THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
Lesson 1 : Globalization
Introduction
The Nature of Globalization
According to Alec Mac Gillivray (2006), “the planet we live is now an incredible shrinking
planet”. Geographically speaking, the spaces that separate countries are now no longer considered
a complication or an issue because of the advance technology and communication invented such as
the Internet, where you can now share information with everybody whenever and wherever you want
throughout the world. The successful exchange of information without barriers therefore makes our
world borderless.
Learning Objectives
1. Be able to define globalization.
2. Identify the forms of globalization.
3. Understand the benefits and effects of globalization.
Course Materials (Suggested)
✓ Watch the Globalization I – The Upside : Crash Course World History #41 on YouTube
✓ Watch the Globalization II – Good or Bad? : Crash Course World History #42 on
YouTube
✓ Read the short article of the National Geographic Society “Globalization” on Google
o An excerpt :
Globalization is a term used to describe how trade and technology have made the world
into a more connected and interdependent place. Globalization also captures in its
scope the economic and social changes that have come about as a result.
It may be pictured as the threads of an immense spider web formed over millennia, with
the number and reach of these threads increasing over time. People, money, material
goods, ideas, and even disease and devastation have travelled these silken strands,
and have done so in greater numbers and with greater speed than ever in the present
age. 1
1
National Geographic, “Globalization”., Available on
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/globalization/print/
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Activities
•
Name a few products that are produced by multi-nationals. Do you think that those products
influence your lifestyle? In what way?
•
What is your reflection on globalization?
•
Do you expect that globalization is beneficial to your life and society?
Content
The advances in technology made the growth of transport and communication possible. This
means that people and countries can now communicate and exchange information in a less
complicated way.
Globalization comes from the word “globe” or “globalize” which means the emergence of
countries and rations across the world. With globalization, the barter or exchange of goods and
products between countries are made possible so the world gets closer together. Like goods and
products, some individual elements like traditions, languages, cultural beliefs, norms or values also
influence each other.
Globalization according to Minnesota is the spread of products, investments and technology
across national borders and countries.
There are 6 known Aspects of Globalization2 :
1. Industrial Globalization, Transnational Globalization
- is a process linked by interconnected cross-border production and it enables
firmness to enter into new markets, to capitalize on technological organizational
advantages and to reduce cost. It also refers to multi-national corporations and
transnational corporations. For example; Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Starbucks etc
2. Financial Globalization
2
"What are the key aspects of globalization?" eNotes Editorial, 14 July 2018, https://www.enotes.com/homeworkhelp/what-key-aspects-globalization-culture-economics-349992. Accessed 8 Aug. 2020.
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-
3.
4.
5.
6.
refers to international lending institutions for capital outlay to developing
countries like IMF and the World Bank. Thus leading business to having more
access to capital flows, technologies, human export markets like the IMF and the
World Bank that finances developing countries are the Philippines, Afghanistan,
Brazil etc.
Political Globalization
- according to Wikipedia, “political globalization refers to the growth of the
worldwide political system both in size and complexity like civil society,
international non-governmental organizations, social movements or the United
Nations”.
- It is also increased the flow of communication between and among countries to
further spread democratic ideas to developed countries and reduce cultural
barriers across the world.
Cultural Globalization
- refers to the spread of material and non-material culture across the world such as
ideas, beliefs, apparels and values around the world.
According to Wikipedia, cultural globalization refers to the transmission of ideas,
meanings and values around the world in a way as to expand and intensify social
relations. This process is marked by the common consumption of cultures that
have been diffused by the Internet, popular culture media and international travel
like McDonaldization, Starbucks, Adidas, Nike, Fila etc.
Globalism
- the means that interconnects the world by means of transportation and
communication.
- According to Oxford University, globalism is the operation or planning of
economic and foreign policy on a global basis. It is used by Joseph Nye, “to
describe attempts to understand the interconnectedness of the world” in terms of
transportation and communication.
Informational Globalization
- is a process of interaction and integration among people, companies and
governments of different nations; a process driven by international trade and
aided by informational technology. That allows increases in the informational flow
between remote and industrialized countries throughout the world like satellites
on the past availability of cell phones and Internet.
