One constant thing in the universe is change. Change is the foundation of innovation, and today, the speed of change within human societies is at its highest. Some societies are more dynamic and developed; they invest more in innovations; therefore, their rate of change surpasses that of others. Such a chain of changes adds up to a trend – “a prediction of what will happen in the market in a given period in the future” (London School of Design and Marketing, n.d., p.2). Knowledge of trends allows businesses and individuals to develop new services and products in advance and be able to capture people’s future interests. This is especially critical when the development of a product or a service is a long-run process. Therefore, research and prediction of trends is a strategy of great importance for companies.
Types of Trends
Some trend forecasting companies distinguish between micro trends and macro trends. Macro trends are at least five-year-long, constantly evolving trends that affect multiple industries simultaneously. Accordingly, micro trends exist for less than five years and are relatively niche. A senior trend consultant for WGSN adds that micro trends “are important for fashion companies, but tend to be smaller-scale realizations of the desires underlying macro trends” (WGSN, n.d.). Such agencies as WGSN help their clients predict and use current and future trends to their advantage.
Selected Macro Trends
It is possible to thoroughly analyze and determine why, how, and where the trends were born and what to expect from them in the future. For instance, there are two critical macro trends that WGSN has explored in recent years – the wellness and the artisan movements (n.d.). Regarding the artisan movement, three crucial factors influenced it in the 2010s: The Great Financial Crisis, mass-manufacturing backlash, and disappearance of craft (WGSN, n.d.). Since the first artisan-related micro trends in 2007, the movement has grown to become a macro trend and affect various spheres, such as the restaurant industry, food and beverage, and even technology. It is expected that the artisan movement will only gain importance in the future, becoming an essential factor in solving various global issues.
The wellness movement expanded rapidly due to such factors as the denial of unrealistic beauty standards, millennial anti-hedonism, and global health systems issues (WGSN, n.d.). The movement affected numerous industries, such as fashion, technology, food, mental health, tourism, etc. The wellness’s fate is expected to be twofold – on the other hand, there is notable growth in rejection of wellness movement; on the other hand, scientific optimization of wellness is an answer to others.
Key Future Trends
According to European Strategy and Policy Analysis System, there are five crucial global trends to 2030 (2015). Firstly, there is a demographic trend of global aging that is accompanied by the growth of the middle class, especially in Asia. Therefore, an older population’s interests and demands may become more important for markets in the future; also, a reduction in the size of the workforce is to be expected by labor-intensive human companies. Simultaneously, inequalities within most countries of the world are expected to widen. Secondly, in terms of economy, the shift towards Asia will continue, while the composition of trade will shift from goods to services and investment. Thirdly, technological change will continue transforming industry, science, communication, and digital processes at an ever-increasing speed. Fourthly, continuing climate change is expected to worsen the situation within global ecosystems affecting all sides of natural life as human energy consumption continues to rise. Finally, globalization itself is changing as countries’ interdependence grows; however, the world in general marches toward a more polycentric and overall segmented system.
References
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System. (2015). Global trends to 2030: Can the EU meet the challenges ahead?
London School of Design and Marketing. (n.d.). Creative trends in design [PDF document].
WGSN. (n.d.). Anatomy of a trend.
Recent Matters Of SDGs Related To Industry, Innovation, And Infrastructure
According to United Nations, infrastructure investments, such as irrigation, transportation, electricity, and information and communication technology, are critical for accomplishing supportable extension and endowing populations in various nations. Growth in productivity and wages and gains in education and health consequences have long been acknowledged as necessitating infrastructure ventures. Infrastructure denotes the underlying physical systems and structures essential for society or commercial to operate.
Industrialization fuels economic development, produces jobs, and thereby assuages poverty. Industrial areas’ technological dimensions are progressed, and new talents are established as an outcome of innovation. Business and industry alliances can greatly influence a corporation’s long-term viability. Their diverse memberships encompass a wide range of industries worldwide, and they provide in-depth knowledge of industry-specific trends. This paper will discuss current Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs) issues related to Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
Investments in infrastructure, maintainable industrial expansion, and technology global manufacturing are considered an engine of total economic growth. It has been progressively dropping due to tariffs and trade disputes, putting a damper on collective expansion, economic evolution, and climate accomplishment. The pandemic’s impact on the industry has also had major consequences on the global economy (Denoncourt 205). As a result of international lockdowns, the airport business, which is a vibrant generator of commercial expansion, saw its worst slump in history in the first five months of 2020. It experienced a 51 percent decline in airline travelers, which affected the economy. Many developing countries lack basic infrastructures such as sanitation, water, electricity, roads, and information and communication technologies.
