UNIT 1: Lesson 1

DEFINING GLOBALIZATION

Several definitions of
globalization have been written
in various materials over the
years. It was defined as a
process, a concept and an
ideology to mention a few. So
how do we fully understand the
term? In this lesson, we will try
to discuss the concept of
globalization using different
perspectives.

Globalization cannot be defined clearly in one term or one definition. It’s

definition can be different depending on the field, situation, or events (Al-
Rodhan,2006). The meaning of globalization may reflect one's point of view, may it
be political, cultural, historical and others. In a journal, Steger (2005) said that the
term globalization should be confined to a set of complex, sometimes contradictory,
social processes that are changing our current social condition based on the modern
system of independent nation-states.
Globalization includes economic integration; the transfer of policies across
borders; the transmission of knowledge; cultural stability; the reproduction, relations,
and discourses of power; it is a global process, a concept, a revolution, and an
establishment of the global market free from socio-political control. It is also a
concept that has been defined variously over the years, where most of it refers
integration and cooperation, development, progress, integration and cooperation,
colonialism, regression, and destabilization. Nevertheless, these challenges do not
change the true purpose of this term that brings with it a multiple hidden agendas. An
individual's political ideology, geographic location, social status, cultural background,
and ethnic and religious affiliation also provide a background that determines
globalization.
Let the following diagram aid us in our discussion. Martin Khor, in 1995,
referred to globalization as colonization. From one country to another, colonizers left
us with political, cultural, historical and economic influences many of which are very
evident up to this day and age. At the same time, Swedish journalist Thomas
Larsson, in his book The Race to the Top: The Real Story of Globalization (2001),
said that globalization make the world shrink with distances getting shorter and
things moving closer. It refers 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. Almost similar to the definition given by David Harvey in his book The
Condition of Post-Modernity (1989) where he stated that globalization is the
compression of time and space. In today's time, we don't need to spend too much
time to reach a particular destination, connect with someone from afar or talk to a
family member from the other side of the world real time. Globalization gives us this
convenience in the form of technological innovations. On the other hand, Kenichi
Ohmae in his book The Borderless World: Power and Strategy in the Global
Marketplace (1992) said that globalization is the onset of a borderless world.
With globalization, there is an increasing interconnectedness among the
countries around the world. There is diffusion of values, beliefs, practices and
technology. There is continuous exchange of goods and services.

The process of Compression of

GLOBALIZATION
world shrinkage time and space
(Larsson, 2001) (Harvey, 1989)

It is what we in the Third World

The onset of borderless world.
have for several centuries called
(Ohmae, 1992)
colonization. (Khor, 1995)

Figure 1. What is globalization?

The difficulty in defining globalization is far from disappearing. Nevertheless,

exploring the different meanings and idea behind globalization, we are able to see
how the concept has been identified over the course of a relative number of years.