Globalism – an ideology based on the principle that people, goods and

information ought to be able to cross national borders unfettered; an

attitude or policy of placing the interest of the entire world above those of
individual nations.
Globality – the condition of being global; specifically, the quality of having
worldwide inclusiveness, reach, relevance.
Globalization - the increased interconnectedness and interdependence of
peoples and countries. This includes two inter-related elements: the
opening of international borders to increasingly fast flows of goods,
services, finance, people and ideas; and the changes in institutions and
policies at national and international levels that facilitate or promote such
flows.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)  - the monetary value of all finished
goods and services made within the geographic boundaries of country
during a specific period, normally a year.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) – refers to
technologies that provide access to information through
telecommunications which includes internet, wireless networks, mobile
phones and other communication mediums.

Part 1 of 2: The Fundamental concepts of Globalization 

What is Globalization? What are the major characteristics of this
phenomenon?

In the late 20th century, you could watch a movie at home by renting an

original VHS or VCD through video rental stores like ACA video and Video
City (some probably owned a loyalty card for discounts). These VCDs had
a maximum number of days for you to watch and return the same at the
store or else it will incur you a penalty fee. By analogy, you may borrow
books at your library using your card and return the same on the date
indicated on your receipt; otherwise, you have to pay a fine, the same goes
for renting a video compact disc or VCD before. Given the tremendous
number of innovative ICT (Information and Communication Technology)
infrastructures of the world brought by an increase in free trade
agreements, this is not the case in our current generation.
You can binge-watch movies or series you like using your internet browser
or any video streaming application like Netflix at your home’s comfort

It reduced the process of traveling to any video

rental store and consuming an hour or two of your time from choosing a
movie and queueing at the cashier to pay the rental fee. The number of
films and TV series that you can watch is also significantly increasing. It

includes the number of different shows from

various countries and nationalities. You can view some Spanish TV series
like Money Heist to a Korean TV series like Crash Landing on You. These
are all accessible without forcing yourself to leave your house.
Following this scenario, it is hard to identify a one-size-fits-all definition of
Globalization. Many scholars believe that this phenomenon must be
studied using multi-disciplinary approaches and various significant
concepts of social sciences (Banda, 2019; Robertson, 1996; Steger, 2003).
Watching one movie or subscribing to a video streaming site does not
merely entail free trade agreement or its economic perspective; it could
also be a question of morals, political, or cultural standards of one
community.
For example, Netflix is not allowed to stream in some countries like China
and Crimea, where the said online video streaming site is banned; this
scenario could not be answered by an economic or political perspective
alone. It is therefore imperative to consider various aspects and utilization
of different lenses of social sciences to explain or understand this
phenomenon.

Scholars differ in how they view and define Globalization and impact on the
world's transformation. Nevertheless, there is an evident overlap as to the
thematic qualities of Globalization (Steger, 2003). 
Claudio and Abinales (2018) cited the best description of Globalization
based on the work of Manfred Steger, who states that Globalization
is "the expansion, intensification and accelerations of social (economic,
political, cultural) relations and consciousness across world time and
world space.”
Steger (2003) discussed the distinctive qualities of globalization with the
following key concepts;
1. Expansionism principle
Expansion refers to the creation of connections (networks). This occurs on
various occasions from your simple student organizations to larger and
university-wide associations. As two or more organizations come together
to advocate a social cause, for example, could further create a new form of
organization among them. In politics, for instance, there are established
political parties related and connected to national or international networks
or groups. Most of the time, this connection will form into new, multiple, and
bigger associations of people who have the same ideology or motivation.

Using our sample scenario, the video streaming site – Netflix. Through the
expansionism concept, globalization enables Netflix, Inc. to stream and
earn a profit from over 190 countries. For instance, this trade relation of
Netflix is made feasible with the US and Philippines Free Trade
relations which can be further developed to form other connections or
trade relations later on. Netflix revenue will also depend on these trade
relations thus Netflix and its trading partners will become more
interdependent to create more profit.
 
2. Intensification and acceleration

The best example of this is the ICTs, such as the internet, that could
transmit information in a matter of seconds. In a jiffy, you can receive and
send messages or share information from distant places. In the Netflix
sample scenario, you can scan and watch your favorite movie or TV series
at no time. The power of technology and the other ICTs play a vital role in
making all these exchanges possible and faster than ever before.
 