The United Nations Global Compact’s Uniting Business LIVE takes a deep look at strategies to inspire and scale-up sustainable efforts as part of the Global Impact Forum & Young SDG Innovators Summit. It examined how businesses incorporate the Sustainable Development Goals into their operations and activities using natural methods and local solutions. According to the Global Impact Forum, every organization must integrate the SDGs into the fabric of their operations, leveraging innovation, creativity, new ideas, and talent (Awan 1030). They claimed that small and medium-sized businesses are an important part of the global economy, promoting sustainability in developing countries.
The group concluded that the best-positioned organizations recognize and measure sustainability goals and that the importance of the goals goes far beyond simply appearing to be socially responsible. The UN Global Compact has released a new LGBTIQ+ Standard Gap Analysis Tool to assist businesses in identifying and improving their diversity and inclusion efforts. Similarly, Global Compact’s SDG Ambition Accelerator representatives provided examples of how their program helps businesses integrate the SDGs into their core operations and plans.
The digital economy is not only changing the way businesses are conducted today, but it is also opening up new avenues for global growth and prosperity. Technological advancements and digital connectivity, if properly nurtured, can drive innovation in company models, commercial networking, and information handover and facilitate access to worldwide markets. Mobile web services, cloud computing, and social media are just a few of the new and emerging digital trends transforming the corporate landscape, reforming the nature of employment, and the restrictions and responsibilities of businesses.
Companies are affected by policy developments relating to Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT), the Internet, and data flow, regardless of their sector or level of development in their countries (Mhlanga 5788). ICTs and the Internet have immense potential to accelerate growth and promote progress toward global sustainable development goals if the correct policies are in place. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) uses corporate insight and experience to help policymakers understand the impact of emerging ICTs and business models and how existing regulations may affect their use locally and internationally.
Manufacturers have long been plagued by changing restrictions and standards. They are there for a reason, though without compliance standards, producers may be tempted to take corners, which may negatively impact the end-user. As a result, compliance standards are required for things like quality control and effective waste management (Mhlanga 5788). Manufacturers, on the other hand, will find it difficult to comply with new criteria. They are usually a pain, and because of globalization, firms now have to cope with regulations that are specific to each area.
The rate of invention increases as technology advances, however, this means that businesses must act quickly, which can lead to a variety of temptations. When the goal is to get a product to market as soon as feasible, the temptation to skip a step or bypass certain tests might be difficult to resist the economy (Denoncourt 220). However, the last thing a manufacturer needs is for a low-quality product to jeopardize their business. As a result, in these circumstances, innovation management becomes a must. Preferences shift daily, and any delay in supplying appropriate solutions might spell disaster. As a result, producers must develop a system that ensures the continual delivery of new ideas and innovation, which is the only way to ensure manufacturing success.
In conclusion, with infrastructure and innovation, comprehensive and maintainable industrialization can release energetic and competitive economic powers that produce income and employment. They have a significant role in presenting and stimulating new technology, simplifying international trade, and allowing resource competence. For many countries, the growth of new industries represents an improvement in our standard of living. This method will positively impact the environment if industries adopt sustainability.
Works Cited
Awan, Usama. “Steering for sustainable development goals: a typology of sustainable innovation.” Industry, innovation and infrastructure 2021, pp. 1026-1036.
Denoncourt, Janice. “Companies and UN 2030 sustainable development goal 9 industry, innovation and infrastructure.” Journal of Corporate Law Studies, vol. 20, no1, 2020, pp. 199-235.
Mhlanga, David. “Artificial Intelligence in the Industry 4.0, and It’s Impact on Poverty, Innovation, Infrastructure Development, and the Sustainable Development Goals: Lessons from Emerging Economies?.” Sustainability vol.13, no.11, 2021, pp. 5788.