Brief History of Globalization
Globalization started as early as the 15th century. The first phase of globalization favoured
more the exchange of knowledge rather than the exchange of goods. This phase took place from the
15th to 18 th century in Europe where some significant events happened like the Spanish and
Portugese discoveries of America, the introduction of the Gregorian calendar and the discovery of
the heliocentric view of the solar system.
The 18th and the 19th century are generally linked with the events of democracy,
industrialization and scientific progress. In the year 1776, The American Declaration of
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Independence took place where it served as a huge factor in the spread of democratic ideals. In the
19th century, industrialization took place. Industrialization gave the world an opportunity to a
prominent technological progress that allowed countries to experience a faster exchange between
goods, products and information.
In the second phase of globalization, it covered the period of intensive internationalization of
transportation systems, communications, commerce and science. During the second half of the 19th
century, four advancing technologies – trains, steamships, telegraphs and postal systems planted
the entirety of the Western world in a dramatic intensification of international connectivity. At the 20 th
century, an opulent and affluent inhabitant of London had access to products of foreign origins
before the events of August 1914 disturbed the world of global connectivity.
In the end of the Second World War in 1945, the third phase of globalization took place. The
period from the late 1940s to the early 1970s is called the Golden Age of Capitalism. New
international financial agreements and institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund and the
World Bank, provided a new kind of global financial stability. The Golden Age of Capitalism ended
abruptly in the 1970s. Instead of competition between countries, the neoliberal globalism made sure
to implement three important characteristics - deregulation, privatization and liberalization. 3
Scholars around the world concluded that globalization is just a concept, but many argued that
globalization is a process or phenomenon with a very long history. According to Thomas L.
Friedman, an American political commentator and author, globalization is divided into three periods 4
:
1. Globalization of countries from 1642 to 1800
2. Globalization of companies from 1800 to 2000 and
3. Globalization of the individuals from 2000 to present
Different Perspectives of Globalization5
Aspects of Globalization
Pro-Globalization
Anti-Globalization
Trade
The increase in trade made
both countries wealthier and
has lowered trade barriers.
Poorer
nations
with
disadvantaged
people
improved more with the profit
collected because of the trade.
Globalization benefits foreign
corporations at the expense of
the host countries. With the
goods exported overseas, the
locally produced goods tend to
cost higher than imported
goods. Therefore, not only does
it threaten the existence of local
industries, it also results to
affluence and poverty. “The rich
becomes richer and the poor
becomes poorer”.
3
Peter Vanham “A Brief History of Globalization”. 2019, Available on
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/01/how-globalization-4-0-fits-into-the-history-of-globalization/
4
Mactal, Ronaldo PhD Padayon 10 (Mga Kontemporaryong Isyu) Phoenix Publishing House, 2018, Quezon Ave.
5
Mactal, Ronaldo PhD Padayon 10 (Mga Kontemporaryong Isyu) Phoenix Publishing House, 2018, Quezon Ave.
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Culture
Globalization allows different
indigenous voices to be heard
as well as the diffusion of
cultures.
Globalization
has
been a huge help in increasing
awareness of different cultures
around the world.
Transportation
The
advance
use
for
transportation makes it easier
for globalization to spread
across countries by spreading
goods and products from a
speedier transport.
Technology
The help of technology for
globalization
has
been
beneficial to everyone. The
proliferation of new technology
and innovation elevates the
standard living of people. It also
brings people together so that
concerns, issues and ideas can
be raised and shared.
Globalization creates profound
opportunities
for
different
people around the world. It
helps them increase their
knowledge, skills and abilities
needed
to
adapt
to
globalization.
Employment
The use of the common
language
dominates
the
language of indigenous people
that threatens its existence.
Also, less dominant cultures
tend to be threatened and at
risk disappearing because of
the
force
adaptation
globalization embodies.
The use of transportation like
ferries and airplanes continue
to harm our climate change by
the increasing carbon dioxide it
releases.