3. Human awareness of social interdependence affects people's individual and

collective identities in the world. Manfred Steger (2003) added that Human
consciousness plays a significant role in Globalization as people have a 'keen
sense' of becoming part of the global whole. Hence it influences their behavior and
perceptions in the contemporary world.
To return with our example, many people, generally, watch quality movies or TV
series on Netflix regardless of its language or culture, and as it reinforces the same,
it gradually changes and affects our individual or collective identities and
views (Robertson, 1996; Steger, 2003). 
Given all the distinct qualities presented above, we can deduce
that Globalization refers to a process, condition,
and ideology of intensified interdependence of economic,
technological, political, and socio-cultural relations of the
world that compresses time and geographic boundaries through
a massive and innovative transformation (Giddens, 2017; Held &
McGrew, 2002; Jameson, Frederic, and Miyoshi, 1998; Mittelman, 2014;
Robertson, 1996; Steger, 2003).
In the said definition of Globalization, there are three (3) essential terms;
first, it is a process that pertains to social developments of the
world’s transformation. 
Second is the term condition, which for Steger (2003), he referred to
as Globality, that represents a secular state and is transformed into global
economic, political, cultural interconnections that extinguishes or eliminates
any existing boundaries. 
Third, it is an ideology (from economic to socio-cultural), which in this
case, is the Human social consciousness or awareness that globalization
processes affect our beliefs and perceptions towards the world's social
order. 
Abinales and Claudio (2003), posit the idea of Manfred Steger that there is
a belief among the elite class of the society, that global integration of
economy is advantageous for everyone because it promotes democracy
and freedom, this ideology is named Globalism (Steger, 2003). This
perspective of Steger lies in his analysis that the people advocating for
global integration (the Globalists) view freedom, free markets, free trade,
and democracy as synonymous and interrelated concepts. That one cannot
invoke democracy without the attributes of the free-market system as an
economic policy.
Thus, we can infer that the term Globalization is not merely a noun that
represents our social condition (Globality) but also an action that pertains
to the process of social transformation, and an ideology (Globalism) of
people towards the political and economic benefits of this phenomenon.

Please take your short quiz on key concepts of Globalization (click

here).
Good Luck!
However, with the ongoing crisis that the world is experiencing right now
particularly on Covid-19 Pandemic, how will it reshape globalization? Will
globalization continue to prosper or will it change the rules of the game?
 
 

Part 2 of 2: Globalization Dimensions

What are the dimensions of Globalization? How do they view globalization?
  
The globalization scholars and the elephant by Kenneth Panfilio and Ryan Canney

The ancient Buddhist parable of Blind Men and the Elephant is

analogous to scholars and academicians’ diverse perspectives on
Globalization  (the Elephant). The parable started when the blind men
touched a particular part of the Elephant's body that they never
encountered before. The blind men begin to describe the animal based on
their perspective, one who touched the side of the Elephant said it is a wall,
the other man, who felt the tail argued, it's a rope, And so on. The blind
men are likened to the scholars of Globalization, who hold on to their
perspectives on what constitutes this phenomenon. 
Many scholars agree that economic forces are the root of Globalization.
While others believe that it is more of a political or cultural concern (Steger,
2003).
Nonetheless, scholars like Steger assert that there are clear
interrelationships of these perspectives. 
So for us to learn their interrelationship, we have to answer the following
questions;
What are the main dimensions of Globalization? How does each
dimension describe Globalization, and do they influence one another?
The following are the three (3) primary dimensions or area of
Globalization;
 

 Economic dimension (Techno-economic)

For the economist, Roshi (2009), specifically viewed Globalization as the

tremendous increase of economic integration and intensified movement
of goods, services, technologies, and capital across borders. 
The exponential growth of the current global economy vis-à-vis world's

GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is drastically increased in percentage from

42.1% in 1980 to 62.1% in 2007. This remarkable development in the
world's economy, through the help of technology, interests many financial
experts and economists toward globalization’s potential. Thus many
experts believe that globalization is an economic concern more than any
other dimension like politics and culture (Claudio and Abinales, 2018).
 Political dimension

Political scientists, on the other hand, describe Globalization as the

expansion of the political structure, for Thompson et al., (2008) "Political
globalization is about the expansion of a global political system, and its
institutions, in which inter-regional transactions (including, but not limited
to, trade) are managed."  It resulted in the alliance of various countries and
regions of the world, including the increasing influence of global institutions
like the United Nations, and World Health Organizations. 

