Globalisation

Question 1

Giddens’ definition of Globalisation

Answer 1

“the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa”

Question 2

Outline the History of Globalisation.

Answer 2

The historical forms of globalisation are:
1) Name: 21st century “Thick Globalisation”
Description: High extensity, intensity, velocity and impact
2) Name: (18th century) Western imperial expansion
Description: high extensity and impact.
3) Name (200 BC-200 AD) Silk and Luxury Trade
High extensity
Low intensity, velocity and impact

Question 3

What does extensity in regard to globalisation

Answer 3

the stretching of social, political, and economic activities across frontiers and borders.

Question 4

What does extensity in regard to globalisation

Answer 4

the stretching of social, political, and economic activities across frontiers and borders.

Question 5

What are the causes of globalisation.
(Main factors driving modern globalisation)

Answer 5

1. Containerisation
   -the cost of transporting products across the world is decreasing
   -ocean and air travel cost reducing, meaing products can be transported globally more easily
   2.Technological Advances
   -cutting cost of transmitting information globally
2. Transnational Activity

4.More Trade Deals

Question 6

What are the characteristics of Globalisation

Answer 6

E- Demands and respects EXCELLENCE
W-Not a new WESTERN concept

P- Linked with POLITICS and economics
O-is an OPPORTUNITY
E-Excellence
T-Puts technology in Service of Mankind
I-Means there is interdependence
C-Means caring and sharing
I- It is inevitable and irreversible
S-Standards of living are raised
M-Basically a mindset as it seeks to encapsulate the whole world

Question 7

What are giddens 4 Factors of Globalisation

Answer 7

1. Rise of information and communications technology
2. Cultural Factors
3. Economic Factors
4. Political Factors

Question 8

Go more into depth about Giddens four factors of globalisation

Answer 8

The rise of information and communications technology
* The move from telephonic communication to cable and satellite digital communication have resulted in
increasing information flows (types of global flows)
* Time-space compression – social world is closer
-instantaneous communication
-People are more directly plugged into news from
the outside world events unfold in real time in front of a global audience.
* Some individuals identify being more ‘cosmopolitanism’ as a result and increasingly identify with a global audience; however, others perceive increasing globalisation as a threat to their ways of life as it seeks to impact traditions and cultures
Cultural Factors
The emergence of global sporting events such as The Olympics , Formula 1 and Football all bring people together across boarders.
* Music, film, and celebrity culture shared globally
* Global consumption patterns have become increasingly similar E.g: rise of shopping malls and online shopping.
* People move around the world- increased shared culture and practices
* There is an emerging global risk consciousnes we are all combatting the same global issues such as climate change and covid

Economic Factors
The global economy is Post Industrial – as a result it is increasingly ‘weightless’ (Quah 1999) –
products are much more likely to be information based/ electronic, such as computer software,
films and music or information services rather than actual tangible, physical goods such as food,
clothing or cars.
* The role of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) is particularly important. These are companies
that produce goods in more than one country, and they are oriented to global markets and
global products.
* Global Commodity chains – manufacturing is increasingly globalised as there are more
worldwide networks extending from the raw material to the final consumer. The least profitable
aspects of production – actually making physical products, tend to be done in poorer, peripheral
countries, whereas the more profitable aspects, related to branding and marketing, tend to be
done in the richer, developed, core countries.
* The electronic economy underpins globalisation – Banks, corporations, fund managers and
individuals are able to shift huge funds across boarders instantaneously at the click of a mouse.
Transfers of vast amounts of capital can trigger economic crises.

4. Political Factors
   * The collapse of Communism in the 1990s meant the
   end of the divided ‘cold war’ world, and now these ex-
   communist countries are themselves democracies and
   integrated into the global economy.
   * The growth of international and regional mechanisms
   of government such as the United Nations and
   European Union – governments of Nation States are
   increasingly restricted by international directives and
   laws stemming from these international bodies.
   * International Non-Governmental organisations such
   as OXFAM or Greenpeace, operate in dozens of
   countries, and members tend to have an international
   outlook.

Question 9

Theories of Globalisation
What is the Traditionalist view of Globalisation?