Globalization
becomes detrimental to the
environment as it destroys
poorer countries.
The downside of technology for
poorer countries has been a
downfall. The unequal supply of
technology divides the people
that
benefits
from
the
advantages and the people
who are forced to be left behind
in our rising, digitizing world.
Labourers in poorer countries
suffering from injustice with
their wages and working
conditions tend to go unnoticed
by those consumers consuming
their produced goods.
Assessment
1. List your expectations from the course.
2. Write a personal definition of globalization based on what you learned.
3. What did you understand about globalization?
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4. Do you think that globalization benefits everyone?
5. Analyse the impact of globalization in our country.
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Lesson 2 : Market Globalism
Introduction
The idea of market globalism is best understood using the values of discipline and social sciences. It
emphasizes the role of ideology and its core claim for its acceptance as a global phenomenon. It
also used new locales to legitimate the power otherwise political entities will be useless. Each
ideology is supported around the core claims which make them acceptable to the whole world. As a
result, the world now is interconnected with various factors; economic, social, political and cultural.
But for the time being, market globalism is acknowledged.
Learning Objectives
1. To be able to understand the various approaches to globalization.
2. To be able to analyse the different drivers of market globalism.
3. Assess the impact of globalization in our country.
Course Materials (Suggested)
✓ Read about Manfred Steger’s perception of globalization.
✓ Familiarize yourselves with any article about neo-liberalism.
✓ Read the article of Ideologies of Globalization – Market Globalism, Justice Globalism
and
Religious
Globalism
:
A
Short
Introduction
on
the
website
www.veryshortintroductions.com
✓ Watch Political Ideology : Crash Course Government and Politics #35 on YouTube
✓ An excerpt :
Globalism versus globalization? Many people would think the two terms refer to the
same phenomenon. However, there are important differences between the two.
Globalism, at its core, seeks to describe and explain nothing more than a world which is
characterized by networks of connections that span multi-continental distances. It
attempts to understand all the inter-connections of the modern world — and to highlight
patterns that underlie (and explain) them. In contrast, globalization refers to the increase
or decline in the degree of globalism. It focuses on the forces, the dynamism or speed of
these changes. In short, consider globalism as the underlying basic network, while
globalization refers to the dynamic shrinking of distance on a large scale.
Globalism is a phenomenon with ancient roots. Thus, the issue is not how old globalism
is, but rather how “thin” or “thick” it is at any given time. As an example of “thin
globalism,” the Silk Road provided an economic and cultural link between ancient
Europe and Asia. Getting from thin to thick globalism is globalization — and how fast we
get there is the rate of globalization. Of course, the Silk Road was plied by only a small
group of hardy traders. Its direct impact was felt primarily by a small group of consumers
along the road. In contrast, the operations of global financial markets today, for instance,
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affect people from Peoria to Penang. Thus, “globalization” is the process by which
globalism becomes increasingly thick/intense.
The general point is that the increasing intensity, or thickness, of globalism — the
density of networks of interdependence — is not just a difference in degree from the
past. An increasing “thickness” changes relationships, because it means that different
relationships of interdependence intersect more deeply at more different points. At the
same time, it is important to note that globalism does not imply universality. After all, the
connections that make up the networks to define globalism may be more strongly felt in
some parts of the world than in others.6
Activities
•
What is the impact of market globalism in your life and your family?
•
Make a reaction on the connotation “Globalization creates affluence and poverty”.
•
Do you expect globalization to be inevitable and irreversible? Why?
Content
The Ideological Dimension of Globalization
•
•
•
Market globalism is used to different ideologies of globalization interpretations.
Market globalism reflects the concepts of globalization with neoliberal values and meanings.
Neo-liberalism is a form of liberalism which supports free-market capitalism. Neo-liberalism
completely eradicates itself to selfish and individual interests. Neo-liberalism has moved
away from a centrally governed capital and built their economy to be self-regulated through
supply and demand.
As Malcolm Waters (2001) observes, today’s economic exchange suggests that both the
cultural and political arenas are becoming more activated and energetic. Researchers have
paid insufficient attention to the global circulation of ideas and their impact.
