THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

INTRODUCTION TO
THE STUDY OF
GLOBALIZATION
Prepared by:
DIWATA V. DONATO
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

What comes to your mind

when you hear the word
globalization?
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

DEFINITION

• Globalization is a wide variety of phenomena,

including a process, a condition, a system, a force,
and an age.
• Globalization itself is a fragmented, incomplete,
uneven, and contradictory set of social processes.
• Globalization is ambiguous, complex, and
uncertain.
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

DEFINITION

a complex the swift and

expansions range of relatively
increasing and processes, unimpeded
global inter- intensification driven by a flow of capital,
connectedness of social mixture of people, and
relations political and ideas across
across world- economic national
time and influences borders
world-space
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

DEFINITION

“
Globalization is the increased
interconnectedness and interdependence
of peoples and countries.
It is generally understood to include two inter-related elements:

(1) the opening of (2) the changes in institutions

international borders to and policies at national and
increasingly fast flows of international levels that facilitate
goods, services, finance, or promote such flows.
people and ideas; and
- WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
(WHO)
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

DEFINITION

Photo: Peterson Institute for International

Economics
Globalization is a multi-
dimensional phenomenon
involving economics, politics,
culture, ideology, environment,
and technology.
- MANFRED B. STEGER
”
Globalization refers to how the world
has become more connected
economically, politically, socially and
culturally over time.
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

CRITICISMS
• REJECTIONISTS
• SCEPTICS
• MODIFIERS
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

CRITICISMS
REJECTIONISTS
• Rejectionists call for de-globalization.
• They dismiss the utility of globalization as an
analytical concept.
• According to them, globalization is incorrect,
imprecise, or exaggerated.
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

CRITICISMS
SCEPTICS
• Emphasize the limited nature of globalization.
• According to them, the world economy is not a
truly global phenomenon, but one centred on
Europe, eastern Asia, and North America.
• They also assume that globalization is
primarily an economic phenomenon.
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

CRITICISMS
MODIFIERS
• According to them, globalization has often
been applied in a historically imprecise
manner.
• They disagree with the understanding that this
process is a recent and novel phenomenon.
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

PROCESSES
• Globalization as an economic process
• Globalization as a political process
• Globalization as a cultural process
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

PROCESSES
Globalization as an economic process
• the changing nature of the • global financial crises
production process
• income inequalities
• the internationalization of
financial transactions • disproportional wealth
• powerful transnational • climate change, pollution,
corporations (TNCs) with depletion of natural resources,
subsidiaries in several deforestation, destruction of
countries ecosystems, loss of
biodiversity
• development of trade systems
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

PROCESSES
Globalization as a political process

• politics is the crucial category upon which rests a

proper understanding of globalization
• need for effective global governance structures as
a consequence of various forces of globalization
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

PROCESSES
Globalization as a political process

• prospects for global governance • impact of globalization on

• fate of the modern nation-state human rights
• principle of state sovereignty • manage and prevent political
conflict among the countries
• growing impact of
intergovernmental • devise regulations regarding
organizations, non-government wars, immigration, pandemics,
organizations, social climate change
movements
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

PROCESSES
Globalization as a cultural process
• “Globalization lies at the heart of modern culture;
cultural practices lie at the heart of globalization.”
• Does globalization increase cultural homogeneity, or
does it lead to greater diversity and heterogeneity?
Does globalization make people more alike or more
different?
• Hybridization – the processes of cultural mixing
• cultural globalization is ‘American in origin and content’
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

PROCESSES
Globalization as a cultural process

• increase in human exchanges • electronic capabilities to

such as migration, expatriation produce and disseminate
or traveling information
• customs and habits shared • millions of people are
among local communities interconnected thanks to the
• trading of commodities power of the digital world via
social media platforms
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

IDEOLOGY
• Globalism deserves to be recognized as a
separate ideological family.
• Ideology is used to refer to a new ‘science of
ideas’(idea-ology).
• Ideology is an action-oriented belief system;
or an interrelated set of ideas that in some
way guides or inspires political action.
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

CLAIMS
Globalization is about the liberalization
and global integration of markets.
• Both proponents and opponents of
globalization agree that the driving force
today is markets, which are suborning the
role of government.
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

CLAIMS

Globalization is inevitable and

irreversible.
• “Globalization is happening, it’s going to
happen. It does not matter whether you like
it or not, it’s going to happen.”
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

CLAIMS

Nobody is in charge of globalization.

• concept of the ‘self-regulating market’
• idea of ‘leaderlessness’
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

CLAIMS

Globalization benefits everyone (. . .

in the long run).
• The idea of ‘benefits for everyone’ is
usually unpacked in material terms such
as ‘economic growth’ and ‘prosperity’,
but also draws on the powerful socialist
vision of establishing an economic
paradise.
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

CLAIMS

Globalization furthers the spread of

democracy in the world.
• There exists a clear correlation between
a country’s level of economic
development and successful democracy.
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

CONCLUSION

“ Globalization is a
wonderful opportunity,
but also a profound
responsibility.

- FORMER US PRESIDENT BILL

CLINTON
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

REFERENCES
MAIN READING/S:
Steger, M. B. (2005, February). Ideologies of globalization. Journal of Political Ideologies, 10(1),
11-30.
Steger, M. B. (2014). Approaches to the Study of Globalization. In M. B. Steger, P. Battersby, & J.
M. Siracusa, The SAGE Handbook of Globalization (2014 ed., Vol. 1, pp. 7-22). SAGE
Publications, Inc.

ADDITIONAL READING/S:
Heywood, A. (2013). Politics (4th ed.). London: Macmillan Education Limited.
Khan Academy. (2019). Introduction to Globalization.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/whp-origins/era-7-the-great-convergence-
and-divergence-1880-ce-to-the-future/75-global-interactions-betaa/a/read-global-
interactions-and-institutions-beta
Maka Language Consulting. (2014, April 14). Globalization explained: Q&A with Manfred Steger.
https://www.makaitalia.com/en/globalization-explained-q-with-manfred/
Scholte, J. A. (2007). Defining globalization. Clm.economía, 10, 15-63.
Youmatter. (2020, October 6). Globalization: Definition, Benefits, Effects, Examples – What is
Globalization? https://youmatter.world/en/definition/definitions-globalization-definition-
benefits-effects-examples/
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION

What are your personal

experiences to globalization
in your everyday lives?