Answer 9

Globalisation is Exaggerated

1. Trade is not truly global, it is regional. Trade is still happening mostly within individual countries. For example 60% of EU trade is within the EU. Other countries are left out of global trade flows.
2. Transnational Corporations do not operate in all countries, only secure ones.
3. Billions of people still live mostly subsistence lifestyles and simply cannot afford to take part in globalised western style consumption. The Sahel region still has subsistence farmers and does not have the economic power to be viable consumers.
4. Some countries remain cut off from ‘global democratic and military force’
   – e.g. North Korea and Iran.
   North Korea do not have access to social media or connection to the world.
5. Governments still have the power to censor social media
   -North Korea
6. Local traditions still remain in many cultures –
   For example it is estimated that 90% of women in Somalia have
   been circumcised.
   Anthony GIddens argues that ‘detraditionalization’ is
   part of Globalisation because people increasingly challenge traditions as they come into contact with new ideas such as the political and economic ones of globalisation.

Question 10

Modernisation theory of globalisation.

When was it developed?

What are its 2 major focuses?

Answer 10

Developed in the late 1940s with two major aims.
1. Attempted to explain why poorer countries have failed to develop, focussing on what cultural and economic conditions might act as ‘barriers’ to development
2. Provide a non-communist solution to poverty in the developing world by suggesting that economic
change (in the form of Capitalism) and the introduction of western values and culture could play a key role in
bringing about modernisation. It favours capitalism.

Its aim was to spread a specifically industrialised, capitalist model of development through the promotion of Western, democratic values

Question 11

What are the 3 criticisms of the modernisation theory?

(NOT WALLERSTEIN)

Answer 11

1) The viewpoint ignores the ‘crisis of modernism’ in both the developed and developing
worlds. Many developed countries have huge inequalities and the greater the
level of inequality the greater the degree of other problems: High crime rates, suicide rates, health problems, drug abuse.

2) Corruption (Kleptocracy/ capitalism ) prevents aid of any kind doing good, Much aid is siphoned off by corrupt elites and government officials rather than getting to the projects it was earmarked for. This means that aid creates more inequality and enables elites to maintain power

3)There are ecological limits to growth. Many modernisation projects such
mining and forestry have lead to the destruction of environment.

Question 12

Theory of Liberalism

How do they see globalisation?

Answer 12

1. Liberalism sees the process of globalisation as market-led extension of
   modernisation. At the most elementary level, it is a result of ‘natural’
   human desires for economic welfare and political liberty.
2. As such, transplanetary connectivity is derived from human drives to
   maximise material well-being and to exercise basic freedoms. These
   forces eventually interlink humanity across the planet

The result of liberalism is seen and evident through the presence of:
-Technological advances particularly in the areas of transport, communications and information processing
-Suitable legal and institutional arrangement to enable markets and
liberal democracy to spread on a trans world scale.

Question 13

Theory of Marxism

What is the main idea in relation to globalisation

Answer 13

Principally concerned with modes of production, social exploitation through unjust distribution, and social inequality as a result of capitalism.

Marx anticipated the growth of globalism because ‘capital by its nature drives beyond every spatial barrier to conquer the whole earth for its market’.

Globalisation happens because transworld connectivity enhances opportunities of profit making
Conflict theorists stress how power is concentrated in the capitalist class. Global capitalism is a means by which capitalists exploit workers

Looks at how globalisation makes wealth more dense.

Question 14

Theory of Constructivism

Answer 14

Globalisation has also arisen because of the way that people have mentally
constructed the social world with particular symbols, language, images and interpretation.

Constructivists concentrate on social actors. Specifically, the ways that social actors ‘construct’ their
world.

Conversation and symbolic exchanges lead people to construct ideas of the
world, the rules for social interaction, and ways of being and belonging in
that world.

Social geography is a mental experience as well as a physical fact. Social geography forms ‘in’ or ‘out’ as well as ‘us’ and they’ groups which is influenced by globalisation.

Question 15

Post modernist theory

Post modernity flaws

Answer 15

Categorised by its focus on structural theory and its influence on the construction of norms, knowledge and identities.

Michael Foucault focuses on the idea of knowledge power in society and how power structures influence knowledge. Specific knowledge structures support specific power hierarchies.

