Globalization is getting more and more discussed, but no one seems to worry about defining it. At a broad level, this phenomenon increases the impact of human activities on a global scale, without any cultural, political, economic, or geographical boundaries. It affects us economically, socially, culturally, politically, technologically, and even biologically, as is the case with widespread disease. Plus, all of these fields don't operate in a vacuum – they interact on a daily basis. See Step 1 below to begin to understand this very versatile and limitless concept.
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Method 1 of 3: Understand the Definition
Step 1. Understand the context in which it is used
Like many words, the meaning of “globalization” changes quite a bit in separate contexts – even without context, it is a bit misleading and ambiguous. It covers so many aspects of our modern life; what does "actually" mean? Jerry Bentley talks about globalization as a long-term process; Deane Neubauer describes it as a recent development – obviously two different things. What kind of animal are we dealing with here?
- Think in chronological context, or in terms of time. Some scientists think of globalization as a post-industrial revolution (the shirt you wear a lot more than you travel) or even post-internet. However, some historians see it as a long-standing process, reconnecting it with ideas that arose in the past.
- Think in terms of geography, or in terms of space. In the past, globalization was the Mongols who ruled Europe. It is Silk Road. It is an island hopping from Maui to Oahu. He is Columbus who discovered the New World. When we find life in exchange for Mars, “globalization” won't even be the right term!
Step 2. Understand with discipline
As scientists usually view globalization in a modern sense and historians with a historical sense, there are no disciplines that define globalization outside their field. So when your professors of economics and psychology talk about globalization, they may have slightly different things in mind. They talk about what globalization means in “their field”.
- Economics: exchange, money, corporations, banking, capital
- Political science: government, war, peace, IGOs, NGOs, regimes
- Sociology: community, conflict, class, nation, agreement
- Psychology: the individual as subject and object of global action
- Anthropology: cultures overlap, adapt, collide, unite
- Communication: information as knowledge and tools – example: internet
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Geography, everything, as long as it can be anchored in space.
In some cases, each field sees one part of the whole. As anthropologists study humans, just as psychologists do – but each of them, by no means, studies the whole of being human. So in the “home” that is globalization, each path looks through a door or window, seeing only part of the big picture. Don't think of this as anything wrong, there's always more than meets the eye
Step 3. Know this is part of an infinite cycle
Humans like to think of everything in black and white. As mathematics and logic and on a linear line of progression. As cause and effect. With globalization, you can't do that. At the heart of globalization are genuine threads. An interconnected jumble of people, cultures, ideas, creations, and concepts. So what's a chicken and what's an egg? We don't really know. This is an infinite cycle.
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Ask yourself: Is the cycle bad or good? This depends on your point of view. Yes, it is growth, bringing new technologies, improving the general welfare, and bringing the world to our fingertips. But it also creates poverty, destroys the environment, leads to ethnic conflict, violence, and destruction of cities. For all the ugliness it has brought, is it worth it?
We'll explore the pros and cons of globalization in the last section. It is important not only to understand globalization, but to understand how “you” feel about it. It affects everyone, so there is an opinion
Step 4. See how it is woven
When globalization first makes an impression, it is only a few weak threads. It is easy to get rid of the next earthquake or some wavering political decisions. However, he did grow. He created the web we now see in every aspect of our lives – regardless of culture, ethnicity, gender or age. The flow of goods, capital, “ideas” and modern media has never been at this level before. We are living in extraordinary times! Will this bubble burst?
This interweaving – this aspect of globalization – has major implications. The world is so interconnected, preventing conflict from continuing. At one time, empires clashing in war was a prime example of globalization; luckily, we're far from that now. But even though we have made these developments, minor civil wars are now even “more” possible, which have their own global repercussions. In some cases, it seems like the two are mutually exclusive
Step 5. Know the profile of the organization you are dealing with
In other words, know how each aspect of globalization is realized. There are four profiles to consider when understanding this concept:
- Infrastructure: This is how networks and relationships are made possible (and regulated). Travel, communication, law, and cultural symbols and sense are all part of this.
- institutionalization: This infrastructure is produced again and again and has established a routine and reliable pattern. Networks have become embedded in society and, with time, more regular.
- Power and Stratification: We used to be dealing with kings and peasants, now we are dealing with Kim Kardashian and starving children in Kenya. The gap between rich and poor has always existed, but each period of history saw it take on different forms and patterns. Having power, having money means access to resources and is usually redundant. However, this is always relative.
Method 2 of 3: Seeing It in Your World
Step 1. View your connection network
Globalization can be partly defined as the interaction of activities by many countries in your world. These activities may include economic investment, sporting activities, internet communication, job opportunities and many other forms of interaction with countries in the world. How many people do you know who have lived, traveled, or were part of another place? How many of these people can you contact with the push of a button? Precisely.
See the similarities around the world, especially in the trading environment. The world is rapidly becoming a globalized culture, shaping its own unique rules, patterns and lifestyles
Step 2. See what's happening around you
One may wear a t-shirt designed in Japan, wear perfume from the East, a watch from Hungary, wear pens made in Denmark, body lotion from the USA, etc. This is a direct effect of globalization.
