What Is Globalisation? Flashcards
Globalisation definition
The process by which the world’s local and regional economies, societies and cultures have become integrated together through a network of trade, transport and communications.
Economic globalisation
The rise of growth and speed of trans national corporations (TNCs) and the rise of global economic institutions such as the IMF and the world bank.
Cultural globalisation
Impact of western culture, art, media, sport and leisure pursuits on the rest of the world.
Now a multidirectional process as cultural aspects move around the world through the internet and migration.
(Hollywood rivalled by Bollywood, Nollywood)
Political globalisation
Institutions like the United Nations, regional trading blocs and particularly the influence of western democracies and their influence on poor countries has resulted in political globalisation.
Globalisation today
Internet > accelerated globalisation because of the flow of cultural ideas and trade. E.g. Online shopping and Social media
Points and discoveries > accelerated globalisation e.g. Discovery of America
TNCs > trans national corporations work in many different countries like McDonald’s and Starbucks.
Examples of early globalisation
Silk trade > routes from turkey to china. It connected the east and west of china to the Mediterranean Sea.
Slave trade > 15-19th century - that’s why there are so many African Americans in the US
East India company > rose to half the worlds trade (silk, tea, cotton, dye, salt, opium…). The company linked India to the British empire.
Connections between countries
Deepened > more links and of different types (trade, tourism, ideas, etc)
Lengthened > able to connect with further away places (Fiji, Australia)
Speeded up > make links faster (fibre optic cables on the ocean floor and internet are instant)
Shrinking world
The IDEA that the world is becoming smaller.
I.e. Places are becoming nearer to each other as the links become so much easier (linked to the idea of transport)
Space-time compression
The IDEA that the space is becoming smaller as places come together, thus shortening the time in terms of linking places.
Why accelerate globalisation?
Trade and transport in the 19th century has lead to a “shrinking world”
Development of communications in the 20th century (phones and internet) has lowered in cost leading to a space-time compression
Flows (capital)
Businesses, banks, stock markets constantly trade and transfer capital (money) on a daily basis
Flows (commodities)
Raw materials (LDCs) and manufactured goods (NICs - India and China)
Flows (ideas)
Internet, social media, TV, etc…
Gradually become more two way, exchange of ideas, back and forth)
Flows (migration)
Face the most difficulties due to border control but immigration is still increasing…
(Remittances [sending money home] are linked to this)
Flows (tourism)
Budget airlines had increased people’s ability to travel
Interdependence
Flows have lead to the interdependence of places
U.K. Is reliant on Gambia for cocoa for chocolate and they rely on money in exchange
Safaricom
> mobile phone provider like Vodafone, set up by M-Pesa in Kenya.
allows people to transfer credit between users
1/3 of kenyas GDP is sent through it
bills, school fees can be payed and market prices checked (fishermen)
if you have a good credit history, you can take out micro loans
Communications (telephone)
Lengthened connections because people could talk to others in different countries.
Also sped up links because messages could be sent in seconds (but only small amounts of data)
Connections (broadband)
Invented in late 1980s
Fibre optic cables on the sea floor allows huge amounts of data to be transmitted at once. (Greatly deepened the links as well as lengthened them)
Communications (internet)
Invented in 1980s
Greatly deepened links because people could communicate around the world within seconds.
Speeded up links massively
Connections (GPS and GIS)
GPS - invented in 70s
Useful for tracking stuff (car, deliveries, ground movement in earthquake zones)
GIS - enables you to see and manipulate a large amount of data very easily ( put a load of data on to a map of the UK to see crime hotspots).
Cuts out huge amounts of time being spent plotting graphs and maps
Connections (smartphones)
Massively linked poor countries and has given them huge benefits.
Allows them to access the internet (online banking frees up a whole day for work because they don’t have to walk to the bank.)
Lengthens and spends up links as they begin to communicate with the world.
The increase of smartphones has benefited LDCs more than MDCs because we already had deep links around the world.
