ContWorld

Lesson 1

• THE TASK OF GLOBALIZATION

METAPHORS OF GLOBALIZATION
 Objectives:

AT THE END OF THE LESSON, THE STUDENTS SHALL BE 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
Globalization refers to the process by
which companies start operating
internationally and develop influence
across borders. (marketbusinessnews.com)
The term describes the tendency
towards international investments,
trade, and information technology. It
also refers to the outsourcing of
manufacturing across
borders.(marketbusinessnews.com)
 THERE IS A SAYING THAT THE ONLY CONSTANT IN
THIS WORLD IS CHANGE. CHANGE IS INEVITABLE. OVER
THE YEARS, HUMANS HAVE ENCOUNTERED A LOT OF
CHANGES FROM THEIR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS TO THEIR
SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS. CHANGES IN SOCIAL
STRUCTURES AS WELL ARE UNDENIABLE.
 ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGES IS
GLOBALIZATION (BAUMAN, 2003).

THE REALITY OF ALL THIS CHANGE THAT WE ARE

PART OF IS WHAT IS CALLED – THE GLOBAL AGE
(ALBROW,1996).
THE ACCESS TO INTERNET MAKES PEOPLE
COMMUNICATE EASIER AND FASTER ALL OVER THE
GLOBE. IT IS EASIER FOR NOW TO BE UPDATED ABOUT
NEWS AND HAPPENINGS IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD.
 WITH THIS COMES THE QUESTION OF “WHAT IS
GLOBALIZATION?” GLOBALIZATION HAS NO SPECIFIC OR
PARTICULAR DEFINITION FOR EVEN SCHOLARS HAVE THEIR
OWN BELIEFS AND PERCEPTIONS AS TO WHAT MAY BE ITS
DEFINITION. SOME EVEN ARGUE ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF
THEIR CONTRADICTING VIEWS.
 FOR EXAMPLE, SWEDISH JOURNALIST, THOMAS
LARSSON (2001) DEFINED GLOBALIZATION AS “THE PROCESS
OF WORLD SHRINKAGE, OF DISTANCES GETTING SHORTER,
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”.
 WHILE FOR MARTIN KHOR, THE FORMER PRESIDENT
OF THIRD WORLD NETWORK (TWN) IN MALAYSIA,
“GLOBALIZATION IS COLONIZATION. “
 GLOBALIZATION’S FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE
WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY IN 1961 PAVED THE WAY
FOR THE MANY OPINIONS ABOUT IT. ITS DEFINITION
COULD EITHER BE CLASSIFIED INTO TWO:

BROAD AND INCLUSIVE

OR
NARROW AND EXCLUSIVE.
 AN EXAMPLE OF A BROAD AND
INCLUSIVE DEFINITION WOULD BE OF OHMAE
(1992),

“GLOBALIZATION MEANS THE ONSET OF THE

BORDERLESS WORLD…”
 WHILE AN EXAMPLE OF A NARROW AND
EXCLUSIVE DEFINITION IS ROBERT COX’S “THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF GLOBALIZATION TREND INCLUDE THE
INTERNATIONALIZING OF PRODUCTION, THE NEW
INTERNATIONAL DIVISION OF LABOR, NEW MIGRATORY
MOVEMENTS FROM SOUTH TO NORTH, THE NEW COMPETITIVE
ENVIRONMENT THAT ACCELERATES THESE PROCESSES, AND
THE INTERNATIONALIZING OF THE STATE…MAKING STATES
INTO AGENCIES OF THE GLOBALIZING WORLD” (AS CITED IN
RAWOO NETHERLANDS DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
RESEARCH COUNCIL, 2000, P.14).
 ACCORDING TO COMPREHENSIVE STUDIES, 67
DEFINITIONS OF GLOBALIZATION REFERS TO ECONOMIC
DIMENSIONS OUT OF THE 114 DEFINITIONS BY THE
GENEVA CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY (GCSP) IN 2006.
OTHER DEFINITIONS ALSO PERTAIN TO POLITICAL AND
SOCIAL DIMENSIONS.
 ACCORDING TO RITZER (2015),
“GLOBALIZATION IS A TRANSPLANETARY PROCESS OR A
SET OF PROCESSES INVOLVING INCREASING LIQUIDITY
AND THE GROWING MULTIDIRECTIONAL FLOWS OF
PEOPLE, OBJECTS, PLACES, AND INFORMATION AS WELL
AS THE STRUCTURES THEY ENCOUNTER AND CREATE THAT
ARE BARRIERS TO, OR EXPEDITE, THOSE FLOWS…”(P.2)
 SO HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND AND
APPRECIATE THESE NUMEROUS DEFINITIONS OF
GLOBALIZATION?
 FIRST, THE DEFINITION OF GLOBALIZATION
RELIES ON THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PERSON WHO
DEFINES IT.
 SECONDLY, FOR SOCIOLOGIST, CESARE POPPI
DEFINES GLOBALIZATION AS THE DEBATE AND THE
DEBATE IS GLOBALIZATION. AND
LASTLY, GLOBALIZATION IS A REALITY. IT IS
CHANGING AS THE HUMAN SOCIETY DEVELOPS
MAKING THE FUTURE OF GLOBALIZATION HARD TO
PREDICT.
IN A NUTSHELL, GLOBALIZATION IS NOT EASY TO DEFINE
BECAUSE OF ITS SHIFTING NATURE. IT IS MULTIFACETED,
COMPLEX AND CAN EASILY BE INFLUENCED BY THE PEOPLE
WHO GIVE ITS DEFINITION.
METAPHORS OF GLOBALIZATION
METAPHORS OF GLOBALIZATION

