EQ1: What are the impacts of globalisation on international migration? Flashcards
What is globalisation?
The process by which people, culture, goods, finance and information transfer between countries with few barriers. Also economic integration.
What is an economic system?
An economic system is a means by which governments organise and distribute resources, services, and goods across a region or country. This includes land, capital and labour.
What has globalisation done to migration?
Accelerated migration.
IMF globalisation definition
Refers to the increasing integration of economies around the world, particularly through the movement of goods, services, and capital across borders. It refers to an extension beyond national borders of the same market forces that have operated for centuries at all levels of human economic activity - village markets, urban industries, or financial centres. There are also broader cultural, political and environmental dimensions of globalisation.
Frank Lechner (The Globalisation Reader)
The expansion of global linkages, organisation of social life on global scale, and growth of global consciousness, hence consolidation of world society.
What are the four types of globalisation?
- Economic globalisation
- Social globalisation
- Political globalisation
- Cultural globalisation
Economic globalisation
- The growth of transnational corporations (TNCs) accelerates cross-border exchanged of raw materials, components, finished manufacturing goods, shares, portfolio investment and purchasing.
- Information and communications technology (ICT) supports the growth of spatial divisions of labour for firms and a more international economy.
- Online purchasing using Amazon and a smartphone.
Social globalisation
- International immigration has caused extensive family networks that cross national borders - world city-societies become multi-ethnic and pluralistic.
- Global improvements in education and health can be seen over time, with rising life expectancy and literacy levels, although the changes are by no means uniform or universal.
- Social interconnectivity has grown over time thanks to the spread of “universal” connections e.g mobile phones, internet, emails.
Political globalisation
- The growth of trading blocs (e.g EU, NAFTA) allows TNCs to merge and make acquisitions of firms in neighbouring countries, while reduced trade restrictions and tariffs help markets to grow.
- Global concerns such as free trade, credit crunch and the global response to natural disasters (such as 2011 Japanese tsunami).
- The World Bank, the IMF, and the WTO work internationally to harmonise national economies.
Cultural globalisation
- “Successful” Western cultural traits come to dominate in some territories e.g the “Americanisation” or “McDonaldisation” of tastes and fashion.
- Globalisation and hybridisation are a more complex outcome that takes place as old local cultures merge and meld with globalising influences.
- The circulation of ideas and information has accelerated thanks to 24 hour reporting; people also keep in touch using virtual spaces such as Facebook and Twitter.
Examples of factors that have accelerated globalisation
- IGOs e.g WEF, World Bank, IMF, WTO
- TNCs e.g Nike, Manchester United
- Government - trade blocs, open door policies
- Transport - containerisation, China ports
- Technology e.g fibre optics, phones
As an independent trading nation, how many trade agreements has the UK got in place?
Over 70 trade agreements in place.
Recent trade agreements that have come into force:
* Singapore Digital Economy Agreement
* Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
* Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein Free Trade Agreement
Recent trade agreements that have come into force for the UK?
- Singapore Digital Economy Agreement
- Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
- Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein Free Trade Agreement
What has globalisation led to?
An increase in migration, both within countries (internal migration) and between them (international migration).
In 2014, what did international migration see?
In 2014, international migration saw more than 230 million people now living in a country they were not born in.
What do the largest labour flows do?
Connect neighbouring countries e.g. USA and Mexico, or Poland and Germany.
What do modern transports networks allow?
Global labour flows to occur particularly with economic migration to the UK.
Even though migration has declined between some countries, what has this meant for trade?
Trade has increased e.g. India and the UK.
What 4 categories do most migrants fall into?
- An economic migrant
- A refugee
- An irregular migrant
- An asylum seeker
Irregular migrant
A person who enters a country illegally or remains in a country without a valid visa or permit from that country, or who has overstayed the duration of a visa or whose visa has been cancelled.
Asylum seeker
A person who has left their home country as a political refugee and is seeking asylum (the protection granted by a state to someone who has left their home country) in another.
Economic migrant
Someone emigrating for better employment opportunities or an improved financial position.
Refugee
A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.
What is often linked with globalisation?
Changes in the pattern of demand for labour at the national scale.
What does globalisation work on?
The principle of free flows of investment capital.
At a national scale, what do global systems encourage?
Rural-urban migration as cities have become economic hubs.
What do some trade blocs allow?
For an easier movement of people (e.g. The EU allows free movement of people). Most countries readily offer work visas to those with the skills and/or a sponsor.