Literacy Practices In The Globalized World
Introduction
Every person goes through literacy learning in early childhood and continues developing it in various ways throughout their lifetime. The most appropriate and frequently applied practices for it are reading, writing, communicating with others, and expanding vocabulary (Bennett et al. 246). Today, globalization provided humanity with a valuable opportunity to know each other better, exchange cultures and experiences. Literacy, curiosity, and the ability to communicate with diverse people shaped my willingness to learn foreign languages and profoundly impacted my life. I believe that language learning is a significant part of literacy development, essential in the modern globalized world.
Developing Literacy in Childhood
Improving literacy is a life-long experience that begins in childhood when we learn how to speak in the native language, read, and write. I have always been talkative and have repeated everything I heard in my family’s conversations to expand my vocabulary. Furthermore, I began reading and writing earlier than my siblings and friends and was one of the quickies readers in primary school. My parents recognized these capabilities and included various literacy practices, such as reading books, writing cards for holidays, and asking me to explain what a particular word means. Puglisi et al. state that “the relationship between early informal home literacy activities and children’s language and reading skills is largely accounted for by maternal skills and may reflect genetic influences” (499). While developing my communication skills in my mother tongue, I discovered that foreign languages exist in our daily lives, and it inspired me to learn more.
Globalization impacted the culture worldwide and made many foreigners available that revealed the differences between values and became the tool for literacy improvement. My parents listened to the music of various artists who sang in French, Spanish, German, and even Russian. The experience of hearing the phonetics of other languages can help better understand one’s own (Bennett et al. 244). As a child, I re-pronounced the lyrics of foreign songs without knowing their meaning and imagined that I know and can speak in all those idioms. The literacy practice of distinguishing the mother tongue from the others by listening to the music has also shaped my curiosity and willingness to explore other cultures.
Children reveal their talents in certain spheres such as counting, reading, or arts during their first three years of life, and parents need to pay specific attention to what they like doing the most. Moreover, in today’s global society, the practices from other cultures might be included to help involve specific literacy exercises for early education (Puglisi 498). For example, the western approach of teaching toddlers a foreign language’s vocabulary simultaneously with their ability to speak and reading in their mother tongue is beneficial for brain development (Bennett et al. 246). My interest in unknown words was timely noticed by my parents, and they included conversations about different translations of the same words into my early literacy practices. Their strategy to explain to me that, for example, “apple” can also be called “manzana” helped me perceive the world more broadly.
In today’s globalized world, we frequently encounter foreign cultures and languages, forcing us to explore more and better understand our identity. We had the two books in foreign languages at home – “Don Quixote” by Miguel de Cervantes in Spanish and Alexandre Dumas’s novels in French. I could not understand. The literacy practice of reading, comparing, and translating my language to another developed my writing and reading skills. Moreover, foreign literature provided a different viewpoint on historical events and social institutions mentioned in the novels (Maine et al. 389). After the experience of exploring Spanish and French books from my home, I started learning foreign languages.
School’s Influence on Literacy Development
Educational programs for literacy improvement thrive in the globalized world with the opportunities to study other cultures’ literature and science, communicate, and gain novel learning approaches. During the school years, I read various classical novels, wrote essays, and completed multiple assignments – these practices helped me develop communicational skills, made me open-minded and curious about other cultures and languages. Although globalization is frequently perceived as severe for the nations’ cultural identities, I think it is beneficial. Being a united community is necessary for developing healthy societies worldwide, where diversity is respected, and knowledge of others’ values provides more understanding of our own (Saleem and Ilyas 83). Therefore, literacy practices performed at schools are strongly tied to cultural exchange. My experience of the interest in foreign languages grown from learning how to read and write is an example.
School is essential to help an individual grow into a decent person, and the current trend in implementing multicultural curriculums to study various phenomenons of the modern globalized society. Subjects that aim to develop literacy maintain their importance, and such practices as studying foreign languages through reading and writing make them even more valuable. I visited different linguistic courses during my school years, and familiarity with grammar, morphemics, phonetics and other idioms’ rules assisted in studying the mother tongue. Learning more than one language positively influences students’ motivation to expand their boundaries from cultural, behavioral, and communicative perspectives (Maine et al. 390). Consequently, further generations would move towards globalizing and building an entirely new culture based on a combination of various values and backgrounds.
