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Study Guide in (Course Code and Course Title)
Module No.__
STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. ___
The Global City
MODULE OVERVIEW
Images of trendsetters living the life, travelling from one well-known city to the next, tasting delicacies each has
to offer litter the internet and other social media sites. Some of you might have already visited some of these
places. Others may have relatives living in London and New York who send them items in balikbayan boxes
offering a taste of how they live in those areas. For some, these and other similar sights fuel their desire to partake
in what life has to offer. But have you once stopped and think of why people prefer some cities over the others to
go to and visit and eventually migrate into? What makes these top destinations appealing and to a degree
important?
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MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
• identify the attributes of a global city.
• analyze how cities serve as engines of globalization
LEARNING CONTENTS (title of the subsection)
Prior to the existing competition among major cities of the world to reign supreme and be branded as the
most powerful, the study of global cities has its humble beginnings. It arose in the 1980’s when researchers
concerned themselves with identifying common attributes found among cities considered as front liners in
development. Compared to the rural areas of nation-states, cities are seen as the avenues where global networks
and transactions transpire. It is where financial cash flows of massive scales take place attracting companies and
multi-national corporations to invest in infrastructures and other business endeavors which in turn generate
employment opportunities for their citizens. Other individuals become attracted as well to migrate into these global
cities because it comes with a promise of a better life than that which they already have.
According to the Britannica Encyclopedia, a global city is an urban centre that enjoys significant
competitive advantages and that serves as a hub within a globalized economic system. The term was first used
by a sociologists named Saskia Sassen in 1884, she primarily used economics as the main criteria for determining
which of the cities all over the world is to be labeled as such. In her research in the said period, she was able to
identity three cities considered as centers of capitalism and global financial transactions: London, Tokyo and New
York. In support to this selection, Manuel Castells stated that:
“… London because it is the world's leading financial market as far as transactions are concerned and also
constitutes a crucial airport node and is one of the ends of the economic backbone that crosses Europe; New
York for being the main receiver of capital flows and service exporter; and Tokyo for being the greatest capital
lender and the headquarters of the most important banks in the world, as well as an international center in the
economy of services, education, advertising, and design.”
Sassen is not mistaken for considering economics as a major determining factor of a global city as this primarily
becomes the most appealing feature that attracts people from all walks of life to move in.
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FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020
Study Guide in (Course Code and Course Title)
Module No.__
The then list of characteristics and attributes that made a city a forerunner in the global scene has
transformed and within it included other criterion such as the occurrence of an international population based.
Global cities now become melting pots of international culture and cuisine. In the image below, a Mongolian BBQ
shop is cozily located in the heart of Dublin. This and other similar establishments offering foreign products are a
familiar scene for a vast majority. As explained in previous chapters, this is made possible because of
globalization.
Global cities are also has the greatest number of business infrastructures housing international
organizations, and businesses alike. They undoubtedly become seats of power where political, economic, cultural
and religious engagements are overseen. To make this characteristic more clearly, let us consider the United
Nations, a powerful organization capable of providing international humanitarian aids to countries in need. Its
headquarters is strategically located in New York. As with London who has advantageously positioned itself as a
global banking and financial centre. They are also centers of innovation and higher learning. Global cities boasts
having the world’s top universities like Boston’s Harvard University and Cambridge University in England. These
and several other features make up the characteristics of what a global city must have.
*please refer in the Worktext in the Conemporary World
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
Name: _______________________________________ Score: _________________
Course: ______________________________________ Date: __________________
Tara Na Biyahe Tayo!
Direction:
In class, students will form groups with 5-7 members each. Every group will choose and promote a global
city to discuss and research on. They shall present an imagined group educational tour in the global city showing
pictures of the places that best to be “visited” in the fictional tour. This activity will be presented by group and will
serve as their final output .Group will choose if this is recorded (link thru google drive) or present by share screen
in MS team. Their reports should include answers to the following guide questions:
1. How would you describe your city?
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2. What is your city best known for?
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3. What makes your city a global city?
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4. What are the challenge/s these cities are facing?
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*please refer in the Worktext in the Conemporary World
SUMMARY
Challenges to Global Cities
By this time, you might have an idea of what a global city is and so we move to the next challenge of
carefully examining the challenges that comes with the rise of global cities.
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The first of these challenges is the significant rise in the city population as people flock towards cities
trying their luck to improve their financial status. However, not all who migrates to cities are rewarded for many
end up contributing to the slum populace. Globalization creates a rush of high paying jobs within global cities
creating a chain reaction demanding low income employment to attend to their growing needs. These low income
jobs comprise of domestic helpers, maids, cooks, food attendants. Thus implying that flocking to global cities
does necessarily mean a good life for everyone.
With the significant rise in the population, several other issues spring out which leads us to the next
challenge which is food and water shortage. Researches reveals that 2.5 billion individuals have no access to
clean water and sanitation. Many people still go hungry as food is unevenly distributed all over the world bringing
into question global food security food security.
Lastly, the problem about climate change and rising temperatures. Cities are considered as the greatest
contributor of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change affects more people than others for some are more
equipped to handle the effects of climate change.
REFERENCES
Mendoza, Et.al, 2019. WORKTEXT IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. Nieme Publishing House. Co.Ltd.
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