The experience of professional club football reflects migration on a wider scale:
What has the percentage of English-born players playing in the Premier League fallen by since the start of the League?
69%
What enabled the free movement of European football players anywhere across the EU?
The 1995 Bosman Ruling by the European Court of Justice.
At the same time, migration laws permit entry to highly skilled individuals outside the EU with the offer of a job contract, which often includes overseas footballers.
What is the world’s richest football league?
The Premier League
In reality, what has emerged rather than an English football League?
A global league
What do people believe that overseas football players bring to the Premier League?
More skill and talent.
By 2015, players from how many nations were amongst the full Premier League squads?
64 nations
How does the football industry reflect what is happening in the global economy?
There are freer flows of labour, capital and power.
Explain how globalisation and increased international migration are linked. (6 marks)
- Globalisation has had a profound impact on migration, with improving connections between states resulting in more people than ever before choosing to live and work in other countries.
- Global shift could result in an influx of workers looking for employment.
- Globalisation has resulted in development of better transportation such as trains, boats, which could increase migration levels.
Explain Talani’s “dark side of globalisation”.
- The loss of political control of international migration - whether or not globalisation induced migratory flows can be governed and by whom. The structural nature of globalisation and the emergence of a new global division of labour and power, means therefore the urge to migrate cannot be stopped by political entities.
- The “irregularisation” of international migration and the criminalisation of migrants. This entails the creation of new inequalities in labour markets, the rise of so called ‘modern slavery’, as well as the death toll that the process of migrating through irregular means inevitably produces. This substantially contributes to the antagonisation and even criminalisation of international migrants by receiving societies.
- The fact that populism is often accompanied by an explicit anti-migrant, xenophobic discourse is certainly an element of the ‘dark side’ of globalisation.
How is international migration regarded as beneficial for the host countries?
It allows them to cover the gaps of their labour market, complementing the skills of the local labour force and enhancing the productivity and efficiencies of their economies.
What has globalisation caused in the economic system?
Extremely significant changes in the economic system, changing the demand for labour; this has encouraged both rural-urban migration within countries (China) and international migration (EU-Schengen).
Why might some people migrate?
Some people move in search of work or economic opportunities, to join family, or to study. Others move to escape conflict, persecution, terrorism, or human rights violations. Still others move in response to the adverse effects of climate change, natural disasters, or other environmental factors. To improve quality of life.
What increases the opportunity to migrate?
Modern technologies and globalised connections.
In 2015, how many international migrants did the UN calculate there were?
More than 243 million international migrants, of which about 19.5 million were refugees.
What has the scale and speed of migration flows (particularly from rural to urban areas) resulted in?
- Dynamic economic growth in many countries.
- Can create unparalleled prosperity and promotes globalisation.
- Brings costs to source and host regions, including increased inequality and challenges to ideas of national identity and sovereignty.
What is important to human communities?
A sense of identity.
How is globalisation reshaping traditional ideas of nationalism and sovereignty?
Some groups benefit more than others, creating divisions and diluting loyalty.
International cooperation and migration have raised questions about identity and loyalty. What does this mean for national identity?
National identity is an elusive and contested concept.
Why are movements of people an important concern of national governments and international organisations?
They seek to facilitate some movements and limit others, such as into or within the European Union.
Migration subtopics
- the process of migration
- migration patterns
- the processes of globalisation
- political geography and differences between countries
- patterns of inequality
- intergovernmental organisations
- political, economic and environmental problems
- transnational ownership and multiculturalism
Advantages for English football attracting so many people from overseas
- High salaries for overseas players
- Overseas players bring more skill, talent, and flair to the English game
- The globalisation of football has made athletic talent a commodity - lifting barriers to movement and enhancing the lives of those who move.
- Many overseas players send remittance payments home e.g Michael Essien of Chelsea bought a house for his parents in Accra, Ghana, and Dwight Yorke of Manchester United funded education projects in his home town in Tobago.
Disadvantages for English football attracting so many people from overseas
- Domestic players can be “squeezed out”
- Other than contractual factors, the only control on the free movement of players is known as the “transfer window”
- The movement of football players, sometimes known as muscle drain, is deskilling African clubs of their most talented players.
How many African players were playing in the Premier League in September 2015?
45 African players - spread across 17 clubs
What’s a kleptocracy?
Describes the specific corruption that occurs when state leaders, generally from poorer countries, routinely loot millions or even billions of dollars from their national treasuries. Country suffers systematic corruption and thievery by the state is a kleptocracy.
