Edexcel Geography A-Level Globalisation Notes PDF

Edexcel Geography A-level Globalisation Essential Notes www.pmt.education Enquiry question 1: What are the causes of globalisation and why has it accelerated in recent years? Causes of Globalisation ➔ Globalisation refers to the way people and places across the world hav...

Edexcel Geography A-level Globalisation Essential Notes www.pmt.education Enquiry question 1: What are the causes of globalisation and why has it accelerated in recent years? Causes of Globalisation ➔ Globalisation refers to the way people and places across the world have become closely linked together. This has deepened ​global connections​, ​interdependence​ and ​flows of capital, commodities, migrants and tourists​. ➔ Globalisation has recently ​accelerated​, creating new opportunities for businesses and people. Although inequalities are caused, globalisation has nonetheless increased the flow of ideas, goods and services, creating a ​global community​. ➔ The factors accelerating globalisation are: - TNCs:​ Have influenced global culture (such as McDonaldisation) and improved local economies by providing job opportunities. TNCs try to appeal to local markets by the process of glocalisation which means products are specially designed for the taste of the consumer. This is why McDonalds has produced the ‘Maharaja Burger’ and Marvel has produced the ‘Indian Spiderman’ (Google it!!) for Indian audiences. Additionally, TNCs develop new markets and take advantage of economic liberalisation by offshoring and outsourcing (basing manufacturing etc. away from the market country). - Transport and Communications:​ Improvements in mobile communications, internet, social media and fibre optics have allowed people to connect together from all over the world. Transports development has produced cheap travel, reaching everyone and causing time-space compression (as transport is quicker than ever before). - Technology:​ ​Computer-aided design and manufacturing have allowed technology to become more efficient and less reliant on human labour. This saves time but causes job losses. - International Organisations:​ ​These provide aid and assistance to countries in need, forming a global community where countries try to support one another (the achievements of this perhaps requires evaluation as vested interest are often involved). - Markets:​ ​Globalisation has made people richer, forming a larger global market who consume goods and services. This has led to stock growth in, for example, London and Shanghai. ➔ Developments in ​transport​, such as the railway, and trade in the 19​th​ century accelerated in the 20​th​ century with the production of​ jet airway​ and ​containerisation​ (mode of shipping in excess). This has contributed to a ​‘shrinking world’​ where the world seems much smaller due to its interrelations. For instance, in the past it would have taken weeks to get to the other side of the world whereas it only takes up to a 24 hours today. Political and Economic Factors ➔ International political and economic organisation, such as WTO and IMF, have contributed to globalisation by promoting ​free trade policies​ and ​foreign direct investment​. ➔ National governments​ promote free trade blocs (such as the EU which we no longer belong to!) by removing trade barriers and forming international groupings. www.pmt.education  ➔ Additionally policies such as ​free-market liberalisation​, ​privatisation​ and the encouragement of business start-ups​ help improve economic wealth whilst accelerating globalisation and global networks are formed. ➔ FDI has contributed to the wealth of emerging economies such as India and China. The impact of Globalisation ➔ The degree of globalisation varies globally, producing winners and losers. This can be measured using ​indicators and indices​ such as the AT Kearney index and the KOF index. ➔ Some countries remain ​switched off​ from globalisation due to: ​political corruption/ideology​ (e.g. North Korea),​ location​ (e.g sparsely populated areas (Tibet), poor infrastructure​, ​unskilled workforce, crime​ (kidnapping of foreign workers in African countries), ​weak market, debt ​and ​unstable currencies. Enquiry question 2: What are the impacts of globalisation for countries, different groups of people and cultures and the physical environment? Winners and Losers ➔ Globalisation has encouraged western companies, such as Virgin Media, to gravitate towards Asia for ​cheap manufacturing and outsourcing​. ➔ This has helped build benefits for Asian countries such as India, who have now seen improvements in infrastructure, wages, poverty reduction, education and training. ➔ However, the costs include: the ​loss of productive land​ as urban settlements grow, unplanned settlements​ leading to shanty towns (Dharavi in Mumbai) and environmental/resource pressure​. ➔ Some communities in developing countries have experienced environmental problems​ such as ​air/water pollution, land degradation, over exploitation of resources​ and the ​loss of biodiversity ​which impacts human wellbeing and health. In Beijing (China), air pollution is so bad that in February 2016 the city was given a red alert, meaning that the air quality was a danger to health. ➔ For developed nations, globalisation causes ​deindustrialisation​ (job loss due to a reduction in industry). This produces social and environmental problems as issues such as dereliction, contamination, depopulation, crime and high unemployment occur. ➔ A globalisation winner usually has an ​abundance of resources​. For instance, Saudi Arabia have physical oil resources which produce petrodollar wealth from trade. China has cheap and skilled labour with a large market and growing industry. ➔ In comparison, Zimbabwe is a globalisation loser as it is ​landlocked​ in South East Africa so has poor access to coastlines, where trading occurs. ​Political instability​ and EU/USA trade sanctions exacerbate difficulties whilst many airlines refuse to fly there due to the numerous threats involved. ➔ Sometimes, exceptional winners and losers can form. For instance, Las Vegas in the Nevada desert is a populous tourist base where gambling is legalised, attracting wealth from all over the world. An odd loser is Sierra Leone in West Africa which, despite having diamond wealth, faces corruption and civil war, www.pmt.education  preventing access to global markets. Economic Migration ➔ Rural-Urban migration​ is a result of push and pull factors and, when coupled with natural population increase, is responsible for the growth of megacities, such as Mumbai. ➔ Rapid urban growth creates numerous social and environmental problems such as overcrowding​, ​stress​ on housing/healthcare/resources, the ​growth of the informal sector and ​diseases​. Migration Pros to Migration Cons to Migration Pros to Migration Cons to Source Source Host Host Wealth from Reduced workforce Larger workforce Increased birth rate remittances Migrants improve Families forced to Large market Rise in illegal migrants lifestyle split Source country has Reduced New culture/ideas Rise in hate international links population size crime/racism Forced labour Prevent ageing Stress on services abroad population ➔ The ​Zelinksy Model of Migration Transition​ claims that as a country develops, the type of migration changes. In more developed states, there is a rise in international migration which increases global hub cities (e.g. New York) and deepens interdependence (elite migration: Australia have a point system to decide who enters the country). There are large migrant flows from India to the UAE and the Philippines to Saudi Arabia. Westernisation ➔ Globalisation causes ​cultural diffusion​ as TNCs, migration, media and tourism spreads ideas/cultures. ➔ Increasing spread of ​western ideology​ (capitalism, fast food, Hollywood) erodes ​global diversity​. ➔ Some locations face the loss of traditional foods, music, clothes, social beliefs and languages. There has been a reduction in tribal lifestyle in Papua New Guinea and stewardship beliefs, impacting the natural world. ➔ Globalisation issues have created ​anti-globalisation groups and views. ​It has also created special opportunities (The Paralympics) Enquiry question 3: What are the consequences of globalisation for global development and the physical environment and how should different players respond to its challenges? Globalisation and Development ➔ Globalisation has led to economic growth for some countries whilst widening the development gap​, producing disparities in environmental quality, wealth distribution and social wellbeing. ➔ Some economic measures of development are; Income per Capita, GDP and Economic Sector Balance but these are often affected by anomalous data values which can make a country seem richer/poorer than www.pmt.education  it actually is. Social development measures include the ​composite​ Human Development Index, Gender Inequality Index and Environmental Quality. These measures take into account factors useful for everyday without primarily focusing on wealth. The Social Progress Index uses both economic and social factors ➔ Global trends indicate a ​widening income inequality​, measured using the ​Gini Coefficient​, which reinforces the theory that globalisation has produced winners and losers throughout the world. ➔ According to ​Kuznets curve​, as economic development increases, environment management improves. Perhaps this is why developed nations such as the UK are more conscious about their environmental impacts (for example there are regulations on carbon emissions, taxations etc.). As globalisation continuous to occur, more nations will become wealthier; thus becoming more aware of their environmental footprints. Social, Political and Environmental Tensions ➔ Open door policies​ (e.g. EU), ​deregulation​ and ​FDI​ has created culturally diverse societies but also caused ​racial and ethnic tension​. There has been a rise in extremism in Europe and transboundary water conflicts, especially surrounding The Euphrates. ➔ There was great social tension between African immigrants and Spaniards, heightening between 1991 and 2002 when 2 million were forced to flee their homes in Sierra Leone because of civil war. ➔ Censorship​, such as in China and North Korea, has limited the spread of globalisation within regions. Here the government has the greatest control as they restrict what can be viewed by the public. Reports claim that China pressurised Google to remove search results on sensitive issues such as human rights and freedom. ➔ Under a business-as-usual future, tensions could stem from environmental concerns​ as sources become scarcer and key players compete for them. Currently, political and social tensions are the greatest but an environmental element is likely to come into to play in the near future. ➔ Some groups, usually political, try to regain their ​cultural identity​ and physical resources, such as First Nations in Canada and UKIP in the UK. Unsustainability and Awareness ➔ One response to globalisation is to promote ​local sourcing​ which encourages sustainability. This is done by local groups and NGOs. Although locally sourced products reduce ​costs, food miles and pollution​ whilst providing employment; it nonetheless restrict the types of products available. ➔ Schemes such as ​Fair Trade​ and the ​Rainforest Alliance​ reduce environmental degradation, poor working conditions and global trade inequalities, allowing a larger market to contribute to globalisation. The benefits of these schemes seem to outweigh the costs but there are underlying issues such as debt, pressure to produce and food insecurity, as cash crops are favoured rather than individual food resources. www.pmt.education ➔ Recycling​ manages resource consumption and ecological footprints but its effectiveness varies globally. Whilst places like Curitiba in Brazil have a strong recycling scheme, other places such as India have yet to develop a system. If implemented on a global scale, the rewards could be monumental for a sustainable future. www.pmt.education