Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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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.
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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.
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ASSESMENT ACTIVITY
Name: ___________________________________ College: _____________________
Year/Section: ______________________________ Date:________________________
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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.
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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.
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ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY
Name:_____________________________ College:________________________________
Year/Section:_______________________ Date:___________________________________
Instruction: Select and encircle the correct answer for each item.
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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
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!
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