Postmodernism focuses on media and the digitisation of media. It views this as central to globalisation and emphasises the positive effects that media globalisation has on the world.

understands ideology as the support for our reality

It sees other theories such as Marxism as just another metanarrative and another persons opinion rather than the truth. Everyone’s views on truth and reality is true to them. It is fine for everyone to have different opinions, which is why is rejects metanarratives.

If it states that there is no one true theory about something…why should we be listening to its opinion…isnt it just another narrative……..hypocritical

It is very pessismistic in the way that it believes truth is subjective. Theories should be used to try and understand reality and create a better world and understanding

The truth is subjective

The objective truth is dead

Question 16

Feminism

Answer 16

Looks at femininity and masculinity.

Looks at biological sex as the driving force in social order and shape history such as globality.

Concerned with the structural subordination that women have to men.

Applicable to globalisation because women have been silenced, marginalised and violated in global
communications.

Question 17

Theory of transformationalism

Who proposed it?

What is the key term here that globalisation creates?

How does the theory define globalisation?

Answer 17

David Held and Collegeaues

Globalisation is proposed to reflect
increased interconnectedness in political, economic and cultural matters

Globalisation creates a “shared social space”

Definition: a process (or set of processes) which embodies a transformation in
the spatial organisation of social relations and transactions,
expressed in transcontinental or interregional flows and networks
of activity, interaction and power.”

Question 18

Optimistic views of Globalisation

What is evidence that globalisation is a positive phenomena?

What is an example of a transnational company?

Answer 18

1. More international trade that has resulted in more wealth, health and education for many countries.
   Transnational companies such as Apple and Amazon are positive driving forces.
   Poverty in China decreased as a result of globalisation.
   Education in China increased
2. Cultural Benefits
   More people are consumers
3. Globalisation increasingly means global cities

Question 19

Name the theory and person who propose optimistic views on globalisation

Answer 19

Neo Liberalism
Kenichi Ohmae’s
enthusiastic advocates of
globalisation from a right-wing neoliberal perspective who sees economic
change as the driving force of globalisation’
political boarders are becoming less and less
important, as countries increasingly form a giant, interlinked economy –
this is especially true of the most developing countries, such as America,
Europe and Japan, and these being joined by rapidly developing countries
such as Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong.
the Interlinked Economy, corporations and
consumers are more closely connected across boarders than ever, and
politicians, bureaucrats and the military are declining in importance.

Question 20

Marxism
What are the foundational views of marxism and globalisation
What are the 5 key points raised by marxism on the powerpoint about how it is a pessimistic view?

Now explain them.

What did he say that capitalism focuses on and what type of product does this focus on?

Give an example that proves societies imaginary and unnatural appetite for more

Answer 20

Marxism is principally concerned with modes of production, social exploitation
through unjust distribution, and social emancipation through the transcendence
of capitalism.
 Marx himself anticipated the growth of globality that ‘capital by its nature drives
beyond every spatial barrier to conquer the whole earth for its market’.
 Accordingly, to Marxists, globalisation happens because transworld
connect

1. Marx focus on the inherent crisis prone nature of capitalism
   -the relentless drive for profits would force workers to squeeze more work into minimum wage until they can no longer afford new products
   -We produce and produce until there is simply no one left to purchase our goods, no new markets, no new debts.
   -The cycle is still playing out before our eyes: Broadly speaking, it’s what made the housing market crash in 2008.
   -Decades of deepening inequality reduced incomes, which led more and more Americans
   to take on debt.
   - When there were no subprime borrows left to scheme, the whole façade fell apart, just as Marx knew it would.
2. Capitalism has a tendency to attribute high value to essential arbitrary (random) products. He argued that this would result in imaginary and unnatural appetites

-This is relevant to modern day America and how there is incredible luxury yet still a constant desire for more arbitrary stuff

-For example purchasing new iphones even when they aren’t that different to the one they already have

3. The IMF and globalisation of capitalism
   The IMF is the international monetary fund. It channels loans from rich nations to those that need help as long as the agree to run free market economies.
   These ideas about overproduction lead mark to predict globalisation which is ‘The spread of capitalism across the world in search of new markets’

-The need for new market sneds the bergiouse all over the world. This means that capitalism and the bergiouse will nestle, settle and establish connections everywhere.

