Financescapes

Blog post for university.

ALC215 - Globalisation and the media

Financescapes

When discussing financescapes, it's important to discuss both the current and past financial climates and the effect those financial climates have on society. I have been advised to also relate the topic to a family member who has been positively or negatively effected by financescapes.

Firstly, let me relate financescapes in a negative application to a family member, my brother.

My brother recently decided to try and make the bold move from the home cite of Melbourne to the complete other side of the world, Stockholm, Sweden.

At the time he had a Swedish partner and spoke the Swedish language relatively fluently, so, in theory, this move had all the right chips on place to be a success. It wasn't.

Although Sweden was not as hard hit by the GFC than their European counterparts in England, Greece et al., the current financial climate meant that Sweden's job market was even more insestual than normal, with foreign workers, outside the hard labour market, finding it extremely difficult to find any work.

My brother eventually had to cut his losses, and returned to his old job in Melbourne with his tail firmly between his legs..

My father has also had a mixed run with both the global and Australian financial landscape.

As a general manager of a company that relies heavily on the global market to invest in his companies equipment and systems, the value of the $A is incredibaly important.

In 2011-2012 the $A was arguabally the strongest it had ever been, which is fortuante for the average Australian who wants to purchase items online or travel overseas, a strong $A is not exactly great news for companies that rely on foreign investment/business.

2011 and 2012 were difficult years for business.

The good news for my dad however, is that the foreign market is slowly improving and the $A has decreased in value recently, hopefully meaning and uptake in business.

RW