DEFINITION OF GLOBALIZATION

Globalization, as a theory lies in in the works of many 19th and 20th century scholars and intelllectuals
like Karl Marx, MacKinder, and Robertson who then began to introduce the term “globality”. However, it
was in the 1960s and 1970s when this term gained worldwide attention (Held and McGrew, 2002).

In the area of academe, no single currency or definition has acquired acceptance. On the contrary,
various competing interpretations emerged vying for dominance and universal recognition. To define
globalization is to simply put it as a social process of reshaping and remaking the world order.
Operations of social institutions transcend across territories and boundaries with the goal of expanding
its reach-economic, political, and technological fibers. From the lens of Ritzer (2008), he described this
phenomenon as the spread of worldwide practices, relations, consciousness, and organization of social
life. The interconnectedness and social segments from macroinstitutions to the smallest sectors of the
world have coincided the fabrics of globalization.

In defining globalization, Justine Rosenberg argues that “globalization as a phenomenon gave rise to the
interconnectedness of human society that replaced the sovereign state system with a multilateral
system of global governance”. His definition centers on the process, condition, time, and age of this
condition.

On the other hand, Held and McGrew (2003) offer the following definition of globalization:
“Globalization refers to a multidimensional set of social processes that create, multiply, stretch, and
intensify worldwide social interdependencies and exchange while at the same fostering in people a
growing awareness of deepening connections between the local and the distant”.

The best scholarly description of globalization is provided by Manfred Steger who described the process
as “the expansion and intensification of social relations and consciousness across world-time and across
world-space.” Expansion refers to “both the creation of new social networks and the multiplication of
existing connections that cut across traditional political, economic, cultural, and geographic boundaries.”
Intensification refers to the expansion, stretching, and acceleration these networks. Not only are global
connections multiplying, but they are also becoming more closely-knit and expanding their reach.

UNDERLYING PHILOSOPHIES OF THE VARYING DEFINITIONS OF GLOBALIZATION

A. Realism

The realists’ perspective in explaining globalization focuses on the shifting distribution of power among
states (Walt, 1998 and Snyder, 2004). They explained that the core idea of dominating the world is
through the employment of power. This force comes from different angles, depending, on the power
availability of a nation. However, realists warn that countries may suffer and struggle to maintain its
power if it will be overarched and used wrongly. In globalization, countries that have the power to
dominate and control the world are those whose economies have the “powers” to affect and influence
the operation worldwide.

Realists argue that the reason why countries open their economies to the world is because of two
contending reasons. First, financial returns of expanding markets offer new economic opportunities to
the capitalist. Second, the political explanation behind globalization is best described with the
application of its founders like Hans Morgenthau and Kenneth Waltz, realist-thinker John Mearsheimer
and realist-doer Henry Kissinger. The continued centrality of political power and military strength are
obvious forces of interdependence and realistic behavior of the more and most powerful countries.

B. Liberalism

Liberalism is a perspective in international relations where actors and institutions emphasize

relationship and negotiations. Liberalists observe the importance of interaction and communication and
focus on solving problems and conflicts affecting them. This idea is very evident in countries where
democratic governance and institutions play major roles in maintaining national cohesiveness in
managing domestic and international affairs. Liberal accounts describe the transformation of
political-economic structures and the development of global interconnectedness in terms of the
following factors: a. Spread of democracy and institutions b. Global economic ties c. International
organizations

C. Idealism

The advent of globalization, formation of institutions, and the interplay of nations should be guided by
ethical and legal standards. Idealists and constructivists hold the notion that values, and norms play
pivotal roles in sustaining and reforming the process and works of individuals, groups, or nations. This
theory emphasizes on the functions of ideologies, frameworks, systems, and identities in understanding
globalization and international order. Its core beliefs centers on the centrality of ideas, beliefs, and
collective values that shape the political and economic landscapes of the world.

DIMENSIONS OF GLOBALIZATION

a. Economic globalization  It refers to the mobility of people, capital, technology, goods and
services internationally. It is also about how integrated countries are in the global economy. It refers to
how interdependent different countries and regions have become across the world.

b. Cultural globalization  It refers to the transmission of ideas, meanings, and values around the
world in such a way as to extend and intensify social relations. This process is marked by the common
consumption of cultures that have been diffused by the internet, popular culture media, and
international travel.

c. Political globalization  It refers to the growth of the worldwide political system, both in size
and complexity. The creation and existence of the United Nations has been called one of the classic
examples of political globalization.

REASONS FOR GLOBALIZATION

Why do we have to globalize especially at this contemporary world? Here are the reasons:

1. Rapid shrinking of time and distance across the globe. One can easily cross the bridge going to the
other side of the marketplace due to advance tools of technology than before.
2. Domestic markets are no longer rich because of many interlocking factors.

3. Companies and institutions go global to find political and economic stability which is relatively good in
other countries than the country of origin.

4. To get technological and managerial know-how of other countries due to their advancement in
science and technology, education, health, and other fields of discipline.

