INTRODUCTION TO

GLOBALIZATION
Defining Globalization

Globalization - The expansion and intensification of social relations and

consciousness across world-time and across world-space (Stenger, 2013).

Expansion refers to the creation of new social networks and the

multiplication of existing connections that cut across traditional
political, economic, cultural, and geographic boundaries.
Examples:

Social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) establishes new global

connections between people.

International groups of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are

networks that connect to a more specific group (social workers and
activists) from different parts of the world.

Many universities worldwide are part of international networks (exchange

students, international internships, etc.).
Globalization represents the global integration of international trade,
investment, information technology, and cultures.

In a broader perspective, globalization refers to the expansion of global linkages,

the organization of social life on a global scale, and the growth of a global
consciousness, hence to the consolidation of world society.
Globalization continues to occur today through the increasing spread of
industrial technology, including electronic communications, television, and
the internet, and the expansion of multinational corporations into the
non-Western world. It is also described as something that is comprised of
multiple sameness and interconnectedness that go beyond the nation-states
(McGrew, 1990).
Another way of saying this is that globalization is the extension, acceleration,
and intensification of consequential worldwide interconnections (Sparke, 2013).

These are interconnections that mean that what happens “here” (like you buying
and reading a book) affects things over “there” (like the logging of trees in
faraway forests).
Sociologists and anthropologists usually refer to globalization as the broad-scale
changes and transformations that have resulted from the impact of
industrialization and the emergence of an interconnected global economy,
with the spread of a.) capital, b.) labor (migration), and c.) technology across
national borders.
Anthropologist Arjun Appadurai mentioned that different kinds of globalization
occur on multiple and intersecting dimensions of integration that he calls “scapes.”
There are multiple globalizations, according to Appadurai.

Ethnoscape - Refers to the global movement of people

Mediascape - The flow of culture

Technoscape - The circulation of mechanical goods and software

Financescape - Denotes the global circulation of money

Ideascape - The realm where political ideas move around

Globalization has various aspects which affect the world in several ways.

Industrial globalization - Development of worldwide production markets and

broader access to a range of foreign products for consumers and companies
involving particularly movement of material and goods between and within
national boundaries.

Example: Nike, an American company, outsources production of its

footwear to some countries in Asia.
Financial globalization - Development of worldwide financial markets and
better access to external financing for borrowers.

Example: Stock markets - When one stock market has a decline, it affects
other markets negatively as well as the economy as a whole.
Economic globalization - Refers to the increasing integration of national
economies worldwide (trade and financial flows). It involves trade in goods and
services, capital flows and trade in assets (ex. currency), the transfer of
technology and ideas, and international flows of labor (migration).

Political globalization - Creation of international organizations to regulate the

relationships among governments.

Example: United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO)
Informational globalization – Increase in information flows between geographically
remote locations. This can also be seen as a technological change related to the
advent of undersea cables, fiber optic communications, satellites, and
increased availability of the internet.
Cultural globalization – Sharing of ideas, attitudes, and values across national
borders. This sharing generally leads to an interconnectedness and interaction
between peoples of diverse cultures and ways of life.

Mass media and communication technologies are the primary instruments for
cultural globalization.

Hollywood movies, NETFLIX, international cuisine

In-class activity

Study the following events in the succeeding tables and decide which of the
following aspects of globalization the event illustrates: financial, industrial,
economic, informational, cultural or political. The first one has been done
as an example.
 Event Aspect/s of Globalization

Disneyland, the American theme park, has Economic

been set up in Hong Kong, Japan, China, and
France.

The parts of a car come from all over the

world: Germany, Japan, Korea, etc. and the car
is assembled in the U.S.
Businesses are operated with many satellite
locations or call centers in other parts of the
world to answer questions in another: for
example, someone in India answering a call
from the U.S. about a product or service.
 Event Aspect/s of Globalization

The creation of regional forums such as the

European Union (EU) and the Asia-Pacific
Economic Co-operation (APEC).
The spread of language, products, and
customs as people become more closely
connected.

Franchises for McDonald’s, Pizza Hut,

Burger King, KFC, and others carrying U.S.
trade names are operating worldwide.
CNN (Cable News Network), based in the
United States, produces 24-hour news
broadcasts that can be seen around the world.
Reasons for
Globalization

LEDCs - Less economically

developed countries
Reasons for Globalization

1. Rapid shrinking of time and distance across the globe.

2. Companies and institutions go global to find political and economic stability.

3. To get technical and managerial know-how of other countries due to their

advancement in science, technology, education, health, and other
fields of discipline.
4. To reduce high transportation costs if one goes globally using the
advanced tools of communication and information.

5. To be close to raw materials and to markets for their finished products

which are not available in the country of origin.