Globalisation spec points

• Role of WTO, IMF, & world bank

  ~ they have contributed to globalisation through the:

  > promotion of free trade policies

  > foreign direct investment (FDI)
• Role of governments in economic liberalisation 


  ~ National governments are key players in terms of promoting free trade blocs and policies e.g:

  > free-market liberalisation

  > privatisation

  > encouraging business start-ups

  ~ The role of the EU and ASEAN (the association of southeast Asian nations) is to carry out these policies
• Role of governments in attracting FDI

  ~ Governments can make and change:

  > special economic zones (SEZs)

  > government subsidies

  > attitudes to FDI

  ~ e.g. Chinas 1978 open door policy

  ~ all of these factors have contributed to the spread of globalisation into new global regions
• 'Switched off' countries 


  ~ countries can be 'switched off' from globalisation

  ~ there are political, economic and environmental reasons as to why this is

  ~ e.g. North Korea & Sahel countries
• Global shift 


  ~ global shift occurs due to manufacturing moving to China, and services to India --> this leads to changes in the built environment - which brings benefits to the Asian countries e.g:

  > infrastructure investment, waged work, poverty reduction, education, training

  --> however it also brings costs e.g:

  > loss of productive land, unplanned settlements, environmental and resource pressure
• Rural-urban migration 


  ~ the growth of megacities is due to push&pull factors, and/or natural increase of the city

  ~ Megacity examples - Mumbai, Karachi

  ~ social and environmental challenges are created by rapid urban growth
• International migration and types

  ~ international migration has increased in global hub cities and regions --> depends interdependence between regions

  ~ Elite migration --> e.g. Russian oligarchs to London

  ~ Mass low wage economic migration --> India to UAE or the Philippines to Saudi Arabia
• Cultural diffusion 


  ~ a cause of globalisation

  ~ TNCs, global media corporations, tourism and migration create and spread an increasingly 'westernised' global culture --> impacts the environment and the people (e.g. diets changing in Asia)

  * POINT: an effect of TNCs is that its creating an increasingly 'westernised' world

  ~ Opportunities for minority groups from the spread of global culture leading to increasing awareness of opportunities for disadvantaged groups e.g. Athletes at the Rio 2016 Paralympics --> especially in emerging and developing countries
• Cultural erosion


  ~ cultural erosion includes the loss of:

  > language

  > traditional food

  > music

  > clothes

  > social relations (e.g. loss of tribal lifestyles in Papua New Guinea)

  ~ these factors have all resulted in changes to the built and natural environment (e.g. de-valuing local and larger-scale ecosystems)
• Effects of open borders, deregulation and the encouragement of FDI

  ~ Positvies:

  > it has created culturally mixed societies

  > it creates thriving migrant diasporas

  ~ Negatives:

  > in other locations, tensions have resulted

  > e.g. rise of extremism in Europe

  > e.g. transboundary water conflicts in south-east Asia / Africa
• Controlling the spread of globalisation

  ~ Censorship is a way governments (POINT - role of governments) try to control the spread of globalisation --> e.g. in China, North Korea

  ~ Limiting immigration is another way --> e.g. The UK, Japan

  ~ Trade protectionism is another way
• Local sourcing & Transition towns 


  ~ Developed countries are moving towards the idea of *localism*

  ~ Local sourcing (transition towns) are promoted by NGOs and local groups

  ~ it is carried out as a response to globalisation to increase sustainability

  ~ The NGO 'Transition Network' founded in 2006 --> they encourage towns to:

  > grow their own food in community gardens instead of importing it

  > reduce energy used in transport e.g. cycling, recycling waste and reusing materials

  ~ They are small-scale initiatives, but can have a wide/large-scale influence and impact
• Maintaining an ecological footprint and managing resource consumption


  ~ recycling has a role in managing resource consumption and ecological footprints --> although its use varies by the product and place

  ~ there are local authorities in the UK or local NGOs e.g. Keep Britain Tidy
• Political reasons why a country may be switched off to globalisation

  Political

  ~ political instability due to war - TNCs may choose not to locate there (trade would be disrupted negatively, affecting profits)

  ~ choice of government (e.g. North Korea) - they control media and restrict trade (limited knowledge of the area)

  ~ corrupt government - misuse of tax/aid would discourage TNCs from investing (businesses would be difficult)
• Social reasons why a country may be switched off to globalisation

  ~ lack of technology and infrastructure - would make trading and the transportation of goods more difficult (not attractive for TNCs)

  ~ poverty/unemployment - reduces the country's ability to trade with other countries

  ~ low literacy rate (education) can create a low-skilled population (TNC investment is unlikely)