Metaphors of

GLOBALIZATION:
SOLID &
LIQUID
 The epochs that preceded
today’s globalization paved
way for people, things,
information and places to
harden overtime.
Consequently, they have
LIMITED MOBILITY.
(Ritzer, 2015)
 SOLIDITY
- barriers that
prevent or make
difficult the
movement of
things.
- can be natural
or man-made.
Example: NATURAL
- landforms and bodies
forms.
Example: MAN-MADE
GREAT WALL OF CHINA
Example: MAN-MADE
BERLIN WALL
 Modern Man-made
Solid
9-dash
line
claim of
PRC to
the
South
China
Sea
 Man-made Solid
This-it
process
can MELT.
involves the
process which is
happening in
today’s global
world…
it is becoming
-refersLIQUIDITY
to the
increasing
ease of
movement of
people,
things,
information
and places in
the
contemporar
 Characteristics of
LIQUIDITY
1 : today’s
st
according liquid
to Zygmunt Bauman
phenomena change
quickly and their
aspects, spatial or
temporal, are in
continues fluctuation.
-this means that space
and time are crucial
 Characteristics of
LIQUIDITY
according to Zygmunt Bauman
2nd: in today’s liquid
phenomena, the
movement is DIFFICULT
TO STOP.
e.g. Viral Videos
Internet Sensations
 Characteristics of
LIQUIDITY
3 : the FORCES (the liquid
rd
according to Zygmunt Bauman
ones) made political
boundaries made more
permeable to the flow of
people and things.
(Cartier 2001)
Ritzer (2015)- the most
important characteristic of
liquid is “ liquid tends to
 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 Liquidity.
 Where
does
these
Liquid
Phenomen
a FLOW?
 FLOWS are the
movement of
people, things,
places and
information brought
by the growing
“POROSITY” of
global limitations.
(Ritzer, 2015)
 e.g. Foods are
introduced to us by
foreign cultures
e.g. Global Financial Crises
“ In global financial system,
national boarders are porous”
(Landler, 2008)

Meaning, financial crisis in a

given country can bring
ramifications to other regions of
the world.
Ex: Effects of American Financial
Crisis in Europe in 2008
 MORE EXAMPLES OF
FLOWS:

1. Poor
Illegal
Migrants
flooding
many parts
of the world
 MORE EXAMPLES OF
FLOWS:
2. The
virtual flow
of LEGAL
and
ILLEGAL
information.
e.g. Blogs and
Child Mikey T.
Pornography. Bustos
 MORE EXAMPLES OF
FLOWS:

3.
Immigrants
re-creating
ETHNIC
ENCLAVES
in host
countries.