-This means that marx predicted globalisation and why globalisation would occur which is to source cheap labour, new markets and the need for more natural resources

4. Monopolies

-market power would be centralised in large monopoly firms as businesses preyed upon eachother

Evidence of this is that small businesses have been replaced by coorporations such as walmart and small banks have been replaced by large bangs

-there is also monopoly within media which is a cause for concern for globalisation pessimists. this comes as the concentration of the media is in the hands of a few powerful coorporations

5. Low Wages, big profits
   Capitalists wish to pay as little as possible for labor,
   and this is easiest to do when there are too many workers floating around

Question 21

optimistic views on globalisation:
Neoliberalisms view on globalisation

What do they believe governments need to do in order to have development?

Answer 21

Thomas Friedman argues that globalisation has occurred because of adoption of neoliberal economic policies.

Governments in developing countries need to remove all obstacles to free trade and free market capitalism in order to generate development.

Governments should limit their role to providing a
business-friendly environment that enables businesses
(both inside and outside the country) to make a profit

Question 22

Kenichi Ohmae’s view on
Globalisation

Answer 22

uncompromising and whole heartedly enthusiastic advocates for globalisation from a right-wing neoliberal perspective

sees economic change as the driving force of globalisation

political boarders are becoming less and less
important, as countries increasingly form a giant, interlinked economy

the Interlinked Economy, corporations and
consumers are more closely connected across boarders than ever, and
politicians, bureaucrats and the military are declining in importance

Individuals have become global citizens through their
consumption habits – they want to buy the best and
cheapest products where ever they are made, and any
government who tried to prevent this happening would
risk upsetting millions of potential voters.

Question 23

Evidence for the pessimism of globalisation

Answer 23

Increased trade has resulted in unequal benefits

Transnational companies are massive pollutants that extract resources and exploit labour from the developing companies

The Americanisation of unique cultures, increased cultural homogenisation.

Question 24

Wallerstein

What theory did he propose?

Did he like or dislike globalisation?

What are the three systems that he proposed and what are they ?

Answer 24

The world systems theory

Dislike

The core is the dominating economic power
The periphery provides raw materials to the core
and relies on the core’s expensive products.
The semi-periphery is exploited by the core, like
periphery, and, like the core, exploits the periphery.

Question 25

What were Wallerstein’s two main beliefs?

Answer 25

1. Capitalism favours the core and exploits/ prevents the growth of the semi periphery and the periphery

2.Capitalism will ultimately fail because it will have nowhere else to expand to

Question 26

Why did Wallerstein criticise modernisation theory?

Answer 26

its focus on the nation state as the only unit of analysis
its assumption that there is only a single path of
evolutionary development for all countries
its disregard of transnational structures that constrain
local and national development.

Question 27

What are the four temporal features of the world system proposed by Wallerstein

Answer 27

Cyclical Rhythms
-the short term fluctuations of the economy resulting in general economic growth or decline
-Cyclical rhythms represent the short-term fluctuation
of economy, and secular trends mean deeper long run
tendencies, such as general economic growth or decline
-there are 2 types of cyclical rhythyms
Kondratieff cycles
involving first expansion and then a
contraction in the world-economy, lasting some 45–50 years
Logistics Cycles
-last 250 years
-the birth and consolidation of the
capitalist world-economy
-some of the secular trends in
the world-system are the geographic expansion of the system, increasing commodification,
increasing industrialization and a Weberian bureaucratization

Contradiction
-controversy within the world system
-the balance between short term vs long term tradeoffs
Underconsumption
-an example of contradiction within the world system
-the driving down of wages increases the profit for
capitalists in the short term, but in the long term, the
decreasing of wages may have a crucially harmful effect
by reducing the demand for the product.
Crisis
-the end of the system

Question 28

What did Wallerstein propose to be the 3 types of world systems across history?

