Gen. Ed.

1: Contemporary World (Sir Ed’s classes, IAU)

TAKING OFF
Module 1: DEFINING GLOBALIZATION

Human beings have encountered many changes over the last century especially in their
social relationships and social structures. Of these changes, one can say that globalization is a
very important change, if not the most important. The reality and omnipresence (omni=all) of
globalization makes us see ourselves part of the “global age”, and as the world is getting
smaller, we can say we are no longer living in some isolated tribe, community, or nation, but in
a “global village.”
Aside from this, globalization encompasses a multitude of processes that involves the
economy, political systems, and culture. Social structures therefore are directly affected by
globalization. (I will insert a discussion of the 4 elements of social structures and the 5 enduring
social institutions and their interaction using the Durkheimian and Marxist models of social
analysis).

Over the years, globalization has gained many connotations pertaining to progress,
development, and integration.
 Positively, the Swedish journalist Thomas Larsson viewed globalization as the process of
world shrinkage, of distances getting shorter, things moving closer.
 Negatively, some view globalization as occurring through with regression (cite
Philippines free trade with US after WWII), colonialism, and destabilization.

Defining globalization could be done and classified in the following manner:

A) Broad and Inclusive – an example of this is the view on globalization as the onset of a
borderless world. This can include varieties of issues that deal with overcoming
traditional boundaries but it does not shed light on the implications of globalization due
to its vagueness.
B) Narrow and Exclusive – are better justified but can be limiting in the sense that their
application adhere to only particular definitions. The definition of globalization as a
trend that includes internationalization of production, the new international division of
labor (ex. Japan producing electronic products and Philippines producing agricultural
goods), new migratory movements, and the new competitive environment that
accelerates these processes and the internationalizing of the state (ex. U.N. ASEAN,
APEC) making states into “globalizing world”

No matter how we classify definitions of globalization , the concept remains complex

and multifaceted as we cannot detach globalization from economic, political, or social
dimensions. However, the sociologist George Ritzer (American Sociologist) presents a more
comprehensive definition of “globalization as a transplanetary process or a set of processes
involving increasing liquidity and the growing multidirectional flows of people, objects, places,
and information as well as the structures they encounter and create that are barriers to, or
expedite (speed up) those flows.” Generally, this definition assumes that globalization could
bring either or both integration or fragmentation. Although things flow easily in a global world,
hindrances or structural blocks are also present.

Understanding and Appreciating the Importance of Defining Globalization

1. The perspective of the person who defines globalization shapes its definition.
Globalization means so many things to so many people. To those who see globalization
as positive, they could say it is a unifying force and those who see it negatively could say
globalization creates greater inequalities among nations.
2. Globalization is the debate and the debate is globalization (in Logic, this is called
begging the question or pititio principii). Defining globalization has grown beyond any
individual’s capacity to define it. It is both self-evident and obscure or vague, and
constantly shifting.
3. Globalization is a reality. It is changing as human society develops. It has happened
before (during the times of the Greeks and Romans), and is still happening today (from
Enlightenment to post-Enlightenment era).

In reality, philosophically, globalization is a concept that is not easy to define because at

the heart of globalization is the central phenomena of change, it has a shifting nature. (The
phenomena referred by the historian, Alvin Toffler, creating the present social illness of
humans, future shock, our incapacity to deal and cope with the rapid change in all processes of
human life).

Metaphors of Globalization
In order for us to better understand the concept of globalization, we will use metaphors
(use to describe somebody or something of a word or phrase that is not meant literally but
by means of a clear comparison expresses something about somebody or something).
Metaphors make use of one term to help us better understand another term.

1. Solid and Liquid

 Solidity refers to the barriers that prevent or make difficult the movement of things.
It can be natural or man-made. (Examples of natural solids are landforms and bodies
of water dividing nations while that of man-made solids are Great Wall of China,
Berlin Wall, the imaginary line set by China as their basis for claiming parts of the
West Philippine Sea)
 Liquidity refers to the increasing ease of movement of people, things, information,
and places in the contemporary world in the contemporary world. According to
Zygmunt Bauman (Polish Sociologist and Philosopher) liquidity has three
characteristics. First, today’s liquid phenomena change quickly and their aspects,
spatial (space) and temporal (time) are in continuous fluctuation (for example the
global finance and stock markets). This means that time and space are crucial
elements of globalization. Second characteristic of liquid phenomena is that their
movement is difficult to stop (a good example of this is You Tube and Facebook).
Third, the forces (the liquid ones) made political boundaries permeable (allowing
 liquids to pass through) to the flow of people and things (like the decline of nation
state, ex. Iraq, Syria, etc).

Liquidity and solidity are in constant interaction. However, liquidity is the one increasing
and proliferating today. Therefore, the metaphor that could best describe globalization is
Fluidity. (Insert how the opening of Suez Canal made the flow of information and ideas became
faster during the times of Rizal).

2. Flows – are movement of people, things, places, and information brought by the
growing “porosity” of global limitations. (The flow of the different foreign fast food
lanes, and cuisines, how can we be affected by global financial crisis, poor illegal
migrants, the virtual flow of censored materials in the internet are only few example of
how the phenomena happening in one nation can affect the entire globe. The flow of
people, things, places, and information made national borders porous.

AIR POCKET 1: PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a) broad and inclusive definitions
and b) narrow and exclusive definitions of globalization?
2. What do you think is the importance of defining globalization?
3. Do you agree with the idea that the contemporary world is characterized by high
liquidity? Why or why not?
4. Give at least 5 aspects of your experience or of your family that are directly affected or
connected to globalization. Explain each briefly.

AIR POCKET 2: GROUP ACTIVITY (Instructions will be given in class)