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A. I N T R O D U C T I O N TO GLOBALIZATION

CONCEPTS OF GLOBALIZATION
This introduces the learners to the concepts
and various definitions of globalization as a
process, condition, and ideology. It also exposes
the learners to the academic and non-biased
definition of globalization based on political
scientists, economists, and culture and
communication experts.

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this module, the learners are expected to:

1. Define and explain the meaning of globalization;
2. Examine the various conceptions of globalization;
3. Distinguish the different definitions of globalization from experts; and
4. Adopt a working definition of globalization

DIAGNOSTICS:

Instructions: Write AGREE if you think the statement is correct; otherwise, DISAGREE.
_________ 1. Globalization is I and the world.
_________ 2. The world that we live in now is a product of globalization in the past.
_________ 3. Globalization gone too far, heading in the wrong direction.
_________ 4. The United Nations is a global government.
_________ 5. Globalization is another word for Americanization.

Everyone can observe the trend among many middle cases or elite students nowadays,
especially those who are in urban areas. This trend is a clear indication that many people lives
, like Filipinos, are affected by global economic imperialism. Economic imperialism is simply, a
situation in which one country has a lot of economic power or influence over the others. This
is the age of “Westernization” and/or “Americanization” of contemporary Filipinos. The ideas
and behavior that are characterized by Westernians and North Americans are adopt by the

Tony is a college student. He drinks Pandesal Mate with his usual corned beef,
egg, and rice for breakfast every school day. While eating, he watches Fox
movie on cable TV to make his morning light. Afterwards, he rushes to brush
his teeth using Colgate. Then, he is ready to go. Upon entering the gate of the
university campus, he taps his school ID on the turnstile entrance. Likewise, he
sends his “Hi” message to his special friend using his new iPhoneX. More so,
Tony and his friends love to wear Nike shoes and use Vans schoolbags, with
their favorite Denim outfit during wash days. They love to hang out in their
favorite fast food store, Jollibee, and happily eat their favorite burger, chicken
joy and Coke float. Tony and his classmates use their mobile smartphones and
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A. I N T R O D U C T I O N TO GLOBALIZATION

Filipinos while reducing the traditional ideas and behavior in their culture. That’s why at our
present day and age there are McDonald’s outlets all over the world and almost in every major
Philippine city. At the same time there are now Jollibee branches in some big cities around
the world. There are so many telenovela from Korea or from Mexico that proliferate in our
television screens. Or maybe you and your friends or relatives come to know kimchi, sushi,
tacos, etc. And some Filipino dishes like sisig or adobo become popular even in foreign
countries. One thing is sure, globalization is a phenomenon.

Since the early 19th century, globalization has been a “buzzword” throughout the world,
though the term itself has been popularized only through former Harvard Business School
Professor Theodore Levitt’s article entitled “The Globalization of Markets.” (Levitt, 1983)
Globalization refers to the existence of free exchange goods, services, culture, and even
people, between and among countries. Under the banner of globalization, countries have
discarded taxes on imported goods (tariffs) and opened their doors to highly skilled workers
and professionals. Through globalization people became more interested to travel, learn new
languages, and immerse themselves into new cultures and lifestyles.

On the first decade of the 21st century, some scholars argued that globalization is a process.
However, on the other it is a condition and for some, it is described as an ideology.

Central to the study of the contemporary world is the concept of globalization. The following
are the underlying definitions of globalization:

 According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, globalization refers to

“fundamental changes in the spatial and temporal contours of social existence,
according to which the significance of space or territory undergoes shifts in the face
of a no less dramatic acceleration in the temporal structure of crucial forms of human
activity.” In simple terms, globalization is a societal phenomenon wherein social
barriers no longer exist and the only thing that separates people from each other is
time and not geographical restrictions. Human interactions will no longer be confined
by territorial means because people will coexist as inhabitants of a single community
with the aid of technology and other innovations in communication, transportation, etc.
 Freeden (2003) theorizes that globalization denotes a range of processes nesting
under one rather difficult description. Partly, its conceptual difficulty to handle or
control arises from the fact that global flows occur in different physical and mental
dimensions.
 Arjun Appadurai (1996) proposes that different kinds of globalization occur on
multiple and intersecting dimensions of integration that he calls “scapes”. These five
scapes are;
o Ethnoscape- refers to the global movement of the people
o Mediascape- flow of culture
o Technoscape- refers to the circulation of mechanical goods and software

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o Financescape- denotes the global circulation of money

o Ideoscape- the realm where political ideas move around
 For the Political Scientists, globalization refers to challenges to the nation-state,
strength of regional blocs, and development of global political standards.
 For the Economists, globalization occurs through increasing free trade, speed of trade
(milliseconds to trade shares), and the presence of global economic organizations.
o Free Trade- is a policy followed by some international markets in which
countries’ governments do not restrict imports from, or exports to, other
countries.
o Global Economic Organizations
1. IMF - International Monetary Fund
2. WTO - World Trade Organization
3. World Bank
4. OECD - Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
5. World Economic Forum
6. G20 - Group of 20 (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France,
Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, UK, US, European
Union)
7. ILO - International Labour Organization
8. UNCTAD - United Nation Conference on Trade and Development
9. APEC - Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
10. G7 - Group of 7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United
Kingdom, and the United States)
11. BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
12. ECOSOC - United Nations Economic and Social Council
13. G8 - Group of Eight (France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom,
United States, Canada. Russia)
14. