Introduction to the Study of Globalization PDF

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION Bachelor of Science in Bulacan Date Developed: JULY 2020 Customs Polytechnic Page 1 of 3 Date Revised:...

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION Bachelor of Science in Bulacan Date Developed: JULY 2020 Customs Polytechnic Page 1 of 3 Date Revised: Administration College July 2020 THE CONTEMPORARY Document No. Developed by: Revision # 02 WORLD 20-TCW 113 SMIS  THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD Learning Objectives: After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to: 1. Differentiate the competing conceptions of globalization 2. Identify the underlying philosophies of the varying definitions of globalization 3. Agree on a working definition of globalization for the course INTRODUCTION Much has changed since time immemorial. Human beings have encountered many changes over the last century especially in their relationships and social structures. Of these changes, one can say that globalization is a very important change, if not, the “most important” (Bauman 2013). The reality and omnipresence of globalization make us see ourselves as part of what we refer to as the “global age” (Albrow 1996). The internet, for example, allows a person from the Philippines to know what is happening to the rest of the world simply by browsing Google. The mass media also allowed for further connections of people, communities, and countries all over the globe. What is globalization? This question is probably an easy one to answer. However, many scholars gave and continue to formulate definitions of it. This resulted to different, sometimes contradicting views about the concept. It cannot be contained within a specific time frame, all people, and all situations. Aside from this, globalization encompasses a multitude of processes that involve the economy, political systems, and culture. Social structures, therefore, are directly affected by globalization. Bachelor of Science in Bulacan Date Developed: JULY 2020 Customs Polytechnic Page 2 of 3 Date Revised: Administration College July 2020 THE CONTEMPORARY Document No. Developed by: Revision # 02 WORLD 20-TCW 113 SMIS  Over the years, it has gained many connotations pertaining to progress, development, and integration. On the one hand, it can be said that some view globalization to be positive phenomenon. For instance, Swedish Journalist Thomas Larsson (2001) saw globalization as “the process of world shrinkage of distances getting shorter, things moving closer. It pertains to the increasing ease with which somebody on one side of the world can interact, to mutual benefit with somebody on the other side of the world.” The Task of Defining Globalization Why are we going to spend time studying this concept? How can we appreciate these definitions? How can these help us understand globalization? Firstly, defining globalization is shaped by the perspective of the person who defines it. The overview of definitions implied that globalization is many things to many different people. In 1996, Arjun Appadural said, “globalization is a ‘world of things’ that have ‘different speeds, axes, points of origin and termination, and varied relationships to institutional structures in different regions, nations, societies.” Second, to paraphrase the sociologist Cesare Poppi: globalization is the debate and the debate is globalization. One became part and parcel of the other. As Poppi (1997) wrote: “The literature stemming from the debate on globalization has grown in the last decade beyond any individual’s capability of extracting a workable definition of the concept. In a sense, the meaning of the concept is self- evident, in another, it is vague and obscure as its reaches are wide and constantly shifting. Perhaps, more than any other concept, globalization is the debate about it.” Thirdly, globalization is reality. It is changing as human society develops. It has happened before and is still happening today. We should expect it to continue to happen in the future. Overall, globalization is a concept that is not easy to define because in reality, defining globalization has a shifting nature. Bachelor of Science in Bulacan Date Developed: JULY 2020 Customs Polytechnic Page 3 of 3 Date Revised: Administration College July 2020 THE CONTEMPORARY Document No. Developed by: Revision # 02 WORLD 20-TCW 113 SMIS