METAPHORS WILL BE OF GREAT AID IN

ORDER TO UNDERSTAND A WORD.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE METAPHORS USED

TO FULLY COMPREHEND GLOBALIZATION.
SOLID AND LIQUID

(1) SOLIDITY PERTAINS TO THE HINDRANCES OR BARRIERS THAT

MAKE OR PREVENT THE MOVEMENT OF THINGS DIFFICULT.
SOLIDS CAN BE MAN-MADE OR NATURAL. EXAMPLES OF
NATURAL SOLIDS ARE BODIES OF WATER OR FORMS OF LAND.
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA WOULD BE ONE OF THE BEST
EXAMPLES FOR LANDFORMS. JUST LIKE THE IMAGINARY NINE-
DASH LINE CREATED BY THE CHINESE IN THEIR CLAIM OF THE
SOUTH CHINA SEA MAKING IT HARD AND LIMITED FOR THE
FILIPINOS TO FISH AT THE SAID TERRITORY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, (2) LIQUIDITY REFERS TO THE INCREASING
EASE OF MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE, THINGS, INFORMATION, AND
PLACES IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. LIQUIDITY PERTAINS TO
SUDDEN CHANGES, MAKING TIME AND SPACE AS CRUCIAL
ELEMENTS OF GLOBALIZATION. ITS MOVEMENT IS ALSO
DIFFICULT TO STOP.
EXAMPLES OF LIQUIDITY ARE THE CHANGES IN STOCK MARKETS
ONLY IN SECONDS AND OF VIDEOS GETTING VIRAL ON
FACEBOOK OR YOU TUBE.
BETWEEN SOLIDITY AND LIQUIDITY, LIQUIDITY IS WHAT BEST
DESCRIBES GLOBALIZATION NOWADAYS.
(3) FLOWS
FLOWS ARE THE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE, THINGS, PLACES,
AND INFORMATION BROUGHT BY THE GROWING “POROSITY” OF
GLOBAL LIMITATIONS (RITZER, 2015).
THERE ARE A LOT OF EXAMPLES OF FLOWS WHICH CAN BE CITED
SUCH AS THE SPROUTING OF MILK TEA SHOPS, EATING OF
SAMGYEUPSAL, PATRONIZING STARBUCKS, THE CRAVING FOR
S&R PIZZA, ADDICTION TO BURGER AND FRIES – FOODS
INTRODUCED TO US BY FOREIGN CULTURES. THIS JUST PROVES
THAT EVEN FOODS ARE BEING GLOBALIZED.
OTHER EXAMPLES OF FLOWS WOULD BE GLOBAL FINANCIAL
CRISIS, POOR ILLEGAL MIGRANTS FLOODING IN ALL PARTS OF
THE WORLD (MOSES, 2006), THE VIRTUAL FLOW OF LEGAL AND
ILLEGAL INFORMATION LIKE BLOGS AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY,
AND EVEN IMMIGRANTS RECREATING ETHNIC ENCLAVES IN
HOST COUNTRIES. CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF THIS ARE THE OFWS
IN ALL PARTS OF THE GLOBE AND THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN
THE PHILIPPINES.
SUMMARY:
• WHAT IS GLOBALIZATION?
• Definition of Globalization
• Personal Definition of globalization

• Broad and Inclusive definition

• Narrow and Exclusive definition

• THE METAPHORS OF GLOBALIZATION

• Solidity, Liquidity, and Flows

• Anti and Pro Globalization

• Globalization in the Philippines

• Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalization

• SIGNS OF GLOBALIZATION