Globalisation

• What does globalisation mean?

  REfers to connected changes that have made the lives of people more global. These include faster and more frequent communications, more travel, more trade and the development of global organisations and a global infrastructure supporting them
• Globalisation could mean the spread of capitalism and the free market, accompanied by democratic freedoms and greater consumerism. Strongly supported by neo-liberals but opposed by dependency theorists and radicals. It can be seen as creating greater inequalities within and between nations, as well as greater wealth
• Global movements such as Fair Trade, gender equality and human rights, based on ideas that have globalised. The spread of demands for greater politicial freedoms as well
• evidence for economic globalisation

  1. spread of capitalism
  2. the growth and strength of TNCs
  3. The ways in which TNCs tend to operate has led to social changes
  4. finance and money markets have been globalised
• McDonaldisation - Ritzer

  1. efficiency: McDonald's food is all about getting customers from hungry to full as quickly as possible. Staff are trained to prepare food and serve in a precise series of steps that deliver efficiency
  2. Calculability: Quantity over quality; a Big Mac's selling point is size, not taste
  3. predictability: restaurants look the same inside and out, menus are the same, food tastes the same, staff will say the same things
  4. control: experience is carefully controlled to ensure people eat quickly. Wherever possible, McDonaldisation replaces people with machines
• Number on liberal democracies has grown since the early 1990s
• not all elections are 'free and fair', with the opposition allowed to organise freely, but elections are always observe and procedures to reduce bribery, vote rigging etc
• Having free and fair elections is often a condition of receiving aid
• Global decision making


  National governments face problems too big to deal with alone such as climate change, pollution, terrorism, drugs trade, power of TNCs, AIDS and refugees
• global decision making led to international organisations such as United Nations and European Union
• Important global political 'actors' include Greenpeace, the Red Cross, Amnesty International and many NGOs
• cultural globalisation


  includes:

  1. existence of worldwide information and communication systems
  2. global patterns of consumerism
  3. cosmopolitan lifestyles
  4. world sport
  5. world tourism
• Neoliberals


  See globalisation as the worldwide extension of capitalism or the free market. See it as good because it will lead to economic growth, the eradication of poverty and the spread of democracy. Countries that are embracing global market are the ones where development is happening. Spreads benefit of capitalism globally. There will only be winners.
• The radicals


  Agree with NL in seeing globalisation as spread of capitalism but see it as negative. Often associated with Marxism and the World Systems theory. Seen as spreading a system that impoverishes and is environmentally unsustainable. It widens the gap between rich and poor. Creates a system based on structural violence (Galtung) - describe the way a society can be exploited by the denial of their rights. See cultural globalisation as cultural imperialism. What is happening now is the deepening of long-standing trends
• transformationalists


  Cohen and Kennedy. See globalisation as important to development, but disagree with both neoliberals and radicals on several grounds.

  1. globalisation may not be unstoppable - it may slow down or go into reverse
  2. may be possible for people/countries to reject negative aspects of globalisation while embracing the more positive aspects
  3. far from creating a homogenous global culture
  4. reverse cultural flows mean that the developing world influences the culture of the West
  5. the world is still unequal, but globalisation is transforming old hierarchies of the North/South
• Hoogvelt (radical view)


  Argued globalisation has transformed the world social order so that geographical boundaries are no longer relevant. Rich and poor live alongside in cities, not in different countries. She sees the world order as a 3-tiered structure of circles: the affluent ('bankable'), the insecure and the excluded. In rich countries the proportions are 40:30:30. In poor countries its 20:30:50 and in Africa it is 10:10:80
• Hirst and Thompson


  Argue economic globalisation is a myth. They argue that we are still closer to the international economy than a global one. Nation states remain important actors with the ability to control direction taken by world economy. They see no evidence of a fully developed global economic system.
• USA and allies tolerate undemocratic regimes as long as they are on their side (eg: Saudi Arabia)
• McGrew


  Argues that there is evidence of a transformation of politics, with the development of global decision making structures and a diffusion of power. The ways in which people become active in politics have changed with more global and international movements and organisations
• Cultural flow is not always one way from North to South

  Bollywood and the Japanese and Hong Kong film industries challenge the supremacy of Hollywood in global cinema means Southern cultures have significant presences. Reverse flows bought martial arts and traditional medicines to the West, and have made brands such as Pokemon and Hello Kitty part of western childhood
• Western culture can be seen as degrading or destroying local cultures and creating a generation gap as young people embrace it while the older generation reject it. Some vigorously oppose, turning to religious fundamentalism (Iran) or isolationism (North Korea). This is proof of globalisation as it unsettles people so they retreat to familiar values
• the expansion of the internet and global telecommunications have greatly increased the access of people to information. By 2014, Facebook had 1.23 billion monthly users and mobile phone ownership in Africa grew to 56% of the continent's population
• Some countries restrict social media and access to the internet. The traditional mass media remains controlled by a small number of huge global conglomerates such as Walt Disney, News Corporation and Time Warner
• Travellers to Thailand are often keen to see the cultures of local tribes
• Neoliberals believe that everyone can benefit. Globalisation will bring economic growth to the world. Initially, this is likely to create inequalities, but eventually living standards will be higher
• The radical perspective see that its negative effects seem to outweigh the advantages. Failed to deliver peace, prosperity or economic stability. Growth of consumerism is leading to environmental problems. Sklair calls the winners 'transnational capitalist class' - global ruling class that is not tied to national boundaries.
• Naomi Klein


  Winners are TNCs. Argues that globalisation is a project by TNCs to further their own interests and profits. Neoliberals respond that the poor are missing out because they aren't sufficiently integrated into the global economy.
• Cohen and Kennedy


  Argue that globalisation has created 'global winners' who have increased their power and privileges, and 'global losers' who have missed out.
• Globalisation creates 2 problems: a growing gap between rich and the poor/secure vs the excluded and growing environmental problems due to spread of consumerism
• Anti-globalisation movement since 1995 - a loosely organised coalition of many groups around the world. Attracted global media attention with demonstrations at the WTO meeting in Seattle in 1999 and Genoa in 2001. It lacks a coherent structure due to its disparate nature, but is in favour of decisions being taken locally rather than imposed by 'experts' and is mainly non violent. Although opposed of neoliberal globalisation, they take full advantage of possibilities of cooperating globally
• Kunstler


  Argues there is nothing inevitable about globalisation, and that it is coming to an end. Sees it as a product of 2 factors: relative peace of post-Cold War period and the simultaneous availability of cheap energy sources such as oil.
• Saul


  sees globalisation as having reached its high point in the mid-1990s, with the creation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Sees more positive signs emerging as neoliberalism retreats
• Global recession 2009


  Recession of globalisation, effects everywhere, even slowing growth in China. Wealthier nation preoccupied with own economies and global trade fell.