Sooner or later, unique cultures, unique languages, and fashion codes will disappear, replaced by one unified form of life (think of Chingrish as a bad example). At the very least, someone might see it worthy, perhaps even, an occurrence. Global culture can be the result of globalization. When you put the two ideas side by side, it looks like we're there, right?
Step 3. See how communication brings a globalized approach to human affairs
Satellite broadcasts expose you to different nationalities, currency indices, making us aware of the activities going on around the world. Everything and everyone is becoming connected and interdependent, as advances in technology continue to improve communication between you and the rest of the world. On a less narcissistic level, there are world organizations (UN, NATO, etc.) and global pressure on nations that reject accepted norms of globalization. No matter the scale, this concept is inevitable.
Understand that diversity forms part of the concept of globalization. This concept of globalization leads to an awareness of diversity, an interesting mix of people with different backgrounds, nationalities and cultures. Does this make us more tolerant? More hate? More educated? What do you think?
Step 4. Watch it happen
You don't have to awkwardly approach Chinese exchange students in your class to get the effects of globalization. Just turn on your television made in Japan. Pick up the cereal box in the morning and think about how it got to your supermarket. Think about how everything you read was probably written by people who are alive (or have lived – we cross eras, too) thousands of miles away from you. Then think of a world where this cannot happen.
A little crazy if you sit down and dig deep. What marks in your life would be left if globalization did not exist? Who made your clothes? Your food? Where will you find entertainment? What aspect of your life has globalization not touched? Is there any? That's doubtful. What kind of life can you make yourself? If you're like most of us, you're probably feeling a little useless right now. You are not alone – we have adapted well to this globalization
Step 5. Do some additional reading
It's great if wikiHOw is the only resource you'll ever need for anything, but believe it or not, books are still valuable. Read “Globalization and it's Discontents” by Stiglitz, or “The World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman. “Mcdonaldization of Society” by George Ritzer is also good. And if you don't like reading, watch “Globalization is Good” or “Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy” for great documentation.
If English is not your first language, there are many ESL lessons on the internet on this topic that can help you understand this further, and even offer some interactive activities to test your knowledge
Method 3 of 3: Forming Opinions
Step 1. Think of the good
Everything about your world is the result of globalization. The shirt you wear, the computer in front of you, the car you drive, the roads you walk, how you meet your friends – we can go on to justify. Therefore, globalization is very valuable. It makes us who we really are. How can we judge that? But don't stay solipsistic. What about the greater good?
- If you want to expand, people as a whole live longer, healthier and more prosperous lives. Not to forget that we reproduce and sustain more and more of our kind.
- Now there are economic services like never seen before – healthcare, retail, IT, education, hospitality – we are no longer working on farms, doing manual labor, and sustaining ourselves with the labor of our own hands. Now, "it takes a lot of people."
- Globalization has had a major influence on social norms. Take birth control (FP) for example: it has led to more sex, a more relaxed culture (in some circumstances) and more pressure on the individual. For most of us, that's a very good thing.
Step 2. Think about the bad
But with that individual power there are also negatives – a weaker family unit, for example. Divorce rates are higher everywhere, technology is separating families, etc. But we cannot think individually; how does this affect the world?
- Feeding 7 billion people is very difficult. Rainforests are being cut down and we are losing more and more land as we try to sustain our growth. And this process is something that most people don't know about. Fredric Jameson put it aptly: We have come a long way from the reality of production and work in the world we live in – the dream world of artificial stimuli and television experiences.” Is that a good thing?
- It has ruined the simple beauty. Think flowers! When you give it to a loved one, it shouldn't be something like, "This is a $6 flower I brought back from a corner that a kid in Africa picked and sent here at 747 last week via Boston." It should be, “I went into the woods and searched for hours to find natural jewels for you that match your beauty.” We can never get that back.
- Overall, we are using more resources than ever (we are richer than ever); this has resulted in, among other things, climate shifts and serious depletion of the world's natural resources. This is a good transition to what you should do next.
Step 3. Imagine the future
The broader implications of globalization are complex. We can't predict the future because of it, but we can imagine a world we don't want to live in and prevent it. So think what would happen if globalization continued at a drastic pace down this path? What will the world be like?
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To be even more efficient – the goal of every business – we need more and more. To grow economically, we have to play into the system. "This can't go on forever." Globalization, at its current pace, cannot be sustained.
The pace of change has accelerated almost too hard. Only the rich benefited from the silk road 1000 years ago, and 1000 years in the scheme of things is a very short time
- For all that ugliness, the chances of war are getting less and less; more and more countries are turning to democracy (the UN is a good symbol of globalization) and, at least most of the time, democracy is good for people. Is that a net profit?
- If we all died from climate change or the pandemic that took over the world in one day, you might say globalization is a bad thing. Or if we save the world with technology, preventing major damage or an oncoming meteor, you might argue that's fine. Do you consider it a positive thing?
Step 4. Know this is not new
The gap between rich and poor is old news. Globalization is old. The only thing new is that everyone can learn it – that way, every human being can “do something”. You have more power now than any other human being in the circumstances you "ever had". So form your opinion because it matters. See your decision in a broader context. What kind of world would you like to live in?
