Contemporary World.docx

CONTEMPORARY WORLD The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who can’t read and write but those who can’t learn, unlearn, and relearn. Alvin Toffler, The 3rd Wave Globalization 

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Globalization: a set of social processes that appear to transform our present social condition of weakening nationality into one of globality; human lives played out in the world as a single place; redefining landscape of sociopolitical processes and social sciences that study these mechanisms ‘reconfigured landscapes, changing territoriality’ (Appadurai) Globalization refers to the existence of free exchange of goods, services, culture, and even people, between and among countries.  Through Globalization, people became more interested to travel, learn new languages, and immerse themselves into new cultures and lifestyles.  Ex. Mcdonals and Jollibee in some big cities around the world where there are many Filipinos.  Hershey’s over Goya

Competing Conceptions of Globalization

 Contemporary Globalization  Definition: o #1: Force or process that involves the entire world and results in making something world-wide in scope o #2: Increasing interconnectedness of different parts of the world through common processes of economic, environmental, political, and cultural change.  Has been underway since inception of modern world-system in 1500s  1800s modern framework for globalization developed  Global connections today differ in four ways from past o Function at much greater speed o Operates on a much larger scale o The scope of global connections is much broader and has multiple dimensions o Interactions and interdependencies among numerous global actors have created a new level of complexity for the relationships between places and regions  Contemporary Globalization  Modern Technology has created quick movement of money, materials, products, technology and other economic assets  Globalization has had both positive and negative repercussions: o localization: places might be attractive because of resources, or it might be suitable for new factories, extract materials, sell them, etc. o heightened economic differences: example, factories closing in the United States and open in Mexico due to cheaper labor. o Specialization on local level  Each place plays a distinctive role based on its local assets  Economic Globalization  People are plugged in to a global economy and culture. This produces a world that is more uniform, integrated, and independent. o Only a few areas are still isolated/ sheltered  Subsistent areas o Most areas interdependent  Choice of crop in one country based on demand in another  Commodity Chains  Networks of labor and production processes that originate in the extraction or production of raw materials and who end result is delivery and consumption of the finished commodity  Network span countries and continents o JEANS EXAMPLE!!! o Pg. 53 in textbook (Knox)

 Economic Globalization  MCDONALD’s  Historically people had difficulty moving $ and goods from one country to another, modern technology has changed that  Led to creation of transnational corporations o Definition:  Transnational corporations conduct research, operates factories, and sells products in many countries, not just where it’s headquarters are located.  TCs assess particular asset of a place and correctly identify the optimal location for each activity o ex: extract raw materials o Produce parts o Manage operations o Develop engineering systems  Transnational Corporations  Other examples:  Airbus, BP, Virgin Groups  2007 = 79,000 operating  Account for 11% of world’s GDP rd

 1/3 of exports  Globalization of economy has heightened economic differences among places o i.e.  factories closed in U.S. and moved to Mexico  Using India for call-centers o Global recession 2008 st

o 1 world-wide economic recession  Usually contained to nations or regions  Effects of recession varied st

1 time global recession affected everyone  Example o U.S. homebuyer, banker in U.K., sales clerk in Japan, clothing maker in China, construction work in Nigeria o All subject to falling demand and lack of credit  Cultural Globalization  Globalization has important cultural dimensions o Previously cultural diffusion limited to specific places and regions, no longer the case o Consumer culture o “global” or uniform landscapes  Lack of uniqueness  All adds to an intensified global connectedness and the beginnings of the world an interdependent system 

 For some places globalization is a central reality, others it is still a marginal influence o There is no one experience  Communication o TV promotes globalization but also can promote diversity  Example: Sesame Street  Shown in Japan with similar characters, similar goals, but stresses filial piety and other Japanese characteristics  Not all peoples want to be “globalized” o Resistance  Shut off from “globalizing” o Conflict  Political (Iran, Taliban, Afghanistan)  Westernization  Heart of tensions is a marked disillusionment with the West, especially within traditional Islamic societies  In much of the world modernization now means “westernization” or “americanization” o In peripheral countries only select few enjoy western-style consumerism o Gap between rich and poor countries widening o U.S. aid budget declining = bad reputation for United States o Conflict  9/11 , Taliban  “ New Imperialism” o Imperialism of the United States, the world’s only superpower o The world regards U.S. as imperialistic  “War on Terror”  Reinforced by:  military threats against North Korea and Iran  Deployment on special forces for rendition  Key Issues in a Globalizing World  The integrated global system has increased awareness of a set of common problems o Environmental Issues  Human- environment interaction  Climate change  Environment degradation  Sustainability o Health issues  Increased travel = increased spread of disease  Pandemics  HIV/AIDS o Security issues  Spread of weapons of mass destruction

 Risk of accidents involving radiation  Instability of financial markets  International terrorism o Disparity issues  Core has consolidated  Three major centers o North America, European Union, Japan

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Gap between wealthiest 5 of population and poorest 5 has increased threefold since 1965  Resentment brewing  Future Geographies Globalization of capitalist world system has been developing for at least 500 years Since WWII it has been accelerated and dramatic Future? o Optimistic:  Potential for technological innovations  Faster more effective transportation and communication  World governments? o Pessimistic:  Finite nature of resources  Fragility of environment  Pop growth too large Middle road? o Period of transition  Soviet Union collapse  9/11  2008 Global financial crisis o Increasing power/ influence of China and India o Shift in power in wealth from West to East o Increased conflict in Middle East o Resource pressure o Lots of uncertainties  Climate  Arab- Israeli conflict  energy 

 Competing Conceptions of Globalization