EQ2: What are the impacts of globalisation for countries, different groups of people and cultures and the physical environment?

Question 1

What has cultural globalisation created?

Answer 1

A “western” global culture that may threaten existing and traditional cultures.

Question 2

What has the global economic centre of gravity done in the last 30 years?

Answer 2

Shifted towards Asia via the global shift of manufacturing (from Europe, Japan and North America to China/Vietnam etc.) and outsourcing of services and administration jobs to India, especially city of Bangalore)

Question 3

Define global shift.

Answer 3

The movement or relocation of a particular economic activity, usually from developed areas such as Europe/North America, to developing areas such as Asia.

Question 4

What was global shift driven by?

Answer 4

Improvements in transport and communications, plus the lowering of trade barriers and economic liberalisation, opening up to FDI.

Question 5

Why was labour-intensive manufacturing attracted to Asia?

Answer 5

There was a large pool of workers willing to work for low wage rates.

Question 6

When did the global shift begin?

Answer 6

In the 1950s with cheap mass-produced goods, e.g. toys and textiles, relocating to Japan.

Asian Tiger Economies (South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore) quickly followed in the 1960s and 70s.

In the 1980s and 90s most other Asian countries opened up to globalisation, as well as South America and the communist bloc.

Question 7

What was one factor slowing down the process of global shift from the 1950s onwards?

Answer 7

A time lag of 10-15 years between the removal of trade barriers and large FDI flows.

Question 8

List 4 benefits of global shift.

Answer 8

• waged work
• poverty reduction
• improved education and training
• investment in infrastructure