Lesson 1.

The Task of Defining Globalization

Much has changed since time immemorial. 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 form of change, if not the most important. The
reality of globalization makes us see ourselves as part of what we refer to as the “global age”.
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 allows for connections
among people, communities, and countries all over the globe.
So what is globalization? This question is probably an easy one to answer. However, many
scholars gave and tried to formulate its definitions. This resulted in 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 process that
involves in the economy, political systems and culture. Social structures, therefore are directly
affected by globalization.

Over the years, globalization has gained many connotations pertaining to progress, development
and integration. On the other hand, some view globalization as a positive phenomenon. For
instance, Swedish Journalist Thomas Larsson, saw globalization as “the process of world
shrinkage, of distances getting shorter, things moving closer. It also pertains to the increasing
ease with which somebody on one side of the world can interact, to mutual benefit with
somebody on one side of the world”. On the other hand, some see it as occurring through and
with regression, colonialism, and destabilization. In the mid of 1990’s, Martin Khor, the former
president of the third world network in Malaysia, once regarded globalization as colonization.

Since its first appearance in the Webster Dictionary in 1961, many opinions about globalization
have flourished. The literature on the definition of globalization could be classified as either (1)
broad and inclusive, (2) narrow and exclusive. Ohmae offered in 1992 stated that “globalization
means the onset of a border less world, this is an example of a broad and inclusive type of
definition. If one uses such, it can include a variety of issues that deal with overcoming
traditional boundaries. However it does not shed light on the implications of globalization due to
its vagueness. Narrow and exclusive definitions are better justified but can be limiting, in the
sense that their application adhere to only particular definitions. Robert Cox’s definition of
globalization suits to narrow and exclusive “The characteristics of globalization trend include the
internationalizing of production, the new international division of labor, new migratory
movements from South to North, the new competitive environment that accelerates these process
and the internationalizing of the state. No matter how one classifies a definition of globalization,
the concept is complex and multifaceted as the definitions deal with either economic, political or
social dimensions. Kumar (2003) took on a different argument about the issue. To him, the
debate about what can be done about globalization and what it is are similar, it is a useless task.

A more recent definition was given by Ritzer (2015), globalization is a trans-planetary process or
a set of processes involving increasingly liquidity and the growing multidirectional flows of
people, objects, places, and information as well as the structures they encounter and create
barriers. Although things flow easily in a global world, hindrances or structural blocks are also
present. These blocks could slow down one’s activity in another country or could even limit the
places a person can visit.

So, why do we need to study and understand globalization?

First, the perspective of the person who defines globalization shapes its definition. The overview of
definitions implies that globalization is many things to many different people. Arjun Appadurai 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 or societies. In more recent
studies, Al-Rhodan (2006) wrote that definitions suggest the perspective of the author on the origins and
the geopolitical implications of globalization. It is a starting point that will guide the rest of any
discussions. In effect, ones definition and perspective could determine concrete steps in addressing the
issues of globalization. For example, if one sees globalization as positive, the person can say that it is
unifying force. On the other hand, if it is deemed as creating greater inequalities among nations,
globalization is negatively treated.

Second, to paraphrase, the sociologist Cesare Poppi: Globalization is the debate and the debate is - it has
globalization. One become part and parcel of the other. The literature stemming from the debate on
globalization has grown in the last decade beyond any individuals capability of extracting a workable
definition of the concept. In the sense, the meaning of the concept is selfevident, in another, it is vague
and obscure as its reaches the wide and constantly shifting. Perhaps, more than any other concept,
globalization is the debate about it.
Third, globalization is a 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. The future
of globalization is more difficult to predict. What we could expect in the coming years is what
has happened over the past 50 years and that is the fluidity and complexity of globalization as a
concept, which made more debates, discussions, and definitions than agreement on it.

Overall, globalization is a concept that is not easy to define because in reality, globalization has
shifting nature. It is complex, multifaceted, and can be influenced by the people who define it.
Moreover, the issues and concerns involving globalization have a wide range-from the individual
to society, from small communities to nations and states, and from the benefits we can gain from
it to the costs it could carry. Nevertheless, the task of defining globalization should stimulate
more discussion about it, More importantly, the fact that we experience globalization should give
one interest of engaging in the study of it. Note: ***See attached sheets (PPT)***