Human Geography

Globalisation and the Body

Sarah Atkinson

Office Hours

Monday: 15.00 -16.00

Tuesday: 15.00-16.00

Module Aims To critically explore the relations between

globalization and human geography To use a variety of specific case studies to

introduce the latest ideas in human geography about how space and place are changing in the context of globalization

To introduce students to a broad range of concepts and approaches in human geography, using scale, from global to local, as the organising framework

Globalisation and the Body Relations of globalisation-human geography

in relation to health and the body

A broad range of concepts and approaches in human geography, health and the body

Case studies of selected embodied issues

Use of scale as the organising framework global governance, actors, processes, local

practices, individual bodies

Globalisation and the BodySection 1 Aims To explore the interactions of globalisation

with human health To explore the interactions of globalisation

with bodily subjectivities To examine the possibilities and

challenges for global governance of health and body related practices

Geographies of Health and Wellbeing

Peter Atkins

Kathrin Hörschelmann

Rachel PainCentre for Social Justice and Community Action

Clare BambraWolfson RIHW

Felicity CallardCentre for Medical Humanities

Joanne-Marie Cairns

Chris DunnSarah CurtisIHRR

Rachel Colls

Ben AndersonPaul Harrison

Globalisation

‘a set of processes that are changing the nature of human interaction by intensifying interactions across certain boundaries that have hitherto served to separate individuals and population groups’ [Lee, 2003: 12]

Globalisation debates Wealth Social integration Shared identities Borderless world Democracy and equity Cooperation

Too much or too little ? ‘problem is not that they (poorest) are being

impoverished by globalization, but that they are in danger of being largely excluded from it’[World Bank]

Need for global governance, global mobilisation

The Body Health and human flourishing Body as site that materialises biological,

social, political, economic, spiritual processes

Lifelines, embodied lives Individualisation of the body Responsibilisation of the body Body projects Critiques of influential dualisms

mind/body; nature/culture

Globalisation and the Body ?

Trade and health [Smith, 2006]

Direct Increased exposure to infectious

disease Increased risk of chronic illness Increased environmental degradation

Indirect Access to health care Via trade liberalisation in other areas

Challenge for health [Smith, 2006]

Little empirical study of processes Politics

Trade negotiations ignore health Health professionals ignore trade

Public health defensive Risks Opportunities ?

Concerns for health Increased inequalities, re-emergence

of infectious diseases

Security and health as geopolitics

Governance: role of WHO, other agents role in health – WB, WTO

Huynen et al., 2005

Woodward et al., 2001

Three faces of globalisation [Lee, 2000, 2003]

Spatial Reterritorialisation Death of distance

Temporal Speeding up

Cognitive Changes to how we think about ourselves

and the world

Globalisation as spatial change ‘growth of supraterritorial relations between

people….a far-reaching change in the nature of space’ [Scholte, 2000]

‘process through which sovereign national states are criss-crossed and undermined by transnational actors’ [Beck, 1999]

‘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’ [Giddens, 1990](in Lee and Collin, 2005)

Spatial globalisation Unprecedented mobility

175 m (2.9% of world’s population) living outside their country of birth in 2000; increase from 100m (1.8%) in 1995, more than doubled since 1965 [Stillwell et al., 2004]

130m migrant workers in 2000; increased from 75m in 1965 [ILO]

21.8m refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced, 2000; increased from 1.4m in 1961 [UNHCR]

Travellers - total international arrivals worldwide 699m 2000 (rep 9% world’s pop) annual increase of 7.9% [World Tourism Organisation]

Spatial globalisation Movement of life-forms with

humans Individual scale – eg spread of SARS Larger – bio-invasions Global economic trade, movements of

animals, plants, eradication of species, GM concerns

Temporal globalisation ‘we have been experiencing, these last

two decades, an intense phase of time-space compression that has had a disorienting and disruptive impact’ [Harvey, 1989]

‘a growing magnitude or intensity of global flows’ [Held and McGrew, 2000]

‘Global transactions… can extend anywhere in the world at the same time and can unite locations anywhere in effectively no time’ [Scholte, 2000](From Lee and Collin, 2005)

Temporal globalisation Speeding up:

medical technologies and research Slowing down:

slows down interactions Different time use

increased commitments

Cognitive globalisation ‘the compression of the world and the

intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole’ [Roberston, 1992]

‘McWorld’s homogenization is likely to ….[lead to] the triumph of commerce and its markets and to give to those who control information, communication, and entertainment ultimate control over human destiny’ [Barber, 1992](From Lee and Collin, 2005)

Cognitive globalisation Shaping thought:

Mass media, advertising agencies, consultancy firms, research/educational institutions, religious groups, political parties

-1980s: domestic ownership and regulation

1980s+: technological convergence; content ?

Dominance of a few large companies

Entertainment, 2012 (Fortune 500)

Revenues Profits

Rank Company Fortune 500 rank $ millions % change

from 2010 $ millions

1 Walt Disney 66 40,893.0 7.4 4,807.0

2 News Corp. 91 33,405.0 1.9 2,739.0

3 Time Warner 103 28,974.0 7.8 2,886.0

4 Viacom 177 14,963.0 10.9 2,136.05 CBS 188 14,245.0 1.3 1,305.0

6 CC Media Holdings

394 6,161.4 5.0 -302.1

7 Live Nation Entertainment

450 5,384.0 6.3 -83.0

News Corp 2012World’s 2nd largest entertainment group (revenue) Newspapers, magazines, books

Times, Sun; NY Post, Wall St Journal; the Australian; local papers; Harper Collins

Film and TV 20th Century Fox Fox, BSkyB, Star TV (Asia), Phoenix

(china/HK), Tata Sky (India), Sky in Europe Cable channels Radio networks

Dow Jones & Company

Cognitive globalisation Power of advertising in lifestyle habits Power of images of desirable body

forms

How we frame health issues Priorities Causes and responsibilities Intervention through systems of care,

regulation, policies

SessionsGlobal governance Disease and global governance Baby milk scandal Pharmaceutical big business

New Health Challenges Electromagnetic radiation Globesity

SessionsGuest lecture – Prof Clare Bambra Inequalities in health

New technologies Bodies, beauty and power Care, bodies and imaginary futures

Lectures and Reading Lectures provide structure – the issues to

consider Reading provides detail, depth of understanding

* essential

Others gives depth beyond lectures

Journal articles, access via e-journals Digitalised chapters eg for the formative essay

Associated Tasks Pre-arrival tasks:

Why does it matter how we classify disease? Is normality becoming medicalised? If we could all afford aesthetic surgery, would

we all look the same?

Formative essay 28th October on DUO; 12th November, 16.00

Office Hours

This building, 4th Floor, 408

Monday: 15.00 -16.00

Tuesday: 15.00 -16.00