chapter 2 the forces of globalization. related issue #1 – to what extent should globalization...

Chapter 2The Forces of Globalization

Related Issue #1 – To What Extent Should Globalization Shape Identity? 2

Globalization

EconomicDimension

SocialDimension

PoliticalDimension


Economic Globalization – the spread of trade, transportation, and communication systems around the world in the interests of promoting worldwide commerce.


Economic GlobalizationEconomic Globalization refers to the economic link between countries. These links are often very formal trading relationships with a treaty signed to indicate the obligations of each country in the agreement. For example, Canada, Mexico and the United States are signatories to a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to promote the free flow of trade items between these countries.


Transnational Corporations

Transnational (multinational) corporations are large companies that operate in more than one country and wield enormous power because of their size and far-reaching trade networks.

These transnational corporations provide training and jobs for people who might not otherwise have work.


How many of these companies are you unfamiliar with?


Critics of transnational corporations say that the jobs they create are often “McJobs”—low paying jobs that require little skill and provide little opportunity for advancement.

Critics also argue that the profits earned by transnationals go to the country where the company is headquartered, so the host countries derive minimal benefits and may also be negatively impacted in other ways (damage to environment, etc.).


Transportation

Transportation is essential to trade, and products can be shipped farther and faster than ever before.

Shipping containers (introduced in the 1950s) have revolutionized world trade, making shipping cheaper, safer, and more efficient to ship goods from all parts of the world.


Social Globalization – the process by which people’s lifestyles spread over global networks.


Social GlobalizationSocial Globalization refers to the influence the rest of the world has on what we wear, what we watch on television and in movies, and what kind of music we listen to. If you are like most Canadians your age, you have clothes in your closet that were made in Southeast Asia, you listen to music from around the world (AC/DC are from Australia), and you watch American movies and TV shows. Canadians are significantly impacted by the social dimension of globalization.


Just as containers have revolutionized the transportation industry and global trade, computers have revolutionized the way information flows around the planet.

The internet is a network that connects millions of personal computers around the world and provides people with access to information about people and events from

Communication Technology


around the globe.

Telephones, cell phones, pagers, fax machines, and televisions also interconnect people in important ways.

Digital technology has sped up our ability to connect with one another at virtually every corner of the globe.


Media As a Globalizing Force

Media concentration and media convergence have drastically changed the way media such as newspapers, television networks and other cable services operate.


Media Concentration – refers to the trend that concentrates ownership of newspapers and other media in the hands of a few large corporations. (ie. CanWest Global owns Global TV, the Edmonton Journal, the Calgary Herald, and has controlling interest in Alliance Atlantis Communications


Media Convergence – refers to the use of electronic technology to integrate media such as newspapers, books, television, and the internet (ie. Telus has changed from a simple phone company to one that provides internet access and television reception in addition to regular phone and cell phone service.


Why might people be opposed to media concentration and media convergence? What are the issues that arise from this phenomenon?


Political Globalization – the process by which political decisions and actions are becoming increasingly international.


Political Globalization

Politically, Canada is not isolated from the rest of the world. We have active membership in the United Nations (UN) and belong to defensive alliances such as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command). These organizations include military commitments such as NATO or peace keeping with the United Nations. Canada also provides humanitarian aid to countries in the developing world.


Take Home Points• Globalization has three dimensions:

economic, social, and political.

• Economic globalization refers to increasing interconnectedness of trade in the global economy. The items we purchase and consume have global connections and thus link us to these economies in profound ways.


• Transnational corporations are an important component of global trade. They are extremely wealthy and have tremendous influence in terms of the global economy.

• Transnational corporations provide jobs and training in the developing world, but they are also the subject of much criticism for the types of jobs created, the levels of pay in developing countries, and the environmental impacts of their operations.


• Social globalization refers to the way in which human interactions are being affected by global influences such as media (television, internet, etc).

• The means by which humans interact on a global scale has increased exponentially in the past few decades because of technological developments like the internet.


• Political globalization refers to how political decisions and actions are increasingly influenced by international considerations.

chapter 2 the forces of globalization. related issue #1 – to what extent should globalization...

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globalization shape

world trade

spread of trade

farreaching trade networks

free flow of trade items

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little skill