GLOBALIZATION

➔ What is Globalization?
◆ Giddens - “intensifies worldwide social relations which link distant localities
in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many
miles away and vice versa.” (1990:64)
◆ common understanding of globalization = the interconnectedness of human
beings brought about technological changes, modern transportation, and
communication technology
● e.g.: phones, laptops as a necessity
◆ Robertson - “refers both to the compression of the world and the
intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole”
◆ Sunny Levin Institute - process of integration among the people,
companies, and government of different nations; process driven by
international trade and investment and aided by information technology
◆ Steger - has effects on the environment, on culture, political systems,
economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well being in
societies around the world
➔ Existence of Globalization
◆ First used in academic 1960 to 1970 (Peterse 2012, Steger 2005)
◆ 1990 - gained whole wide interest
◆ Scholars from different disciplines such as political science, economics,
history, sociology, and philosophy examined globalization
◆ Historians - interested in determining whether globalization is a modern
phenomenon
◆ Political scientists - focuses more on impact of forces of globalization on
international non governmental organizations and international
organizations in state and vice versa
◆ Economists - look into changing patterns of international trade and
commerce as well as unequal distribution of wealth
➔ Steger explains globalization as a process, condition, and ideology
◆ Globalization as a Process - denotes happening over stretch of time
● In sociology, the timeline stretches wider since the point of interest
is modernity, which began during the period of renaissance,
followed by Enlightenment, then the French Revolution and lasted
period of Industrialization in the late 1970 and throughout the 1800s.
● In political economy, as well as the Marxist perspective, the traces
on globalization can be traced back in the 1500s, following the
Marx’s dictum “the conquest of the world market marks the birth of
modern capitalism.”
○ 1500s and 1800s were considered by political economists as
the birth of modern capitalist
● Which critics of these variants of contemporary periodization which
focuses on modernity raise the issues of Eucentrism and Intellectual
apartheid.
 ● A different way of tracing globalization is thickening linkages
between people from different parts of the world.
● Look for historical events of growing world wide connectivity
● From this perspective, globalization is spurred by innovations in
transportation and communication technologies and creation of
institution of commerce.
● Flynn and Giraldez (2006) - globalization is synonymous to
permanent global trade
○ “exchange product continuously” - generated deep and
lasting impacts on all trading partners
○ The birth of globalization took place in 1571
● These significant developments indicate growing global
consciousness
○ It shows globalization goes beyond the economic and
materials and includes the aspects of human existence like
culture, politics and society
◆ Globalization as a Condition
● Scholte (2008) - social characterized by trans-planetary connectivity
and supra territory
○ Trans-planetary relation - globality is establishment of social
links between people located at different places of our planet
● Globalization as a social condition is characterized by thick
economic, political, cultural interconnection and global flows that
render political borders and economic barriers irrelevant.
○ e.g. Mexico
◆ Globalization as an Ideology
● Steger (2005), following the line of reasoning of globalization scholar
Michael Freeden, explained that globalization exists in people’s
consciousness because it consists of sets of coherent and
complementary ideas and beliefs about global order
● 6 Cores of Globalization as an Ideology
1. Globalization is the liberalization and global integration of
markets, or as stated succinctly in a business week article
published in the late 1990: Globalization is about triumph of
markets over government; 1990 downfall of communism
with the collapse of Union Soviet Socialist Republics
(USSR).
2. Globalization is inevitable and irreversible. State leaders
pushing for neoliberal policies have been heard proclaiming
that globalization is happening and can not be stopped, as it
was a global wave that has been sweeping the world (Karl
Marx and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel when they
described the human history).
3. Nobody is in charge of globalization. Picking up from the
classical liberal notion of the self regulating market, Steger
 (2005) explains that globalization does not promote the
agenda of any specific class or group; Globalists are not
dictating their own agenda on people.
4. Globalization benefits everyone in the long run. Free trade
and free market, globalists believe, will bring wealth and
prosperity to everyone; success stories of businessmen from
undeveloped countries (e.g. Alibaba group gained wealth
and fame by pionering e-commerce in China 1990, when
using internet requires so much patience).
5. Globalization furthers the spread of democracy in the world.
Globalists share belief that democracy, freedom, free
market, and free trade are synonymous terms. Democracy
and freedom comprise a particular type of political system;
Free market, free trade are argued interconnection of two
systems; Francis FUKUYAMA brought globalization would
be conducive to the creation of complex civil societies with
powerful middle class.