“Governments with strong tendencies towards kleptocracy can undermine food security even when harvests are good.”
What is austerity?
Refers to spending cuts and tax rises designed to reduce government debt.
What do dysfunctional states do?
Behave in abnormal and undesirable ways.
What is peri-urban growth?
Relates to the processes of scattered and dispersive urban growth that create hybrid landscapes of fragmented and mixed urban and rural characteristics on the margins of developing countries.
What is often linked to changes in pattern of demand for labour and changes to the global economic system?
Globalisation
What areas have become manufacturers of the world?
China, India and Southeast Asia, because of investment from western countries.
What migration normally occurs at a national scale?
Mainly rural to urban migration occurs due to economic and industrial activity hubs in urban zones
What migration normally occurs at an international scale?
There is an easier movement of people as some trade blocs allow for an easier movement of people (e.g. the EU allows for free movement of people) whilst elsewhere most countries readily offer work visas to those with skills and/or a sponsor.
How has globalisation caused changes to the global economic system?
Has created push and pull factors to drive migration.
Where is rural-urban migration seen most?
In developing countries.
Has the global migration rate been constant since 1995?
Yes
What is the biggest flow between individual countries?
The steady stream from Mexico to USA
As well as China, where else has the largest regional migration been?
- From south-east Asia to the Middle East, driven by oil wealth and construction booms.
- There is also a significant circulation of migrants among sub-Saharan African countries.
What is the EU-Schengen Agreement?
A treaty which led to the creation of Europe’s Schengen Area, in which internal border checks have largely been abolished.
History of the Schengen Agreement
Originally, the concept of free movement was to enable the European working population to freely travel and settle in any EU State, but it fell short of abolishing border controls within the Union.
A break-through was reached in 1985 in Schengen (a small village in Luxembourg), with the signing of the Agreement on the gradual abolition of checks at common borders, followed by the signing of the Convention implementing that Agreement in 1990. The implementation of the Schengen Agreements started in 1995, initially involving seven EU countries.
When did the Schengen Agreement take effect?
In 1995 - abolishing many of the internal border controls within the EU
What does the EU-Schengen Agreement actually do?
Abolished many of the internal border controls within the EU - enabling passport free movement across most EU member states.
How many Schengen countries are there?
27 countries - 23 EU members and 4 non-members (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein)
Is the UK in the Schengen area?
Britain decided to remain outside the Schengen area, even before its 2016 decision to leave the EU.
How many citizens does the Schengen area guarantee free movement to?
More than 400 million EU citizens
How has the Schengen Agreement been advantageous?
Free movement of persons enables every EU citizen to travel, work and live in an EU country without special formalities. Schengen underpins this freedom by enabling citizens to move around the Schengen Area without being subject to border checks. Guarantees free movement for business purposes, tourists, exchange students etc.
This has helped to fill job vacancies in other EU countries.
How many EU citizens now live in another member state?
Over 14 million - 2.8% of the EU’s population
What are the disadvantages of the EU-Schengen Agreement?
- Some claim it gives easy access to cheaper labour (undercutting domestic workers and lowering wages), as well as allowing free movement to criminals and terrorists.
- The system is based on a treaty between sovereign states. Any changes to it would therefore require the unanimous agreement of all Schengen members, an arrangement that could prove to be inflexible (although maintaining the current common security arrangements is seen by some countries to be more important than future flexibility).
- Even within the Schengen area, the criminal laws are not consistent. Since border controls have been abolished in the region, it is more difficult to catch international drug dealers.
- Guidelines contain exemptions that make the rules less standardised and more complicated than they seem at first.
What did terrorist attacks in Paris 2015 prompt?
A rethink about free movement to criminals and terrorists. In 2016, six Schengen countries, Germany, France, Austria, Sweden, Denmark and Norway - reintroduced internal border controls.
What meets regularly to assess laxer Schengen laws?
The Schengen Executive Committee meets regularly assess the situation and formulate solutions to real or potential problems.
What are the benefits of rural-urban migration in China?
- allows more people to gain better jobs
- more economic flows in the centre
- improved quality of life
- jobs available for people
- the hukou system has prevented too much urban sprawl from occurring
What are the problems of rural-urban migration in China?
- stress on services
- China depends heavily on manufacturing and service industries in cities and the hukou system has become too restrictive
- children normally remain in rural areas while adults can move
- due to the hukou system people must be ‘registered’ and buy an expensive permit in order to move from a rural to urban region thus only accessible to the rich.