Literacy’s Benefits I Revealed
International volunteering is a profound outcome of the globalized world we live in today as it provides an environment for cultural exchange. I’ve recently had that valuable experience with my literacy and linguistic capabilities in use. Indeed, being a part of a team where people of various backgrounds requires each participant to build a dialogue that tailors their points without intervening in the others’ borders (Maine et al. 386). My observations revealed that multilingual communication is the literacy practice that shapes individual’s perception of their values. Furthermore, the demand in describing my culture in a way others will understand demanded skills we got through reading and writing at schools.
Globalization that enforces the need for language learning is beneficial for our brains, thus literacy practices applied for it are good for health. The research shows that studying and memorizing foreign idioms decreases the risks of such diseases as Alzheimer’s (Antoniou and Wright 2217). Besides, frequent help the brain maintain its best performance, improve memory and cognitive functions (Antoniou and Wright 2217). Today, I communicate with my foreign friends through social networks, read and listen to the books, and craft assignments necessary for studying. My goal is to support literacy improvement, develop lifelong learning habits, and explore other cultures through literature and communication.
The increasing influence of social networks on people’s daily lives is another important outcome of globalization that profoundly impacted literacy development. Indeed, practicing writing and reading became more available and engaging with online communication. Furthermore, Maine et al. state that “cultural literacy empowers intercultural dialogue, opening a dialogic space with inherent democratic potential” (383). An appealing opportunity to get friends from other countries inspired me to meet with new people in socials and forced me to improve my literacy. The notion that the more books you read, the better grammar, vocabulary, and thoughts structuring you have is also true for foreign languages, and I successfully applied these practices in my online learning and communicating experiences.
Conclusion
My experience exploring the world through developing literacy outlined my values and helped in being open to others, respecting diversity, and feeling comfortable in the globalizing world. Moreover, learning foreign languages allowed me to broaden my knowledge about cultures, meet new people, and improve my studying capabilities. As the world continues moving towards globalization, educators need to maintain strong literacy practices to help further generations develop a thriving society.
It is also critical to analyze the COVID-19 pandemic’s influence on the way society develops and communicates. The lockdown forced to make the education remote, and it significantly changed the literacy practices for children. As in-school communication became unavailable, parents today carry more responsibility for the amount of knowledge obtained. Consequently, the literacy practices such as regular reading and writing are the demand for the modern families. Based on my experience, home part of eduction needs to include communication, providence of various books, and opportunities for children to craft texts. Learning languages is another profound literacy practice, however, many parents find it difficult to implement into the daily life. Globalization is an important step forward for humanity’s development, and the pandemic revealed that multicultural communication is beneficial in the modern world. I am glad to have the interest in developing my literacy throughout my life, and learning foreign languages is a valuable option to expand practicing opportunities.
Works Cited
Bennett, Susan V., et al. “Culturally Responsive Literacy Practices in an Early Childhood Community.” Early Childhood Education Journal, vol. 46, no. 2, 2018, pp. 241-248.
Maine, Fiona, Victoria Cook, and Tuuli Lähdesmäki. “Reconceptualizing Cultural Literacy as a Dialogic Practice.” London Review of Education, vol. 17, no. 3, 2019, pp. 383-392.
Puglisi, Marina L., et al. “The Home Literacy Environment is a Correlate, but Perhaps not a Cause, of Variations in Children’s Language and Literacy Development.” Scientific Studies of Reading, vol. 21, no. 6, 2017, pp. 498-514.
Antoniou, Mark, and Sarah M. Wright. “Uncovering the Mechanisms Responsible for Why Language Learning May Promote Healthy Cognitive Aging.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 8, 2017, p. 2217.
Saleem, Abdul, and Mohammed Ilyas. “Goals of Teaching Literature: Literacy, Liberalism and Global Citizenship.” International Journal of English Language and Literature Studies, vol. 8, no. 2, 2019, pp. 78-86.