Globalization

What is Globalization? ●The expanding global interconnection of the world in all aspects: political, economic, cultural, social, technological ●Erasing borders between countries and cultures ●Homogenization (look it up!) of the world Don’t write

●A new international order that replaced Cold-War order ●A situation where a producer may produce anywhere, sell wherever they want, use resources of any country, and have HQ anywhere Don’t write

The World-Economy Theory - Hyperglobalization ●Globalization is a natural process as capitalism spreads. ●The world is a market and labour force pool. ●There exist core driving countries, semi-peripheral countries who are on the outside and peripheral countries

Semi-Periphery Countries (purple)

The Third Way Theory =Transformationalism ●Globalization is a biased process. ●There is a need to protect diversity against homogenization. ●Nation-states will be transformed to be able to face competition on the world market.

The World-Culture Theory = Homogenism ●Creation of a world culture is a part of globalization, not its side-effect. ●Cultural homogenization started in colonial times (exploration, trade, economic and cultural expansion). ●EU or US culture as a world norm (point of reference). Don’t write

What is Globalization? An English princess and her Egyptian lover perish in a car crash inside a French tunnel while traveling in a German vehicle with a Dutch engine driven by a Belgian, who had earlier had a sip of Scottish whisky and was trying to elude their Italian paparazzi pursuers driving a Japanese motorbike. She is subsequently administered CPR by an American paramedic using Brazilian pharmaceuticals. And this text was written by a Filipino operating on technology patented by Bill Gates, who had borrowed it from the Japanese. And you're probably sitting there reading this on a clone of the American IBM that depends heavily on Taiwanese hardware and has a Korean monitor assembled by Bangladeshi workers at a Singaporean factory, transported by truck by Indians, and finally sold to your country of residence by the Chinese. THAT is globalization!” Don’t write

Passenger Flights

Pictures of Globalization

Time-Space Convergence

The Big Mac Index

Is Globalization really a Global Process? Which of these brands originate from ● Africa? ● South America? ● Asia (besides Japan and South Korea)? ● Let’s look a few up! Don’t write

Anti-Globalists WTO summit in Seattle, 1999 – symbolic birth of the movement ●Globalization leads to poverty of the South and wealth of the North ●Significant part of the world population does not benefit from globalization ●Globalization leads to uniformity of societies ●Globalization leads to gradual degradation of the environment ●Well developed countries are dictators on world markets ●Debts of the South should be retired at once, without any conditions Don’t write

Worldwide Internet Users

Advantages of Globalization? ●Free movement of people (f.e. tourism, migration) ●Free exchange of goods (trade gains, lower prices) ●Free exchange of ideas and information ●Quick dispersion of innovation ●International division of work (specialisation of work, scale advantages) ●Quicker economic increase

Disadvantages of Globalization ●Free movement of people ●Mass tourism and its consequences ●Free exchange of people (migration: brain drain) ●Protection of EU farmers (300 billion $/year; 16x more than aid for Africa)

Disadvantages of Globalization ●Weaker countries cannot successfully compete ●Local economic crises strike the whole world ●Diseases easily disperse ●Increase of crime, terrorism, smuggling of drugs and arms ●Economic neo-colonialism ○ – commonwealths ○ – subordination of weaker countries

Perspectives on Globalization Globalisation should be strengthened through: ● Increase of information flows ● Elimination of stereotypes and prejudices ● Change of approach to ‘the others’ (competitor, not enemy)

Perspectives on Globalization Globalisation should be limited and subordinated to a set of priorities: ● Social ● Cultural ● Ecological

An alternative to globalisation should be found in: ● Local movements ● Sustainable development

Global Facts Sheet ●Read through the Fact sheet handout ●Circle the three facts you find the most interesting. ●In a few sentences (write em down), explain what these facts tell you about globalization and the effects it's having on the world.