Understandings of Globalization Chapter 1 (pp. 6-25)

Globalization Economic Globalization: buying products from another country, Wal-mart, McDonalds, NAFTA Social Globalization: music and videogames, fashion, inventions Political Globalization: United Nations, NATO, G8 Summit, Kyoto Protocol

How Globalization affects the economic aspects of your life Global Trade: Most of the products that we use everyday are made in other parts of the world. How do they get here? What do we trade for them? Imports: products brought into a country Exports: products sent out of a country

Transnational Companies Companies that operation in two or more countries. McDonalds, Nike, Coca Cola By working in more than one country they can reduce costs and improve production. They work on governments to reduce regulations and trade barriers.

Walmart Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (formerly branded as Wal-Mart, branded as Walmart since 2008) is an American public multinational corporation that runs a chain of large discount department stores and a chain of warehouse stores. In 2010 it was the world's largest public corporation by revenue, according to the Forbes Global 2000 for that year. The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962, incorporated on October 31, 1969, and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange in 1972. Wal-Mart, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, is the largest majority private employer and the largest grocery retailer in the United States. In 2009, it generated 51% of its US$258 billion sales in the U.S. from grocery business. It also owns and operates the Sam's Club retail warehouses in North America.

Opinions about Wal-Mart Supporters/Customers Critics Low prices, and you can buy in bulk Brings down the prices of competing business One stop shopping Wal-Mart offers employment for local worker – particularly seniors and teenagers. Local business go out of business because they cannot compete. People lose jobs as their businesses close down Wal-Mart offers low wages and limited employee benefits People move out of the downtown areas of cities. Wal-Mart buys 70% of what it sells from China, taking business away from Canadian Producers

Should Wal-Mart allow their workers to form unions? Unions are organizations of workers who negotiate with the employer on matters of pay, working conditions, hours, and benefits. Wal-Mart has actively worked to discourage the unionization of its workers. (It has actually closed stores where unions were gaining a foothold.)

How Globalization affects the social aspects of your life. Society: a group of people who form an ordered community. Television: What are your favorite shows on TV? Where are they made? Music: What are your favorite artists? Where are they from? News: Where do we get our news from? How much of our culture (popular culture esp) comes from the United States? Was it always this way? What will the impacts be?

How Globalization affects the political aspects of you life? What are some global political organizations? How have the lives of Canadians been affected by: The United Nations? NATO? G8 (Group of 8)? War? How have the lives of Canadians been affected by world events such as: The Boxing Day Tsunami 2004? Haiti Earthquake?

Democracy A form of government where the laws apply to all people equally, and that holds fair and free elections. What countries are democracies? What countries are not or were not democracies? Has Canada always been a democracy? Is the spread of democracy a positive or negative thing?

East Timor and Democracy East Timor was controlled by Portugal for almost 400 years, until they moved out in 1974. In 1975 the Indonesian army took control. In 1991 East Timorese student demonstrated and were massacred by the Indonesian army. The United Nations finally got the Indonesian government to agree to a referendum in 1999 and East Timor gained independence. They are now a democratic country.

Chapter 1 Response Write a response on the extent that globalization influences your life? Explain both the positive and negative influences that you feel are a result of your interaction with the rest of the world. Respond to this question using the "reply" button. You must also respond to at least on other person’s response. You can mention something that you agree with or perhaps something that you think they might need to consider.