You are on page 1of 12

TOPIC 5 - Global Population and Mobility

The Global City


Not all people have been to global cities, but most know about them. Their influence extends to ones
imagination. What are these places? Why are they important? And how are they relevant to you?

Why study Global City?


Firstly, globalization is spatial because it occurs in physical spaces. You can see it when foreign
investment and capital move through a city, and when companies build skyscrapers. People who are working
in this business - or Filipino works abroad start to purchase or rent high rise condominium units and better
homes. As these entire events happen more people are drivers of city centers to make way for new
development.
Secondly, globalization is spatial because what makes it move is the fact that it is based in places. Los
Angeles, the home of Hollywood, is where movies are made for global consumption. The main headquarters
of SONY is in TOKYO, and from there the company coordinates the sale of its various electronics goods to
branches across the world. In other words, cities act on globalization and globalization acts on cities. They are
site as well as medium of globalization. Just as the internet enables and shapes global forces, so to do cities.

Defining the Global Cities


In term global city is primarily economic. Initially identified as global cities New York, London, Tokyo
all of which are hubs of global finance and capitalism. They are the homes of the world top stock exchange
where investors buy and sell shares in Major Corporation. New York has the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE), London has the Financial Times Stock Exchange (ETSE), and Tokyo has the Nikkei. The amount of
money traded in these markets is staggering.
Limiting the discussions of global cities to these three metropolises, however, is proving more and
more restrictive. Other considered some cities global simply because they are great places to live in. In
Australia, Sydney commands the greatest proportion of capital. However, Melbourne is described as Sydney’s
rival globe city because many magazines and list have now referred to it as world most “livable city” a place
with a good public transportation.

1
Indicators of Globality
Sassens remain correct in saying that economic power largely determines which cities are global. New
York may have the larger stock market in the world, but Tokyo houses the most number of corporate
headquarters (613 company headquarters as against 217 in New York). Shanghai may have smaller stock
market compared to New York and Tokyo, but plays critical role in the global economic supply chain ever
since China has become the global manufacturing center in the world. Shanghai has the busiest container port.
Singapore is considered Asia’s most competitive city because of its strong market efficient, and incorruptible
government.
Global cities are also centers of authority. Washington DC may not be as wealthy as New York, but it
is the seat of American state power. People around the world know its major landmark “The White House”
the capital building.

The cities that house major international organizations may also be considered centers of political
influence. The headquarter of the United Nations in New York, and that of the European Union in Brussels.
An influential political city in Jakarta, Indonesia also the location of the headquarter of Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Finally, global cities are centers of higher learning and culture. One of the reasons for the many tourists
visiting Boston is because they want to see Harvard University, the world top university. Many Asian
teenagers moving to cities in Australia because of the leading English – language universities. The Australian
government reported that it made as much as 19.2 billion Australian dollars from education alone. While the
top television station and news organization, cinemas, paintings from the Philippines.

The Challenges of Global Cities


Global cities also have their undersides the can be site of great inequality and poverty as well. Global
cities create winner and losers.

The Global City


Global cities can be sustainable because of their density. Denser settlement patterns yield energy
savings, apartment building. Moreover, cities with extensive public transportation system cut carbon emission.
Therefore if carbon emission is cut it prevent global warming.

2
The Global City and the Poor
We have consistently noted that economic globalization has paved the way for massive inequality.
Some large cities particularly those in Scandinavia, have found ways to mitigate inequality through state social
distribution programs. Yet many cities particularly those in the developing countries, are sites of contradiction.
In places like Mumbai, Jakarta, and Manila it is common to find gleaming buildings alongside massive shanty
towns.

GLOBAL CITY POOR DWELLER

3
ASSESMENT ACTIVITY
Name: ___________________________________ College: _____________________
Year/Section: ______________________________ Date:________________________

1. What are the aspects of globalization? (5 pts)


_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2. Give three major cities in the World.(3pts)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
3. Give nine components of Globalization.(9 pts)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
4. Give three benefits of Globalization.(3 pts)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
5. Why is there a lot of inequality in global cities? ( 5 pts)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

4
TOPIC 6 - Movement and Sustainability

This topic discusses the various impacts of globalization on human populations and the environment.
At its core, it will go back to one of the basic questions of the social sciences: How do people interact with
their surroundings? These interactions, as you will see, are increasingly being moulded by the globalization
process discussed in the previous lessons.
The major outcome of this unit is to explain the interconnections among population, migration and
environmental sustainability.
Global Demography
When couples are asked why they have children, their answers are almost always about their
feelings. For most having is the symbol of a successful union. It also ensures that the family will have a
successor generation that will continue its name. The kinship is pressured and the family stories continue.
Viewed from above, however, having or not having children is mainly driven by economics. Behind the
laughter or the tears lies the question: Will the child be an economic asset or a burden to the family.
Rural communities often welcome an extra hand to help in crop cultivation, particularly during the
planting and harvesting seasons. The poorest district centers also tend to have families with more children
because the success of their small family business depends on how many of their members can be hawking
their wares on the streets. Hence the more children the better it will be for the farm or the small by the street
corner enterprises.
Urbanized, educated, and professional families with two incomes, however, desire just one or two
progenies. With each partner tied down, or committed to his respected profession. These families also have
their significant parts of their incomes for their retirement, health care, and the future education of their
children.
These differing versions of family life determine the economic and social policies that countries craft
regarding their respective populations. Countries in the less develop regions of the world that rely on
agriculture tend to maintain high level of population growth. The 1980 United Nations report on urban and
rural population growth states that these areas contained 85 percent of the world rural population in 1975 are
projected to contain 90 percent by the end of the 20th century.
International migration also places a part. Today, 191 million people live in countries other than their
own, and the United Nations projects that over 2.2 million will move from the developing world to the first
world countries. Countries welcome immigrants as they offset the debilitating effects of an aging population,
but they are also perceived as threats to the job market because they compete against citizens for jobs and
often have the edge because they are open to receiving lower wages.

The Perils of Overpopulation


Development planners see urbanization and industrialization as indicators of a developing society,
but disagree on the role of population growth or decline in modernization. American biologist Paul R.
Ehrlich and his wife, Anne, wrote The Population Bomb, which argued that the population in the 1970s and
the 1980s will bring about local environment disasters that world, in turn lead to food shortage and mass
starvation. They proposed that countries like the United States take the lead in the promotion of global
population control in order to reduce the growth rate to zero.

5
By limiting the population, vital resources could be used for economic progress and not be diverted
and wasted to feeding more mouths. This argument become the basis for government population control
programs worldwide. In the 20th century , the Philippines, China, and India sought to lower rates on the belief
that unless controlled, the fee expansion of family member would lead to a crisis on resources, which in turn
may result in widespread poverty, mass hunger, and political instability.
Advocates of population control content for universal access to reproduction technologies such as
condoms, pills, abortion and vasectomy. They see these tools as crucial to their nation’s development.
Finally, politics determine their birth control programs. Developed countries justify their support for
population control in developing countries by depicting the latter as conservative societies. For instance,
population experts blamed the Egyptians for the nation run-on population growth, the Iranian peasants’ natural
libidinal tendencies for the same rise in population. Policies like the forced sterilization of twenty million
violation of the Chinese government on child policy. Vietnam and Mexico also conducted mass sterilization.

Women and Reproductive Rights


Reproductive rights supporters argue that if population control and economic development were to
reach their goals, woman must have control over whether they will have children or not when they will have
their programs. By giving women this power, they will be able to pursue their vocations-be thy economic,
social, or political and contribute to economic growth.
Most countries implement reproductive health laws because they worry about the health of the mother.
In 1960, Bolivia’s average total fertility rate was 6.7 children. In 1978, the Bolivian government put into
effect a family planning program that included the legalization of abortion. By 1985, the total fertility rate
(FTR) went down to 5.13 and further declined to 3.46 in 2008. A similar pattern occurred in Ghana after the
government expanded reproductive health laws out of the same concern as that of the Bolivian government.
As a result fertility declined steeply and continued to decline after 1994.
Opponents regard reproductive rights as nothing but a false front for abortion. They contend that the
method of preventing conception endanger the life of the mother and must be banned. Poland, Croatia,
Hungary, Yugoslavia and even Russia to impose restrictive reproduction health programs, including making
access to condoms and other technologies difficult. Muslim countries don’t condemned abortion and limit
wives to domestic choices and diverting babies. Senegal allows abortion only when the mother’s life is
threatened. The Philippines with Catholic Majority, now has a reproductive law in place.