6. Globalization requires a global war on terror. (e.g. 9-11
attack combines the idea of economic globalization with right
wing foreign policy. The economic globalization dominated
by the core state in Western Europe, United States and
Japan defines world order; Globalization scholars think that
the ensuing aggressive militaristic US foreign policy is a
response to protect the gains of globalization.
➔ Impact of Globalization on the Academe
◆ The literature on globalization has been enriched with inclusion of new
research areas and topics = 2 major branches of research.
● Study specific problems related to globalization.
● Studying the concept of globalization, theory, nature and process.
◆ Domain question
➔ Theoretical Paradigms Associated with Globalization
1. World System Paradigm
○ Immanuel Wallerstein - the principal proponent of the theory, but as
virtually synonymous with the birth and the spread of world
capitalism 1500
○ The concept of capitalism has created a global enterprise that swept
the 19th century to present time
○ Key structure of 3 great regions
■ The core, the powerful and developed center of the system
originally comprises of western Europe and expanded to
North America and Japan.
■ Those regions subordinated to the core of colonialism or
others and the formative years of the capitalist system would
include Latin America, Africa, Asia, Middle east and Eastern
Europe
 ■ The periphery. The feature of this world system is the
centrality and immanence (limit) of the inner state system
and inner state rivalry to the maintenance and reproduction
of the world system.
2. Global Capitalism Paradigm
○ The theories under this school of thought treat globalization as a
novel stage in the evolving world of capitalism. Theorists tend to
speak of capitalist globalization.
3. Theory of Global System
○ Seminal studies of Sklair (2002) showed the theory of a global
system.
○ The seminal studies of Sklair, his theory argues, that TCC
(transitional capitalist class) has emerged as new class that bring
together several social group who see their own interests in an
expanding global capitalist system: the executives of transnational
corporation; globalizing bureaucrats, politician, and professionals
and the consumerist elites in the media and the commercial sector.
4. Space Time Globalization
○ David Harvey (1990) in his classic study of THE CONDITION OF
POST MODERNITY argues that globalization represents a new
burst of time – space compression produced by the very dynamics
of capitalist development.
○ Saskia Sassen’s wrote The Global City, which had broad impact
across the discipline and left an indelible mark on the emergent field
of globalization studies.
○ World cities that view as sites of major production of finances,
coordinating of world economy within international division of labor
and research of globalization cities.
5. Transnationality and Transnationalism
○ Transnational processes and practices are defined broadly as the
multiple ties, and interactions economics, political, and social
cultural that link people communities and institutions across the
borders of nation and nation states.
6. Global Cultural Paradigm
○ these theorists emphasize the rapid growth of mass media and
global cultural flows.
○ Cultural theories of globalization have focused on such phenomena
as globalization and religion, nation and ethnicity, global
consumerism, global communication and global tourism.
■ Concept of McDonaldization - describe the socio cultural
process of principle of fast food restaurant., dominate the
sector of US and later world society.
➔ Misconceptions about Globalization - Scholte’s (2008) attempt to clarify the
meaning of globalization, criticize the several flawed analyses of globalization
pointing out the end in failure to produce new knowledge.
1. Globalization as Internationalization
○ Internationalization and globalization are interchangeable .
○ Globalization includes a gamut of human activities that do not
require reference to state’s national border. (e.g. Filipina in
Philippines, German in Germany)
○ Falls within globalization; do not need their government permission
to do so.
○ The problem is when globalization is interpreted as
internationalization, the growth of transaction and interdependence
between countries.
2. Globalization is realized when national government reduce or abolish
regulatory measures like trade, barrier, foreign restriction, capital control
and visa requirements ( Scholte 2008).
○ Anti globalization movement have opposed neoliberal policies
arguing laissez faire world economy produces greater poverty,
inequality, social conflict, cultural destruction, ecological damage
and democratic deficits (IBID 1475)
3. Globalization as universalization and westernization.
○ Scholte (2008) - issues arising from these misconceptions
A. Universalization is not a feature of world history. The
migration of human species that took place is a great
example of globalization in ancient times (spread of
Christianity, Islam) since their foundation constitutes other
instances of globalzation which is not confined to
contemporary world.
B. Westernization is not the only path that can be taken by
globalization as shown by studies on oriental globalization.