Answer 28

Mini Systems: For example bands, tribes, and small
chiefdoms, and

And then there are the two types of world systems

1. Empires=politically unified
2. World Economies=not politically unified

Question 29

Zygmunt Beaumans

View on Globalisation

Answer 29

When the elite purse their goals, the poor pay the price
He focuses on refugees and how they do not necessarily belong to a nation
Beauman highlights the negative aspect of globalisation that it allows for refugees to not be recognised and denied identity.
This concept is presented by Goffman.
Refers to how the globalised society separates refugees from the masses by putting them in camps, which allows for them to be forgotten.
the
instabilities and inequalities caused by global capitalism as creating the conditions that can lead
to ethnic nationalisms, religious fanaticisms, increased civil wars, violence, organised crime and
terrorism, all of which do not respect national boundaries.

Question 30

Research Methods

What is Quantative and Qualative

What is the scientific method?

What is the process?

Answer 30

Quantative: translates the social
world into numbers that can be studied
mathematically
* Qualitative research: uses nonnumerical data
like texts, interviews, photos, and recordings
to help understand social life

-a procedure for acquiring knowledge that emphasizes
collecting data through observation and
experiment.

1. Identifiy issue and ask a question
2. Literature review
3. Form a hypothesis
4. Give operational definitions to variable

Question 31

Ritzer’s views
grobalisation, glocalisation and globalisation

What is the definition of globalisation?

Globalisation

What is the definition of grobalisation?

Answer 31

Globalisation:
Glocalisation + Grobalisation
‘Ritzers definiton of globalisation is ‘globalisation refers to the rapidly increasing worldwide intergration and interdependence of societies and cultures’

Glocatisation:
Globalisation + glocalisation
- the product is distributed globally but it adjusted to the culture. changing the desing of a product to meet local tastes and laws
Lots of geographical adaptations to make: Peoples tastes, religions, laws, local interest, availability ]
-views local individuals and groups as important agents
-no imperialistic ambitions and more people based
Example: cars that are sold internationally but the steering wheel is changed
Macdonalds being vegetarian for religous reasons in hindu neighbourhoods
Lego has not changed its product as it was unneccessary and already globally appealing

Grobalisation
-Growth
-profit based
-have imperialistic ambitions
-want to increase power, influence and porfits
-grow through homogenisation
-focuses on economic growth

Grobalisation:

Question 32

The concepts of something vs nothing

Answer 32

Something
-locally conceived and controlled
-having personal and local flavour
-local sandwich shops, family arts and crafts,

Nothing
-centrally conceived and controlled
-standardised and homogenous
-McDonalds, Walmart, Starbucks, credit cards and the internet

Nothing is pushing something out of society

Question 33

Ethical principles in Sociological research

The scientific approach- what is it and who coined the term ‘value free sociology’

What did the American Sociological Association develop?

Answer 33

Most sociologists believe that they should not
allow their personal beliefs to influence their
research.

Max Weber coined the phrase value-free
sociology, stating that researchers should
identify facts without allowing their own
personal beliefs or biases to interfere.

The American Sociological Association has
developed its own code of ethics to help
researchers avoid bias and adhere to
professional standards and to protect
respondents from harm.

Most universities where research is
conducted also have an institutional review
board, a group of scholars within a university
who meet regularly to review and approve
the research proposals of their colleagues
and make recommendations for how to
protect human subjects.

Question 34

What does the scientific method help to determine

What can research lead to?

Answer 34

Correlation: a relationship between two
variables
Causation: a relationship where one variable
causes another variable to change
Spurious correlation: a relationship that
seems to appear between two variables, but
is actually caused by some external, or
intervening, variable

Research can lead to what Thomas Kuhn
called a paradigm shift, or a change in the
way we think about some aspect of life.

Question 35

Methods: How Do We Gather Data?

Differentiate and name the two types of groups usually involved in an experiment

Answer 35

each method has benefits and limitations

it is important to consider which method will work
best

Ethnography
-studying people in their own environments in order to
understand the meanings they give to their activities

happens in two steps:
* The researcher participates in and observes a
setting.
* Then the researcher makes a written account
(field notes) of what goes on there.
In participant observation the researcher
both observes and becomes a member in a
social setting.

