Understanding Globalization

Globalization

• A process where people, ideas, and goods are spread worldwide
• Aims to increase interaction and integration among cultures, governments, and economies
• Driven by international trade, investment, and information technology
• Impacts the environment, culture, political systems, economic development, and human well-being

Manfred Steger's Definition of Globalization

• Expansion and intensification of social relations and consciousness across world-time and world-space

Expansion

• Creation of new social networks
• Increasing existing connections

Intensification

• Stretching and acceleration of social networks

Social Relations

• Interactions between two or more people, groups, or organizations
• Composed of social, physical, and verbal exchanges
• Creates a climate for the exchange of feelings and ideas

Time and Space

• People perceive the world as smaller
• Distances have collapsed

Characteristics of Globalization

• Involves creating social networks that cut across traditional, political, economic, cultural, and geographical boundaries which can be embodied through events like the Olympics
• Expansion and stretching of social relations, activities, and connections can be embodied through the presence of fast food chains and electronics worldwide
• Intensification and acceleration of social exchanges and activities can be embodied by the relay of information through the internet and satellites
• Occurs on objective and subjective levels of human consciousness, involving both macro and micro structures and facilitating multiple identities

Historical Periods of Globalization

• Prehistoric Period (10000 BCE-3500 BCE): Limited contacts due to lack of technology
• Pre-modern Period (3500 BCE-1500 CE): Invention of writing and the wheel boosted globalization
• Early Modern Period (1500-1750): The Enlightenment and Renaissance strengthened globalization
• Modern Period (1750-1970): Transportation, communication, population increase, and industrialization accelerated globalization
• Contemporary Period (1970 to present): Dramatic creation, expansion, and acceleration of interdependencies occurred

Dimensions of Globalization

Economic Dimension

• Extensive development of economic relations due to technology and capital flow
• Major players include international corporations (General Motors, Walmart, Mitsubishi) and international economic institutions (IMF, World Trade Organization, World Bank)

Political Dimension

• Enlargement and strengthening of political interrelations
• Political issues include state sovereignty, impact of intergovernmental organizations, and future governance shapes

Cultural Dimension

• Increase in cultural flows
• Interconnections are foundations of contemporary globalization
• Cultural diversity results in hybridization
• Media empires like Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, and Disney direct cultural flow

Religious Dimension

• Attitudes, beliefs, and practices related to an ultimate reality
• A defining element of civilization and potential future conflicts

Ideological Dimensions

• A system of shared ideas, beliefs, norms, and values
• Used to legitimize political interests or defend power structures

Arjun Appadurai's "Scapes"

• Ethnoscape: Movement of people (e.g., refugees, tourists)
• Technoscape: Technologies that speed up cross-border movements (e.g., smartphones, internet)
• Financescape: Movement of money across borders (e.g., stock exchange, credit cards)
• Mediascape: Global reach of media (e.g., blogging, BBC)
• Ideoscape: Spread of ideas, symbols, and narratives (e.g., liberal democracy)

Globalization vs. Globalism

• Globalization: Intensifying global interdependence
• Globalism: Ideology that gives meaning to globalization
• Globalization: Processes that allow for expansion and intensification of global connections
• Globalism: Widespread belief that global integration of economic markets is beneficial