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GLOBALIZATIONThis next topic is very dangerous. To help you remain tranquil in the face of almost certain death, a really pretty song from Portal 2 will be deployed in three two one

OK LETS MOVE ON

What is Globalization?According to Held and McGrew, globalization denotes the expanding scale, growing magnitude, speeding up and deepening impact of transcontinental flows and patters of social interaction.

It is a shift in the scale of human organization that links distant communities and expands the reach of power relations across world regions and continents.

What is Globalization?Giddens defines globalization as the intensification of world wide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa."The concept of globalisation refers both to the compression of the world and the intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole" - Benedikt Kiesenhofer

According to Roland Robertson, globalization at the cultural level began due to

compression of the world- interdependencies, i.e. ones experience in one part of the world having immediate consequences for people on the other side of the globe

global consciousness- a unified discourse through mass communication involving issues concerning economics, security, international relations, among other things on an international level

Social geographer David Harvey describes a process called time-space compression. Organization of space and time, he argues, are both sources of value and power.

organization of space- refers to a common judgment that there are such places or spaces where certain behaviors and practices are generally expected and this is how social relations can also be formed.

organization of time - refers to how time is managed in capitalist enterprise, whether its the amount of time it takes to produce a certain product or the value of money increasing over time (interest).

4 Aspects of GlobalizationCultural AspectCultural ImperialismMulticulturalismGlobal brands as common reference to consumers worldwideDominance of the English language International travel and tourism

Technological AspectRevolutionary changes particularly in transport and communicationsDesktop PC InternetGoodbye telephone , Hello Smartphone

Source: http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/globalization.html

Economic AspectTrade where individuals gain greater access to a surplus of goods and services Investment where multinational companies directly invest their assets in a foreign country, or by indirect investment where individuals and institutions purchase and sell financial assets of other countries Migration that allows individuals from a specific country to find employment in jurisdictions with labor shortages. Political AspectGovernments creation of international rules and institutions to deal with issues such as trade, human rights, and the environment.United Nations (UN)World Trade OrganizationSource: http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/globalization.html

TechnoscapeEthnoscape- This refers to the movement of technology around the world, it may be for various reasons such as development, business or environmentalism but the distribution is on an international scale.- This refers to the movements of people; i.e. migration from one part of the world to another for various reasons including business, immigration, tourism, etc.

IdeoscapeMediascape- The global distribution of media images and information including news and advertising over radio, television, print, and the internet.- This refers to how ideas and political ideologies are spread across the world. Examples are Doctors Without Borders, and Greenpeace: organizations that hold certain values and ideas that are being spread world wide.

Finanscape- The world wide flow of money, be it through the stock exchange, commodity markets, the online markets, etc.

The Global Village- Appadurai described this concept as the closer contact between people different parts of the world. Such interaction would ideally cause more personal exchange, mutual understanding, and foster global friendship thus creating a global civilization.Proponents of GlobalizationNeoliberalismNeoliberals view globalization as a matter of individual freedom and initiative that includes the extension of the market to more areas of life. From the creation of a state unburdened by excessive intervention in the economy and social life, to the restriction of power of certain groups; globaliztion serves as the embodiement of a new world order encouraging individuals to exercise freedom and prosperity not impeded by bureaucracy and the state .

Global governance is conducted, primarily, through disciplines of the world market combined with minimal forms of international governance designed to promote global economic integration through dismantling of barriers to commerce and investment (Held & McGrew, 2002).Liberal InternationalismConcerned with the growing interdependence that generates favorable, conditions for international cooperation, democracy that establishes a foundation for international peace, and global institutions that create laws to regulate international interdependencies, all of which are present through globalization.

Global governance, to them, is viewed as a set of pluralistic arrangements between different sectors and states that combined to regulate and/or govern aspects of global affair (Held & McGrew, 2002).Institutional ReformsA view which focuses on the management of the social, economic and political dislocation arising from contemporary processes of globalization, by which, can be best handle through collaborative ethos built on the principles of transparency, consultation and accountability (Held & McGrew, 2002).

Reforms must be done through the strengthening of the role of the state and the civil society to enhance the scope for collective action, and reform of governance, both from the local to the global level (Held & McGrew, 2002).

Some Critiques of GlobalizationInternalisation of the State (Cox, 1981)

- Robert Cox described this as the state becoming a vehicle for transmitting the global market discipline to the domestic economy. (Hoogvelt, 1997)

- This is reminiscent of such claims that the Western powerhouses are aiming to create a New World Order, and though such conspiracy theories seem irrational, the Westernization that clearly does happen in the global economy and even culturally is an existing problem.Global TransformationGlobal transformers argues that there is nothing inevitable or fixed about the current form of globalization and the main issue here is the core organizational principles and institutions where there is a huge inequality in the distribution of power, opportunity, and life chances (Held & McGrew, 2002).

They also argue on the need of new modes of administering and implementing international agreements and international law, including an enhanced capacity for peacekeeping and peace-making (Held & McGrew, 2002).

Statists/ProtectionistsTheir priority lies into building a competent state capacity: deepening the state where it already exists in the developed world and nurturing the state where it is urgently most needed; and the protection of distinctive culture, tradition, language, and religion that binds the people together (Held & McGrew, 2002).Global governance, in their view, is primarily Western project, the main objects of which is to sustain the primacy of the West in world affairs. (Held & McGrew, 2002)

Some Critiques of GlobalizationRadicalism (Held & McGrew, 2002)- Collectivist movements that are generally anti-globalization criticize the authority of states and international agencies, and see globalization as a precursor to global ecological, economic, and security crises.

- Radicals also consider global governance (particular examples being EU or UN) provide a convenient political shell for the exercise of US global dominance (Held & McGrew, 2002), once again criticizing the apparent Americanization of the world.ReferencesHeld, D. McGrew, A. (2002). Globalization/Anti-Globalization. Malden: Polity Press.Globalization. Retrieved from http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/globalization.html