Interviews
involve direct, face-to-face contact with respondents
generate large amounts of qualitative
data
Researcher identifies the target population
of interest, then selects a sample of people
to be interviewed from that population
Uses closed and open ended questions

Surveys
questionnaires that are administered to a sample of respondents selected from a target population. Survey
research tends to look at large-scale social patterns and employs statistics and other mathematical means of analysis

Existing sources
refer to any data that has already been collected by earlier researchers and is available for future research

Experiments
formal tests of specific
variables and effects that are performed in a
setting where all aspects of the situation can
be controlled.

An experimental group—participants that
receive the experimental treatment
* A control group—participants that continue
without intervention so they can be compared
with the experimental group

Question 36

Baudrillard and Simulacra

What are the three orders of simulacra?

What are the 5 point of phenomena that he uses to explain the loss of distinction between reality and the simulacrum

Answer 36

-his point is that in postmodern culture our society has we have lost all ability to make sense of the distinction between nature artifice. this is very pessimistic and underestimates the knowledge/intellect of humans.

-society is so reliant on models and maps.

he argues that there are
three “orders of simulacra”:

1) First order, pre modern period
the image is a clear counterfeit of the real; the image
is recognized as just an illusion, a place marker for the real;

2) Industrial revolution, 19th century
the distinctions between the image and the representation begin to break down because of mass production and the proliferation of copies.
Such production misrepresents and masks an underlying reality by imitating it so well,
thus threatening to replace it (e.g. in photography or ideology)
through critique or effective political action, one can still access the hidden fact of the real

3) the postmodern age
we are confronted with a precession of simulacra; that is, the representation precedes and determines the real. There is no longer any distinction between reality and its representation; there is only the simulacrum.

1. Media culture
   Contemporary media are concerned not just with relaying information or stories but with interpreting our most private selves for us, making us approach each other and the world through the lens of these media images.
2. Exchange Value
   he entrance into capitalist culture meant that we ceased to think of purchased goods in terms of use-value, in
   terms of the real uses to which an item will be put.
   Rather, everything began to be translated into how much it is worth, into what it can be exchanged for (Exchange value)
   money became a “universal equivalent,”
   We began even to think of our own lives
   in terms of money rather than in terms of the real things we hold in our hands: how much is my time worth? snd lost track of use value
3. Multinational capitalism
   he things we use are increasingly the
   product of complex industrial processes, we lose touch with the underlying reality
   of the goods we consume
   Baudrillard, it is capital that now defines
   our identities. We thus continue to lose touch with the material fact of the laborer,
   who is increasingly invisible to a consumer oriented towards retail outlets or the
   even more impersonal Internet
   A common example of this is the fact that most
   consumers do not know how the products they consume are related to real-life
   things. How many people could identify the actual plant from which is derived the
   coffee bean?
4. Urbanisation
   -we are so disconnected to nature
   -natural spaces are understood to be ‘protected’ which means they are contraditory to urban reality
5. Language
   -we rely on language so much that everthing we consume already has idiology attached to it

Question 37

What is participatory culture and what theory does it relate to?

Answer 37

-post modernisms view of globalisation

-Audiences are now more involved with the creation of media
content, so the global media space is now more participatory
than old style one-way media.
* Many people create and upload their own content to platforms
such as YouTube, or write blogs, or spend time maintaining their
social media profiles.
* Audiences also contribute by sharing and critiquing other
people’s content on social media.

Question 38

Cultural hybridity

What theory?

Answer 38

Thompson (1995) argues that global media products are
modified by local cultures which results in various new hydbrid
forms. Bollywood is a good example of this.
exchange and innovation of ideas and artifacts between cultures as a product of migration and globalization

Question 39

Myths of Globalisation

Answer 39

• Noam Chomsky: If by “globalization” we mean international integration, then
  it long pre-dates capitalism.
• The silk roads dating back to the pre-Christian era were an extensive form of globalization.
• The rise of industrial state capitalism has changed the scale and character of globalization, and there have been further changes along the way as the
  global economy has been reshaped by those whom Adam Smith called “the masters of mankind,” pursuing their “vile maxim”: “All for ourselves, and
  nothing for other people.

Question 40

What is elective affinity

Answer 40

a process through which two cultural forms – religious, intellectual, political or economical – who have certain analogies, intimate kinships or meaning affinities,