5. To reduce high transportation costs if one goes globally using the advance tools of communication
and information. 6. To be close to raw materials and to markets of their finished products which are not
available in the country of origin.

PROS AND CONS OF GLOBALIZATION

Pros of Globalization

1. It encourages free trade. Without borders in place, consumers can purchase items from anywhere in
the world at a reduced cost.

2. More trade means the potential for more jobs. When there are fewer barriers in place to purchase
items, then consumers will generally purchase more things. This creates the foundation that businesses
need to create more jobs.

3. Open borders mean more opportunities to develop poor areas of the world. There are many nations
in the world today that are in a state of entry-level industrialization. Poverty is a feature in many of
these developing countries. Through the process of globalization, the removal of borders allows the
people in these areas to experience greater prosperity because each area gains the ability to access
what they need.

4. It allows for open lines of communication. When borders are removed, people have the ability to
communicate with one another more freely. There is a greater intermingling of cultures, which allows
people to have a greater perspective about the world.

Cons of Globalization

1. It generally makes the rich become rich and the poor to become mired in poverty. This means the rich
can access what they want or need to become richer, but the poor get trapped in poverty because they
don’t have the means to access success.

2. Jobs get transferred to lower-cost areas. Jobs can be created through globalism, but they tend to be
created in the areas where labor costs are the cheapest.

3. It creates a political system where the biggest and the richest have influence. The biggest businesses
and wealthiest people could hoard global resources for themselves through whatever government was
put into place, enhancing the social inequalities that are already being seen on smaller scales.

4. Diseases travel faster in a world that is globalized. When people stay within their own regions, there
are fewer problems with communicable diseases. If there were no borders and people could travel
freely to wherever they wished to go, this issue would cause even the most remote parts of the world to
be exposed to potentially deadly health concerns.
5. It could have a negative impact on the environment. Let’s say that production levels increase because
everyone sees a boost in their economic circumstances. This would potentially increase pollution levels
that could acidify the air, the ocean, and cause more issues with global warming.

Differences: Globalization, Internationalization and Westernization

To understand better, we should distinguish Globalization from the term Westernization to

Internationalization?

• Globalization the speed up of movements and exchanges of human resources, goods and
services capital, technologies and cultural practices between countries in the world or expansion and
intensification of economic, political and social relations and consciousness across the world.

• Internationalization describes designing a product in a way that it may readily consumed across
multiple countries.

• Westernization is a process whereby societies come under or adopt western culture in areas
such as industry, technology, politics, economics, lifestyle, law, norms, mores, customs and traditions.

Examples of Globalization

Because of trade developments and financial exchanges, we often think of globalization as an economic
and financial phenomenon. Nonetheless, it includes a much wider field than just flowing of goods,
services or capital. Often referred to as the globalization concept map some examples of globalization
are the following:

Economic globalization: is the development of trade systems within transnational actors such as
multinational corporations or NGOs;

Financial globalization: can be linked with the rise of a global financial system with international
financial exchanges and monetary exchanges. Stock markets, for instance, are a great example of the
financially connected global world since when one stock market has a decline, it affects other markets
negatively as well as the economy as a whole.

Cultural globalization: refers to the interpenetration of cultures which, as a consequence, the nations
adopt principles, beliefs, and costumes of other nations, losing their unique culture.

Political globalization: the development and growing influence of international organizations such as
the UN or WHO means governmental action takes place at an international level.

Sociological globalization: the integration of different cultures of different societies become possible.

Technological globalization: the phenomenon by which millions of people are interconnected because
of the power of the digital world via platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Skype or Youtube.

Geographic globalization: is the new organization and hierarchy of different regions of the world that is
constantly changing. Moreover, with transportation, flying made so easy and affordable, apart from a
few countries with demanding visas, it is possible to travel the world without barely any restrictions or
less restrictions.
Ecological globalization: accounts for the idea of considering planet Earth as a single global entity – All
societies should protect since the weather affects everyone and we are all protected by the same
atmosphere. To this regard, it is often said that the poorest countries that have been polluting the least
will suffer the most from climate change.

Characteristics of Globalization

According to Held and McGrew (2002) a Globalization has several distinguishing characteristics.

1. Creation and Multiplication of connections:

development and increasing social network and cultural activities that led to the breaking of traditional
norms and practices in the political, economic and cultural realisms of most communities.

2. Expansion and Stretching of connections:

social operations and corrections on how the financial markets and trading operate around the globe
like the operations of Economic Organizations like of WTO ASEAN Economic Community, World
Economic Forum and European Union that brought expansions throughout the world.

3. Intensification and Acceleration of connections:

human activities where it describes how the process of world and individual connection works. The
fourth Industrial Revolution is a concrete example where Digital machines widely used in reaching every
global events.

4. Consciousness and awareness of connections:

the people as the primary actors of globalization is very important on how they impact the growing
outcomes and markers in globalization specially the implications of their actions to the norms and
practices of borderless world.