Philippine Christian University
Sampaloc 1, Dasmariñas City, Cavite 4114
S.Y. 2023-2024 ( 1st Semester )
The Task of Defining Globalization
Globalization is a term used to describe the changes in societies and the world economy that
are the result of dramatically increased trade and cultural exchange. In specifically economic
contexts, it refers almost exclusively to the effects of trade, particularly trade liberalization
or "free trade". It is a common belief that globalization plays a role just at international levels of trade
and commerce, but the fact is that it has played an important role in making our lives much more
comfortable too. The phones, apparels, gadgets or accessories that we use in our day-to-day life are be
available to us through globalization. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are all under the
impact of globalization, and more importantly it has helped in bringing international
peace and justice to mankind.
Metaphors of Globalization
As with any aspect of world politics, globalization is bound up in metaphors.
Indeed, which metaphors of
globalization are to prevail in contemporary history, and with what
consequence? Whereas some metaphors soothe their audiences with talk of global community, global
neighborhood and global village, other metaphors disturb with talk of global apartheid, global terror
and global pillage. Africa, the ill child .The metaphor of Globalization as medicine refers to the
medical vocabulary. It implies that the continent as a whole is ill. The contemporary
metaphors on Globalization offer patterns that should be of concern to those caring about equity and
equality.
Globalization Theories
All theories of globalization have been put hereunder in eight categories: liberalism,
political realism, Marxism, constructivism, postmodernism, feminism ,
Trans-formationalism and eclecticism. Each one of them carries several variations.
1. Theory of Liberalism - the process of globalization as market-led extension of
modernization. At the most elementary level, it is a result of ‘natural’ human desires for economic
welfare and political liberty. As such, trans planetary connectivity is derived from human drives to
maximize material well-being and to exercise basic freedoms. These forces eventually interlink
humanity across the planet .They fructify in the form of: (a) Technological advances and (b) Suitable
legal and institutional arrangement.
2. Theory of Political Realism - advocates are interested in questions of state power,
the pursuit of national interest, and conflict between states. According to them states are inherently
acquisitive and self-serving, and heading for inevitable competition of power. Some of the
scholars stand for a balance of power, where any attempt by one state to achieve world dominance is
countered by collective resistance from other states. Another group suggests that a dominant state can
bring stability to world order. The ‘hegemon’ state maintains and defines international rules and
institutions that both advance its own interests and at the same time contain conflicts between other
states. They concentrate on the activities of Great Britain, China, France, Japan, the USA and
some other large states. Thus, the political realists high light the issues of power and power struggles
and the role of states in generating global relations.
3. Theory of Marxism - Marxism is principally concerned with modes of production, social
exploitation through unjust distribution, and social emancipation through the transcendence
of capitalism. Marx himself anticipated the growth of globality that ‘capital by its nature
drives beyond every spatial barrier to conquer the whole earth for its market’. Accordingly, to
Marxists, globalization happens because trans-world connectivity enhances opportunities of
profit-making and surplus accumulation. Marxists reject both liberalist and political realist
explanations of globalization.
4. Theory of Constructivism - Constructivists concentrate on the ways that social actors
‘construct’ their world: both within their own minds and through inter-subjective communication with
others. Conversation and symbolic exchanges lead people to construct ideas of the world, the
rules for social interaction, and ways of being and belonging in that world .People have mentally
constructed the social world with particular symbols, language, images and interpretation. Such
accounts of globalization have come from the fields of Anthropology, Humanities, Media of Studies
and Sociology.
5. Theory of Postmodernism - Some ideational perspectives of globalization highlight
the significance of structural power in the construction of identities, norms and knowledge which are
grouped under the label of ‘postmodernism’. As Michel Foucault does strive to understand society in
terms of knowledge power: power structures shape knowledge. Certain knowledge structures support
certain power hierarchies.
6. Theory of Feminism – Gives emphasis on social construction of masculinity and femininity.
Biological sex is held to mould the overall social order and shape significantly the course
of history, presently globality. Their main concern lies behind the status of women, particularly their
structural subordination to men. Women have tended to be marginalized, silenced and violated in global
communication.
7. Theory of Transformationalism – A theory expounded by David Held and his colleagues.
Accordingly, the term ‘globalization’ reflects increased interconnectedness in political, economic and
cultural matters across the world creating a “shared social space”. Finally, transformationalists such as
Rosenau (1997) or Giddens (1990) argue that globalization occurs as “states and societies across the
globe are experiencing a process of profound change as they try to adapt to a more interconnected but
highly uncertain world”.
8. Theory of Eclecticism – A conceptual approach draws upon multiple theories ,styles, or
ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different heories in
particular cases