Population Growth and Food Security


Today’s global population has reached 7.4 billion and it is estimated to increase 7.5 billion in 2050,
and then 11.2 billion by 2100. The median age of this of this population is 30.1, with the male median age at
29.4 years and female, 30.9 years. Ninety-five percent of this population growth will happen in the developing
countries, with demographers predicting that by the middle of this century. Several countries will have tripled
their populations. The opposite happening in the developed world where population remain steady in general,
but declining in some of the most advanced countries like Japan and Singapore.
The decline in fertility and the existence of a young productive population, however may not be enough
to offset this concern over food security. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAC) warns that in order
for countries to mitigate the impact of population growth, food production must increase by 70 percent, annual
cereal production must rise to 3 billion tons from the current 2.1 billion tons; yearly meat production must go
up to 200 million tons to reach 470 million.

6
The UN body also suggests that countries develop a comprehensive social service program that include
fast assistance, consistent delivery of health services, and education especially for the poor. The FAC
therefore, enjoins governments to keep their markets open and eventually move towards a global trading
system that is fair and competitive, and that contributes to a dependable market for food.

Global Migration
This lesson will look at global migration and its impact on both the sending and receiving countries.
Although we will cite numerous challenges relating to migration, should not be considered a problem there is
nothing moral or immoral about moving from one country to another. Human being have always been
migratory. It is the result of their movement that areas get populated, communities experience diversity, and
economies prosper. Thus, rather than looking at migration in term of simplistic good versus bad lens, treat it
as a complex social phenomenon that even predated contemporary globalization.

What is Migration?
There are two types of migration: internal migration which refers to people moving from one are to
another within one country; and international migration, in which people cross borders of one country to
another. The latter can be further broken down into five groups. First are those who move permanently to
another country (immigrants). The second refers to worker who stay in another country for a fixed period (at
least 6 months in a year).Illegal migrants comprise the third group, while the fourth group are migrants whose
families have petitioned them to move to the destination country. The fifth group are refugees also known as
the asylum seekers.
Demographers estimate that 247 million people are currently living outside the countries of their birth.
Ninety percent of them moved for economic reasons while the remaining 10 percent were refugees and asylum
seekers. The top three regions of origin are Latin America (18 percent of global total), followed by Central
Europe and Eastern Asia (16 percent), and the Middle East and North Africa (14 percent). On a per country
basis, India, Mexico, and China are leading with the Philippines, together with Afghanistan only ranking 6 th
in the world. The top 10 countries destination of three migrants are mainly in the west and the Middle East,
with the United States topping the list.
Fifty percent of the global migrants have moved from the developing countries to the develop zones
of the world and contribute anywhere from 40 to 80 percent of their labor force. Their growth has outstripped
the population growth in the developed countries (3percent versus only 0.6 percent), such that today, according
to the think tank Mc Kinsey Global Institute, first generation immigrants constitute 13 percent of the
population in Western Europe, 15 percent in North America in cities are 92 percent in the United Kingdom,
and 99 percent in Australia. Once settled, they contribute enormously to raising the productivity of their host
country.

Table 1. Migrant Contribution to Destination Country in dollars and Percentage of National GDP, 2015
Country Contribution Percentage of GDP
United States $ 2 Trillion 11 Percent
United Kingdom $ 550 Billion 17 Percent
Australia $330 Billion 25 Percent
Canada $320 Billion 21 Percent

7
Benefit and Detriments for the Sending Countries
Even if 90 percent of the value generated by migrants workers remains in their host countries (in 2014,
their remittances totaled $ 580 billion). In 2014, India held the highest recorded remittance ($ 70 billion),
followed by China ($ 62 billion), the Philippines ($ 28 billion), and Mexico ($ 25 billion). These remittances
make significant contributions to the development of small-medium term industries that help generate jobs.
Remittances likewise change the economics and social standing of migrants, as shown by new consumer
goods. The purchasing power of a migrant’s family doubles and make it possible for children to start or
continue their schooling.
Yet, there remain serious concerns about the economic sustainability of those reliant on migrant
monies. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) observes that in countries like the Philippines, remittances do
not have a significant influence on other key items of consumption or investment such as spending on
education and healthcare. Remittances, therefore, may help in lifting households out of poverty.