6
Joseph Nye, “Globalism versus Globalization” April 15, 2002. Available on
https://www.theglobalist.com/globalism-versus-globalization/
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•
According to Manfred Steger, a professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, there are
three main types of globalism 7 :
✓ Market Globalism – includes the definition and ideology of neo-liberalism. It also
seeks to an economic globalization with free markets, norms and neo-liberal
meanings. This ideology is preferred by many powerful individuals at it promotes
democracy and is very beneficial to everyone.
✓ Justice Globalism – unlike market globalism, justice globalism constructs the vision
of globalization based on the ideology of global solidarity and social justice. This
ideology is also envisioned by a lot of individuals for they prove justice globalism is
socially fairer.
✓ Religious Globalism – on the other hand, struggles competing between market
globalism and justice globalism as they mobilize religious beliefs and aspires for a
global and religious community to uphold superiority over their secular beliefs and
structures.
Ideology
•
•
•
•
•
The term “ideology” was first coined by Antoine Destutt de Tracy in the late 18th century.
It is a system of widely shared ideas and ideals, patterned beliefs, guiding norms and values
and ideals accepted as truths by parts of the society.8
Ideology is also considered to be the working of ideas that helps build a legitimate and
dominant paradigm or pattern. It somehow makes a person culturally conditioned and
brainwashed, not being able to ask about the thoughts that runs in his mind.
According to Freeden (1996), what makes an ideology “political” is that its claims select
privilege and construct social meanings related to the exercise of power in society.
French philosopher, Paul Ricouer (1986), identified the historical elements and functions of
ideology. Drawing on the insights of the Marxist tradition, he characterized the first functions
of ideology as; 9
o The Reality Distortion – the production of contorted images of social reality. This
conceals the contras between things to cease being envisioned in a theory as they
get accepted out on the plane of material reality.
o Legitimation – the process of claiming legitimacy made by the ruling authority and the
belief in an authority’s legitimacy granted by its subjects as it gets accepting in
society.
o Social Integration – plays a meditating or integrative role. ‘It provides society the
stability as it creates, preserves and protects the social identity of persons and
groups since it aligns technology with business strategy and goals.’
7
Steger, Manfred Globalization (3rd edn) Chap 7, Oxford Printing Press 2013. Available on
https://www.veryshortintroductions.com/view/10.1093/actrade/9780199662661.001.0001/actrade9780199662661-chapter-7
8
Cranston, Maurice “Ideology” Encyclopaedia Britannica 2014 https://www.britannica.com/topic/ideology-society
9
Tura, Marcelo Felix “Sources and Implications in Paul Ricoeur's Ideology Concept” Available on ITAIEA website :
https://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Soci/SociTura.htm#:~:text=Sources%20of%20the%20Concept%20of%20Ideology
%20in%20Paul&text=Ricoeur%20starts%20with%20an%20apparent,and%20third%2C%20the%20social%20integra
tion.
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•
Ideology offers no duplicity. As Sir Francis Bacon suggests, it always appears upright. As
Eagleton’s book puts it, “it cannot help presenting itself to our consciousness in ways that
you actually ask what it is”.
“Imperial Globalism refers to the process of economic change based on a use of force threw
economic sanctions or military might and a justification of actions are said to be in a domestic
intervention.”
American political scientist, Joseph Nye, co-founder of the International Relations Theory of NeoLiberalism generalized the term “market globalism” to argue that “globalism refers to any description
or explanation of a word which is characterized by networks of connections that span multicontinental distances”.
Assessment
1. Define economic globalization.
2. Analyse the different core claims about market globalism.
3. Articulate your stance on market globalism.
4. What are the impacts of market globalism in our economy?
5. Draw a very simple slogan on how you understand the role of globalism in our economy.
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This is just a summarized and simplified version of our subject. Any
questions and clarifications will be entertained on my g-mail account
rtherrero648@gmail.com or you can message me directly in our MS Teams
chat feature. Thank you for reading!
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