominently for one group than the other?  Is the design and structure of American society simply more conducive to argument and opposition that that of the French?  Or are demonstrations and public rallies equally engrained in the French way-of-life?

My observations match Khalea's. I also found that the American students applyed more negative or speculative connotations to the globalization phenomenon, whereas French students applied words such as <> and <>. I think the reasoning behind thisdivergence of opinion could be that Americans are told by politicians that globalization is bad for the American economy--that we lose jobs because of it. We're also told that globalization means that big multinational companies are simply outsourcing labor where it's cheaper and there are fewer regulations. I think we see globalization through a business lens, whereas perhaps the French students see globalization through a government lens. Government aid and international cooperation between governments is really where foreign development comes into play. Most large companies do not invest in improving the working and living standards in countries with cheap labor.

salut,pour nous en Afrique sa dépend de quel coté on se place:mondialisation est source de développemnt à condition que les transferts de technologies et des fonds financiers aident l'Afrique à devenir peu à peu autonome et qu'elle participe de plus en plus aux échanges...et dans l'autre sens elle est de connotation négative à cause de la triade,la marginalisation politique,economique de l'Afrique et je remets donc en cause ce concept face au dualisme nord-sud qui prévaut

Hi Onanga,

I think the two points of view that you described also exist in the United States, but people rarely associate globalization with the more positive connotations, like development. I believe that is due to the association of globalization with large companies, as I stated before. Which of these two points of view do you think are most prominent in France? Positive or negative? What cultural or political factors lead to this view of globalization?

salut Alexandra Jordan,

il est vrai qu'il ya ce coté avec la mondialisation qui enfonce quelque peu les conditions d'emploi dans les pays ou la main d'oeuvre est bon marché mais c'est tout autant relatif car il ya quand meme création d'emplois vu que le plus souvent ces pays n'ont pas assez de moyen pour investir et créer des emplois... à propos des français en lisant les commentaires je vois qu'ils ont aussi une connotation positive de la mondaialisation,je ne peux pas te donner de plus amples informations maintenant mais je demanderai en cours pour etre éclairé et je te répondrai mieux. En plus je demande à ceux qui liront ce message et qui ont une idée sur le sujet  de nous aider. Merci de m'avoir interpellé  

Hi Onanga,

Alex asks a very interesting question - I would also be curious to know more about the extent to which French companies are actively engaging in this global integration of production mechanisms and economies.  In the United States, for instance, many American companies have been sending (or "outsourcing") manufacturing jobs overseas to nations in which the cost of labor is lower, leaving many Americans unemployed.  Have you witnessed this phenomenon in France as well?

Kalhea,

salut, pour ta question sur le chomage que crée le déploiement de sociétés françaises je vais demander au français,je peux juste dire qu'au Gabon presque 85 pour cent des entreprises sont dans les mains des français et ces pays bénificient de la création d'emploi certes mais les français et américains ont des avantages que ces populations n'ont pas et les richesses crées par ces entreprises sont comptabilisés dans le pnbde ces pays donc les pays^pauvres sont perdants sur toute la ligne vu qu'ils ne profitent meme pas des technologies.