Contemporary World

Defining Globalization
WEEK 1

Pre-Assessment
1. Contemporary world vs. Modern world
Modern world is the circumstances and ideas of the present age. It literally means
relating something or someone to the present time. Contemporary world, on the other
hand is an ever-changing mix of social and political changes. It deals with problems and
issues related to the environment, population, wealth, power and tensions and conflicts.
While religious, political, and ethnic conflicts continue, we are currently living in one of
the most peaceful eras in the history of the planet.
2. Globalization vs. Globalism
Globalization refers to the increase or decline in the degree of globalism. It
focuses on the forces, the dynamism or speed of these changes. It use to describe the
growing interdependence of the world's economies, cultures, and populations, brought
about by cross-border trade in goods and services, technology, and flows of investment,
people, and information. However, globalism seeks to describe and explain nothing more
than a world which is characterized by networks of connections that span multi-
continental distance that attempts to understand all the inter-connections of the modern
world and to highlight patterns that explain them.
Process Questions
1. Why do we need to study Contemporary world?
Contemporary World program help adult learners become interested in
contemporary world problems and issues that all societies face, develop competencies
and construct knowledge. People should be aware of the role they must play in society
and of their responsibilities as citizens. Further, we can understand and appreciate our
history and move beyond our future to use it in our present problems and issues in our
society today because of this topic.
2. Define Globalization in your own words.
Globalization is an interaction between people, companies or organizations and
even government to emerge growth and improvement not only to one’s individual but
especially to the economy and to the world.
3. What is the positive and negative impact of globalization on the following: Economics,
Social, Political and Spiritual?
 Globalization in economics has spurred the spread of new technology, helping to
make economies greener and more productive. Globalization has helped to reduce gender
wage discrimination and giving new opportunities to women. Globalization has improved
the quality of management in firms and the working conditions for people moreover,
there is negative income effects for certain people and regions in the countries involved.
This can lead to growing social tensions that have a negative impact on economic
development. Social tensions can also lead to increasing populism. In political aspect ,
The phenomenon of globalization as a new paradigm, in influence of economic
evolutions, has excellent changed human societies from half century past .In late decades,
the scientific and academic societies, especially political science, and some other matters
like political systems, states, and democracy, has conceptual redefined by globalization.
Because of globalization and democracy are complex, fluid and universal concepts. Some
thoughtful argued, globalization explodes and reinforces the measure of democracy in
national and supranational level. Globalization lands religion in a quagmire of conflicts
which reinforce social identities as some do not accept the new realities and turn to
religion to rediscover their own identity. In short, globalization is a positive development
as it will give rise to new industries and more jobs in developing countries. Others say
globalization is negative in that it will force poorer countries of the world to do whatever
the big developed countries tell them to do.
4. What is the short term and long term impact of globalization? Is it favorable or not?
Why?
Short term impacts of globalization are the following: a) increase meaningful
employment, b) enhance skills base on their economy, c) increase the transfer of
technology and the know-how to use it properly, d) boost their nation’s competitiveness
for greater access to market, e) improve social and environmental conditions and f)
develop infrastructure, water, and energy, without substantial investments. Globalization
spurs technological innovation allowing companies to become more productive,
environmentally conscious and profitable. It also allows countries to gain easier access to
foreign knowledge and technologies for speedier growth and increased profits in new
regions. It is intentionally good for the economy and to the country.
5. Why globalization important? Give example.
Globalization, roughly defined as the global integration of economies and
societies, a affects many aspects of young peoples' lives. It is an important concept for
students in higher education to understand and appreciate because of the demand in
business and industry to hire people who can work with people of other nations and
cultures and if need be can travel independently internationally to promote their business.
6. Give your personal point of view about the Metaphor of Globalization- Solid, Liquid and
Flow?
Solidity also refers to the persistence of barriers that prevented free movement of
people, information, and objects in that era. Although solidity persists, it is “fluidity” that
is more characteristic of the “global age.” A range of technological developments in
transportation and communication have enabled far greater global movement of what
was previously solid. The difficulties posed by the fact that many things and people retain
some solidity can now also be dealt with more readily. As this process of increased
mobility continues, liquids tend to turn into gases. This implies additional attributes of
being light and a capacity to flow even faster and with greater ease. The flow of
information in the global age closely approximates this characteristic of gaseousness. The
new liquids and gases that are being created have both constructive as well as destructive
effects. A closely related concept is the idea of “flows.” Globalization is increasingly
characterized by flows of liquid phenomena including people, objects, decisions,
information, and places. Many global flows are interconnected – they do not occur in
isolation. Others might be multi-directional flows – all sorts of things flow in every
conceivable direction among all points in the world. Conflicting flows add another layer
of complexity to the analysis of global processes. Finally, reverse flows often have a
boomerang effect. That is, they flow back to their source and often have a negative effect
on it. In spite of greater liquidity and ever-more flows of various types, the world is still
characterized by great inequality. Flows do not necessarily go everywhere. Even when
they do, they affect different places with varying degrees of intensity. Using another
metaphor, it could be argued that globalization “hops” from one locale to another, rather
than flowing evenly through all locales. While globalization flows more easily through
the developed world, it bypasses many locales in the less developed world.