 Socio-Cultural dimension

Sociologist Anthony Giddens (2017), referred to this phenomenon as

the 'event at distant' or the intensified social relations in a global sphere
influenced by the event from distant places to various localities and from
local events to the international arena. Individuals are more exposed to
geographically distant activities, and with global and local problems which
are more intertwined than before. He argued that this 'event' is brought by
the fast convergence of people, through the aid of technology, hence
creating a new set of norms or expected behavior that affects our identity.  
Gidden's views of Globalization are further justified by the contemporary
anthropologist and globalization theorist Arjun Appadurai's (1990) ideas,
who stated that Globalization refers to the intensified and expanded global
cultural flows. Appadurai explains that one's culture intersects and
overlaps with another on a worldwide scale; it influences each other in
various ways. 
Arjun Appadurai’s global cultural flow theory uses a framework called “Five
Scapes of culture”, where all dimensions of globalization presented above
are interconnected and could influence each other;
  Financescapes pertains to the rapid flow of money or capital
around the globe. Appadurai explains that there are observable
accelerated movements of money from stock exchanges, currency
markets, and money transfers. This resulted in the emergence of more
businesses and trades on a global scale. (Economic Dimension)
 Ideoscapes refers to the meaning of symbols or a set of beliefs
spreading around the world. Appadurai pointed out that this Scape is
directly related to politics and various principles of states like a liberal
democracy. (Political Dimension)
 Technoscapes is the advanced capabilities of technologies at an
unprecedented rate across borders. (Techno-economic)
 Mediascape refers to the visual representations of culture or realities
that influence or shape people's perception of events, ideas, and
experiences. It was made feasible by the electronic media or mass
media from print, broadcast, and digital media.  (Socio-Cultural
Dimension)
 Ethnoscape is the increasing movement of people around the
globe. The prominent examples of this are a large number of
immigrants, tourists, and refugees migrating from one place to another.
Our OFWs, exchange students abroad, or someone visiting places for
leisure or business are a few examples of this scape. (Socio-Cultural
Dimension)

Let us check our understanding of those five scapes of culture through this
short quiz;

Please take your short quiz on Five Scapes (click here). 

 

Using the five (5) scapes, we can apply and find how the various
dimensions of globalization overlap and intersect with one another in all
aspects of life. To put Appadurai's scapes (F.I.T. M.E.) into perspective,
let's use how YouTube, the biggest video streaming site in the world,  can
be applied in the said framework.

 
 

Let's start with the Financescapes;

 In 2019, YouTube earned $15 billion in

advertisements (Duffy, 2019). More than 50% of Small to large enterprises
and its marketers around the globe choose to invest in YouTube ads as it
draws more attention than television ads (Moshin, 2020). The flow of
capital and revenues worldwide, in the case of the "YouTubers or
Vloggers" alone who earned from this scheme, can be greatly observed. 
 Next is Ideoscapes, YouTube can advance various political standpoints
from the far-right to the left. Political campaigns, government videos,
election participants, terrorist video materials can be uploaded anytime and
anywhere. And it all affects people's perceptions of different socio-political
issues. There is an apparent influence of YouTube on Global politics, and
scholars referred to it as a "YouTube effect" (Stoilova, 2016).
In Technoscapes, we can say that YouTube is a powerful breakthrough in
Information and Communication Technology, but it doesn't stop there.
Numerous technologies and tools are being invented because of its
inception as complementary goods. From "YouTubers" starter kit like
cameras with optical image stabilization to YouTube's artificial intelligence
responsible to flag down objectionable content like violent extremism and
other violations of their community policy (Meyer, 2018)
While in Mediascapes: YouTube, like other social media, influences one's
culture because of its accessibility across countries. For example, Baek
(2014) study shows that  Kpop music videos are widely consumed and
embraced across a variety of cultures, which are shown and played a
million or even a billion times on YouTube like the "Oppa Gangnam Style" 
music video, who hit the first billion views in 2012.
Lastly, Ethnoscapes: Have you ever watched a travel vlog on YouTube?
Or should we ask how many times have you viewed travel videos on
YouTube? Mora (n.d.) from U.N. Migration shared that one characteristic of
YouTubers is that most of them are 'migrants.' The vloggers or YouTubers
not only manifest the concept of ethnoscapes of being a tourist but also
influence or attract many people to travel and be migrants as well. 
YouTube is one of the thousands of the world's phenomena where you can
apply the critical concepts of Appadurai's global cultural flows. Hence, if we
want to have a better understanding of Globalization we cannot skip
studying and considering each dimension and how it directly or indirectly
affects the various aspects of o