Global Systems and Global Governance Flashcards
1.1 WHAT IS GLOBALISATION?
What do you take ‘dimensions of globalisation’ to mean?
FLOWS of: products & labour, services & global marketing, information & technology & capital (wealth and profit)
these are what allow globalisation to happen
1.1 WHAT IS GLOBALISATION?
Give 4 examples of flows of information, technology and capital
- cheap, reliable and practically instantaneous communication between virtually al parts of the world => info and capital to be shared
- money flows electronically around the world (HDEs take advantage of LDEs to take advantage of cheaper production costs)
- technology largely ignores political boundaries when connecting people and places
- countries such as India provide a range of financial and IT services for higher income countries
1.1 WHAT IS GLOBALISATION?
Illustrate flows of products and labour (4 ideas)
- global transport systems have never been cheaper+ more efficient at moving people and goods
- travel has been revolutionised: high-speed railways, containerisation (speeds up trading of goods), international airport hubs
- people move all around thee world for work and employment
- tourists travel increasing distances, encouraged by cheap flights and global marketing
1.1 WHAT IS GLOBALISATION?
Exemplify what ‘glocalisation’ is
“the global distribution of products that are tailored to specific markets”, i.e. globalisation but specific to an area
e.g.) Coca-Cola advert: same script, same music, same setting, but different languages and actors to reflect the target nation
1.1 WHAT IS GLOBALISATION?
Illustrate patterns of production, distribution and consumption using an example
- (TNCs)
- cocoa produced in poor countries (Ghana)
- they don’t get fair pay
- the people in Ghana don’t taste chocolate because it’s too expensive
- cocoa is bought by Nestle and manufactured and distributed within EU (demonstrates an uneven flow of distribution and consumption)
1.1 WHAT IS GLOBALISATION?
List the 6 factors in globalisation and give one example to illustrate each
- new technologies, communications and info systems, e.g.) mobile phones connect people and markets
- global financial systems, e.g.) online banking apps
- transport systems, e.g.) flights to anywhere, opportunities for trade but also threats of disease spreading
- security, e.g.) average cost of most severe online security breaches in UK for big companies now starts at £1.5 million
- trade agreements, e.g.) prevents countries from resisting some foreign imports whilst favouring others. e.g.) the World Trade Organisation oversees 97% of global trade, makes negotiations + forums and ensures trade agreements are followed
1.2 INTERDEPENDENCE AND UNEQUAL FLOWS OF PEOPLE
How can colonialism be seen as linked to today’s global systems? Illustrate with an example
- former British colonies (e.g. Uganda) can join the voluntary organisation of the Commonwealth
- British Empire imposed the British way of life (gov, laws, religion, language) on colonies
1.2 INTERDEPENDENCE AND UNEQUAL FLOWS OF PEOPLE
How can Uganda have unequal flows of money people and technology, yet promote stability, growth and development?
village phone model:
- loan offered to people who wish to start a mobile phone business
- allows the purchase of a mobile phone, car battery to charge it and a booster antenna that can pick up signals from 25km away
- rapidly growing market of users who are willing to pay for this mobile service
- e.g.) farmers use it for info on seed prices/new farming techniques
1.3 THE INTERNET AND SINGLE-PRODUCT ECONOMIES
How does China illustrate unequal power relations that enable them to drive global systems to their own advantage?
Chinese gov controls the internet at its source to influence geopolitical events and, in turn, their citizens:
Great Firewall (difficult to bypass):
- online censorship since 1990s
- blocks access to foreign sites
- filters keywords
- bandwidth throttling (deliberate slowing of internet services, done by provider)
Golden Shield:
- domestic surveillance since 1998, set up by the minister for public security
- fines, arrests, libel lawsuits (making false statements about someone) and dismissals to enforce censorship
1.3 THE INTERNET AND SINGLE-PRODUCT ECONOMIES
Give reasons why Nigeria cannot influence geopolitical events like China can (5 ideas/bullet points (developed off each other))
- Nigeria is a single-product economy; oil and gas = 80% of national income) => there’s a greater emphasis on exports of oil and gas
- this makes Nigeria less internationally competitive in manufactured goods + increases reliance on foreign imports
- Nigeria has neither the skills nor the technology to exploit the oil => major oil companies (TNCs) were encouraged to develop these oil reserves
- the usual high income from oil is undervalued => consumer goods are cheap => domestically manufactured goods are too expensive to export (dutch disease) (gov doesn’t control the oil or its prices)
- => deindustrialisation => problems amplified
1.3 THE INTERNET AND SINGLE-PRODUCT ECONOMIES
Use at least one example to illustrate how unequal flows of people, money, ideas and technology can cause inequalities, conflict and injustices
FINISH
NIGERIA
- has oil reserves of 36 billion barrels and gas reserves of 2800 billion m³; oil and gas make up 80% of their national income (single-product economy)
- membership of OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries) => dramatic decline in traditional industries (agriculture and manufacturing) => focus on oil alone
- Nigeria has neither the skills nor the technology to exploit the oil => major oil companies (TNCs) were encouraged to develop these oil reserves
- these TNCs have been criticised for having scant regard for the local env and indigenous people, e.g.) oil spills are common, people’s rights abused
- dutch disease: the usually high income from oil means Nigeria’s currency is overvalued => imported consumer goods => deindustrialisation => amplifies problems
- increase in rural-urban migration => increase in overcrowding and rural poverty
