Globalization: Module 1 Defining Globalization PDF

Globalization is the mobility of human beings and movement as well as an exchange of goods and services, capital, technologies and even cultural practices across borders. Further, the promotion and increase of interactions between different regions and populations around the globe is fostered by glo...

Globalization is the mobility of human beings and movement as well as an exchange of goods and services, capital, technologies and even cultural practices across borders. Further, the promotion and increase of interactions between different regions and populations around the globe is fostered by globalization. Globalization has been a punchline in our daily life. Where ever we go, we can feel, taste, use and even wear what globalization provides. Globalization as defined by Yalcin (cited in Yeates, 2001) refers to an extensive network of economic, cultural, social and political interconnections and processes which goes beyond national boundaries. These interconnections and processes are facilitated not only locally but also across borders. 1. Globalization is changing as human society develops. 2. Rapid and significant demographic change places new demands on national and international policy-making. 3. The presence of transnational migrants also makes cities cosmopolitan, hence more attractive to the forces of globalization. 4. Due to increase in regional integration, diffusion of technology and reduction in distances and border restrictions, the world is becoming global or global village. 5. The global dominance of globalization has affected religious and cultural values, whereby its process is seen as a threat to these traditions. Globalization is a never-ending process of expansion across continents based on migration, trade, warfare, military alliances, conquest, exploration, colonization and technological advancement. Globalization is a complex phenomenon which embraces economic, social, political, technological and cultural dimensions. It aims to benefit individual economies around the world by making markets more efficient, increasing competition, limiting military conflicts, and spreading wealth more equally. For Steger, (2003), economic globalization is the strengthening of economic interrelations across borders and a progressive networking of national market economies into a single, interconnected global political economy (Camiller, 1997). This is well facilitated by government deregulation policies, international transportation, revolutionary and innovative technological advancement and ecological forces geared towards integration (Kudrle, 1999). Political globalization as posited by Steger (2003) is the increase and growth of political interrelations across the globe. Social aspect of globalization refers to a worldwide social relations linking distant localities globally (Giddens, 1990). Cultural globalization refers to the growth of cultural flows across borders (Steger, 2003). Nowadays, the world is socially interconnected through technological gadgets such as mobile phones, social media, internet and electronic media.  Metaphors of Globalization can be categorized as solid and liquid. Solidity refers to barriers that prevent the movement of things. Solids can either be natural or man-made. Examples of natural solids are landforms and bodies of water. Man-made barriers include the Great Wall of China and Berlin Wall. An imaginary line used by the People’s Republic of China in their claim to the South China Sea is an example of a modern man-made solid (Aldama, 2018). Liquidity refers to the increasing ease of movement of people, things, information and places in the contemporary world. Examples are changes in stock market in a matter of seconds. Another characteristic of a liquid phenomenon is that their movement is difficult to stop. Examples are videos uploaded in YouTube or Facebook. They are unstoppable once they become viral. Liquidity increases and proliferates today. Thus, globalization can be best described as liquid (Aldama, 2018). Flows are the movement of people, things, places and information brought by the growing permeability of global limitations (Aldama cited in Ritzer, 2015). Examples are foreign cuisines patronized by Filipinos such as sushi, ramen and others. Globalization of Religion-globalization affects religion in three possible ways, namely; 1) religion is not prioritized due to a widespread and strengthened non-spiritual practices; 2) religion is intensified due to non-acceptance to globalization and 3) religion is declining but has developed a sense of crossbreeding (Iqbal, 2016). There is a complication between religion and modernity where modern ideas and values were rejected by religious communities. Hence, religious communities established religious subculture to protect themselves from the influences of other foreign ideas. Moreover, religious communities developed an adaptation strategy where they have improved modern ideas and values based on their personal interests (Iqbal, 2016). Religion also plays a significant role in world peace where it acts as a mediator between opposing countries. Religion acts as one of the drivers of human rights and social justice. Religious institutions or groups expressed their positions for or against on issues on abortion, contraception, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, drug abuse and others (Iqbal, 2016). New roles of religion in a contemporary world include the participation of religious groups in environmental problems and ecological issues such as global warming, overpopulation, ozone depletion, habitat destruction and waste disposal. Thus, the rise of religious environmentalism exists where religion and religious actors maintain their presence in a global world. They provide ideological and motivational resources for any movement on environmental issues (Iqbal, 2016). Religion was able to transform itself with new roles and identities as crises deeply emerged during globalization process. Globalization and Regionalization Regionalization is a process of integrating regions or establishment of regional identities (Leslie, 2002) or dividing an area into smaller segments called regions. An  example is division of a nation into states or provinces. It is often associated by the presence of regional hegemons - Germany for Europe, Japan for East Asia, the United States for the Western Hemisphere. These regional hegemons provide collective goods (actually, "club goods" as the benefits can only be enjoyed by the countries of their region) such as a stable reserve currency for the region. Thus, the Deutsche mark is increasingly the key currency of the European Union and the Bundesbank is becoming the de facto central bank of Europe, the yen is becoming the principal reserve and trade currency for East Asia, as the U.S. dollar remains the key currency for the Western Hemisphere (Hart & Prakash, 2015). Moreover, Magel (2011) defined regionalization as politico administrative process by which regions emerge as relevant units of analysis for economic and political activity aa well as welfare and service provision. Dimensions of Regionalization include symbolic, territorial, institutional and establishment. Symbolic dimension deals with production and reproduction; territorial dimension is responsible for building a new territorial form; institutional dimension works on emergence of institutions and administrative machinery and establishment dimension is for regional unit in spatial structure and social consciousness (Magel, 2011). Global Demography is the disparity in population growth between developed and developing countries. It reflects the existence of considerable heterogeneity in birth, death and migration processes, both over time and across national populations, races and ethnic groups (Bloom & Canning, 2006). Demography is the study of human populations – their size, composition and distribution across space – and the process through which populations change. Births, deaths and migration are the 'big three' of demography, jointly producing population stability or change (Yaukey & Anderton, 2001). Globalization affects demography through an increase of individuals’ mobility from rural to urban area. Demography is significant because of it helps the government and society in preparing for the issues and demands of population growth, aging and migration. Rapid and significant demographic change places new demands on national and international policy-making (Bloom & Canning, 2006). Global Migration or International Migration Global Migration is primarily associated to income opportunities; a situation in which people go to live in foreign countries to seek for greener pasture. Global migration is mobility from developing countries to developed ones. Migration happens because of an individual’s search for economic opportunities in another country; to be with his family members who have already migrated and sometimes due to political conditions in his country. The economic effects of migration vary widely. Sending countries may experience both gains and losses in the short term but may stand to gain over the longer term. For receiving countries temporary worker programs help to address skills shortages but may decrease domestic wages and add to public welfare burden. Migrants often look at a richer and more diverse culture when they migrate. If migrants are engaged in low skilled jobs, they resort to low salaries which is an advantage to receiving countries because their labor shortage is reduced. On the other hand, an increase cost of health  care and education, overcrowding and sometimes disagreements between varied cultures constitute as ill-effects of migration (Balbo & Marconi, 2005). As a result of increasing economic and social inequalities, migration becomes a reason to improve the living conditions of the family With globalization, cities which become part of the financial and technological flows rely on global/international migrants due to their contribution to urban productivity. Migrants maintain the economic dynamism of cities and act as filling sectors of the labor market. These migrants make cities cosmopolitan attracting the forces of globalization (Duany, 2002). On the other hand, international migrants add to the current demographic growth as well as to urban issues such as the expansion of informal settlements, insecurity of tenure, limited or no access to basic services, environmental deterioration and high levels of crime and violence. Adding to such dilemma include the growing economic and social marginalization of the urban poor, the lack of citizenship rights recognition leading to racial discrimination and insufficient representation in the decision-making process (Balbo & Marconi, 2005) (Balbo & Marconi, 2005).