The Problem of Human Trafficking


On top of the issue on brain drain, sending states must likewise protect migrant workers. The United
States Federal Bureau of Investigation list human trafficking as the third largest criminal activity worldwide.
In 2012, the International Labor Organization (ILO) identified 21 million men, women, and children as victim
of forced labor, an appalling three out every 1000 persons worldwide. Ninety percent of the victim (18.7
million) are exploited by private enterprises and entrepreneurs, 22 percent (4.5 million) are sexually abused
and 68 percent (14.2) work under compulsion of agricultural and manufacturing, infrastructure and domestic
activities. Human trafficking has been very profitable, earning syndicate, smuggles, and corrupt state officials’
profits as high as $ 150 billion a year in 2014.

Integration
A final issue relates to how migrants interact with their new home countries. They may contribute
significantly to host nations GDP, but their access to housing, healthcare, and education is not easy. There is
therefore economic variations in the economic integration of migrants. Migrants from China, India, and
Western Europe often have more success, while those from Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan
Africa face greater challenges in securing a job. In the United States and Singapore, there are blue collar as
well as white collar Filipino worker (doctors, engineer, and even corporate executives) and it is the
professional, white collar workers that have oftentimes been easier to integrate.
Democratic states assimilate immigrants and their children by granting them citizenship and their
rights that go with it. However without a solid support from their citizens, switching citizenship may just be
formality. The first time migrants’ anxiety and coming into a new and often strange place is mitigated by local
networks by fellow citizens. For instance, the Chinese consolidated Benevolent Association of California
provides initial support for new Chinese migrants. Government and private businesses have made policy
changer to address integration problems like using multiple languages in state documents (in Spanish,
English). Training program complemented with counseling whether this initiatives will succeed or not remains
an open question.

8
Conclusion
Global migration entails the globalization of people. Some migrant experience their movement as a
liberating process. A highly educated professionals may find moving to another country. Like globalization,
migration produces different and often contradictory responses. On the other hand, many richer states know
that migrant labor will be beneficial for other economies.

9
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY

Name:_____________________________ College:________________________________
Year/Section:_______________________ Date:___________________________________

Instruction: Select and encircle the correct answer for each item.

1. Which of the following is a potential outcome of overpopulation?


a. resource depletion c. political instability
b. increase waste d. all of these

2. Demography analyzes how age affects which of the following?


a. fertility c. population growth
b. survival d. all of these
1. Which of the following does the census not keep track of?
a. age c. employment status
b. ethnicity d. shoe size
2. Which country was the first to launch a mass media campaign on family planning to combat over
population in 1952?
a. China c. Norway
b. India d. Italy
3. When was the Philippine Census conducted?
a. 1898 c. 1935
b. 1900 d. None of the above
4. What were the two most populous countries in the world?
a. India and Mexico c. China and India
b. China and Italy d. Egypt and Greece
5. How many people live on planet Earth?
a. About 7.7 million c. about 770 billion
b. About 7.7 billion d. about 400 billion
6. What is the world most populated city?
a. New York c. Mexico City
b. Tokyo d. San Diego City
7. Where is the Philippines located?
a. Southeast Asia c. East Asia
b. Western Asia d. Central Asia
8. The Philippines is considered archipelago. What is an archipelago?
a. A collection of scattered islands
b. A piece of land that is surrounded by water on three sides and still connected to the mainland
c. A pointed piece of land that sticks out into the sea
d. A narrow strip of land connecting two larger landmasses and surrounded by water on two
sides.
9. What is the fertility rate in the Philippines?
a. 1.8 c. 3.8
b. 2.8 d. 4.8
10. What percentages of married woman (ages 15 – 49) are using some method of contraception?
a. 35% c. 55%
b. 45% d. 65%
11. Which of these methods of sterilization is permanent?
a. Tubal sterilization c. a and b
b. Vasectomy d. none of the above

10
12. Pregnancy can increase the risk of ____________ in younger woman.
a. Osteoporosis b. Stroke
b. Diabetes d. All of the above
13. Compared to most countries in the world USA has a
a. Low level of food security c. high level of food security
b. Medium level of food security d. average level of food security

II. True or False

14. Are sexual and reproductive health issues protected by International Human Right?
a. True b. False
15. Sometimes it is women’s fault if they are raped.
a. True b. False
16. Proving grants to improve agricultural systems in poor countries combat food security.
a. True b. False
17. Income aspect affects food insecurity.
a. True b. False
18. Food security refers to food availability and physical access to food.
a. True b. False

Good luck!

11
12

You might also like