GLOBALIZATION THEORIES
Homogeneity – The increasing sameness in the world as cultural inputs, economic factors, and
political orientations of societies expand to create common practices, same economies, and
similar forms of government.
o Cultural Inputs
 Cultural Imperialism – A given culture influences other culture.
 Example
o Christianity – as the dominant religion in our country brought to
us by Spaniards.
o Americanization –the import of non-American products,
images, technologies, practices, and behavior that are closely
associated with Americans.
o Economic Factors
 Neoliberalism – a modified form of liberalism tending to favor free-market
capitalism
 Capitalism – an economic and political system in which a country's trade and
industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state
 Global Economic Crises- A product of economic of globalization where affected
countries suffers financial crisis.
 The blamed of International Monetary Fund (IMF) for its “one-size fits
all”
 One Size Fits All –Treats every countries in the world as the same.
o “Rich countries become advantageous in the world economy at
the expense of poor countries; leading to increased inequality
among nations”
o Political Orientations
 The emergence of similar models of governance in the world.
 Mc World-One political orientation in today’s societies.
Heterogeneity – The quality or state of being diverse in character or content.
 Refers to the differences because of either lasting differences or of the hybrids
or combinations of cultures which can be produced through the different
transplanetary processes.
 The creation of various cultural practices, new economies, and political groups
because of interaction of elements from different societies in the world.
o
Cultural Practices
 Cultural Hybridization - Refers to the convergence of different elements of
various cultures.
 Gloclalization – Global forces interact with local factors or a specific
area.
o
New Economies
 Commodification of Cultures - Refers to areas in the life of a community which
prior to its penetration by tourism have not been within the domain of
economic relations regulated by criteria of market exchange.
o
Political Groups
 Jihad – (an alternate of McWorld) refers to the political groups that are engaged
in an intensification of nationalism and that lead to greater political
heterogeneity throughout the world.
 Nationalism - identification with one's own nation and support for its interests,
especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.
 Example: Any situation in which a nation comes together for a specific
cause or in reaction to a significant event.
o The Battle of New Orleans in which Americans united at the
conclusion of the American Revolution.
o (On January 8, 1815, the United States achieved its greatest
battlefield victory of the War of 1812 at New Orleans. The
Battle of New Orleans thwarted a British effort to gain control
of a critical American port and elevated Major General Andrew
Jackson to national fame.)
Although homogeneity and heterogeneity gave us an idea about the effects of globalization, the
picture is not yet complete. The theories about globalization will be clarified as we look closer at
each of them in our succeeding topics.
ORIGINS OF GLOBALIZATION
We are done answering the question “What is globalization” the next question will be
“Where did it start?” This question as well is hard to answer because there are different views
about this.
5 perspectives regarding the origins of Globalization
Hardwired – refers to the permanent connections of facts about the origins of
globalization
o It all started from our ancestors in Africa who walked out from the said continent
in the late Ice Age.
o This journey finally led them to all-known continents today, roughly after 50,000
years.
o With their urges towards a better life about commerce, religion, politics and
warfare.
o These aspects of globalization can be traced all throughout history: Trade,
missionary work, adventures, and conquest.
Cycles – refers to the adherence of idea that other global ages have appeared.
o The point of globalization will soon disappear and reappear.
Epoch – refers to an extended period of time usually characterized by a distinctive
development or by a memorable series of events.
o 4th-7th Centuries – Globalization of Religion
o Late 15th Centuries – European Colonial Conquest
o Later 18th –Early 19th Centuries – Intra-European Imperialism
 Imperialism - a policy of extending a country's power and influence
through diplomacy or military force.
th
o Mid-19 Century to 1918 – Heyday of European Imperialism
o Post-World War II Period
o Post-Cold War Period
Events –refers to the specific events that explains the origin of globalization.
o Roman conquests centuries before Christ
o The rampage of the armies of Genghis Khan into Eastern Europe
o The discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1942
o Vasco De Gama in Cape of Good Hope in 1498
o Ferdinand Magellan’s completed circumnavigation of the globe in 1522
o Specific technological advances in transportation and communication in recent
years.
 The first transatlantic telephone cable 1956
 The first transatlantic television broadcast 1962
 The founding of modern internet 1988
 The terrorist attacks on the twin towers in New York 2001
Certainly, with this view, more and more specific events will characterize not just
the origins of globalization but more of its history.
Broader and More Recent Changes
o The emergence of the United States as the global power (Post-World War II)
 Through its dominant military and economic power, the US was able to
outrun Germany and Japan in terms of industry.
 Both Axis powers and allies fall behind economically as compared to the
new global power.
 The US soon began to progress in different aspects like in diplomacy,
media film (as in Hollywood) and many more.
o The emergence of Multinational Corporations (MNCs)
 The US, Germany and Great Britain had in their homeland great
corporations which the world knows today.
 Ford, General Motors (US) that has exported more automobiles
and opened factories to other countries.
o The demise of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War
 This event led to the opening of the major parts of the world for the first
time since the early twentieth century.
o Many global processes- immigration, tourism, media, diplomacy, and MCSspread throughout the planet.
o China, even though the government remains communist, is on its way to
becoming a major force in global capitalism.
o China is also globalizing in terms of other aspects such their hosting of the
Olympics in 2008.