UNIT I.

INTRODUCTION TO GLOBALIZATION

Overview

This unit is designed to inform you about the increasing awareness of people's interconnectedness
and places around the globe, which was the result of economic and sociopolitical integration among
different countries, and advances in technology and other facets that have allowed people to
experience living in a borderless world. As such, this unit examines the multifaceted phenomenon of
globalization thru the lenses of various disciplines.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the unit, I am able to:

1. differentiate the competing conceptions of globalization;

2. identify the underlying philosophies of the varying definitions of globalization; and

3. agree on a working definition of globalization for the course.

Setting Up

Name: ____________________________________________________Date:____________________
Course/Year/Section: ___________________________________

Directions: Make a concept map of your current knowledge about Globalization. Include all your
ideas and information that is relevant to the globalization.
What is Globalization?

Globalization refers to the processes by which more people across large distances become
connected in more and different ways. They can become connected very simply by doing or
experiencing the same sort of thing.

Globalization is an interaction of people and primarily an economic process of integration

which has social and cultural aspects as well.

According to Al-Rodhan (2006), Globalization is not a single concept that can be defined and
encompassed within a set time frame, nor is it a process that can be defined clearly with a beginning
and an end. It is because Globalization involves economic and political integration; global policies;
knowledge transmission, cultural stability; the reproduction, relations, and discourses of power; it is
a universal process, a concept, a revolution, and "an establishment of the worldwide market free
from sociopolitical control. The study says that some people believe that Globalization brought
progress, development, and stability. According to Larsson (2001), Globalization is the process of
world shrinkage, distances getting shorter, and things moving closer. It pertains to the increasing
ease with which somebody on one side of the world can interact, to mutual benefit, with somebody
on the other side of the world. However, others believe that Globalization brought regression,
colonialism, and destabilization. These beliefs are actually supported by Martin Khor, the president
of the third world network in Malaysia, who stated that Globalization is a form of colonization.
Hence, Globalization can be defined as narrow and exclusive, or broad and inclusive.

Defining Globalization as Broad and Inclusive

According to Ohmae (1992), Globalization means the onset of the borderless world. This
definition proposes that barriers are no longer considered a hindrance because there are so many
ways by which we can access information and goods from other countries as if we are living in one
place without any boarders. From the viewpoint of Ray Kiely and Phil Marfleet (1998), Globalization
is a situation wherein societies, cultures, politics, and economics have, in some sense, come closer
together. This claim supports the idea of Ohmae by which, as we live in this world, we experience
oneness in terms of culture, policies, and technology. Besides, Jan Aart Scholte (1999) states that
"Globalization refers to processes whereby social relations acquire relatively distance less and
borderless qualities so that human lives are increasingly played out in the world as a single place."
Likewise, Globalization can be viewed as the compression of time and space (Harvey, 1998). These
definitions are inclined with the view of Globalization as broad and inclusive. It can be seen that
there are common themes from these definitions, such as the elimination of borders among
different countries and that the definition is somehow vague and does not clearly define the
implication of Globalization in a particular area.

Defining Globalization as Narrow and Exclusive

According to Robert Cox (1999), Globalization is characterized by the internationalizing of

production, the new international division of labor, migration from south and north, and a
competitive environment, which increases processes such as manufacturing of goods and
commodities. This definition presents us an idea that specific activities are happening under
Globalization such as the acquisition of products of a particular country to other parts of the world,
the categorization of states when it comes to the division of labor as presented in the world system
theory, the migration of people to other wealthy nations, and the existence of a free market that
allows competition in an open economy. From the viewpoint of Bairoch & Kozul-Wright (1996),
Globalization is a process in which the production and financial structures of countries are becoming
interlinked by an increasing number of cross-border transactions to create an international division
of labor in which national wealth creation comes, increasingly, to depend on economic agents in
other countries. In this sense, countries from different parts of the world are actively engaging in
transactions with others about the products, labor, investment, and policies that are beneficial to
each state. On the other hand, Langhone (2001) explains that Globalization is the latest stage in a
long accumulation of technological advance, which has given human beings the ability to conduct
their affairs across the world without reference to nationality, government authority, time of day or
physical environment. All of these definitions provide a specific description of Globalization by which
it tackles particular areas of human activity. However, this kind of meaning can be limiting in terms
of application. Thus, defining Globalization through exclusive and narrow can only be applied with a
particular scope of activity.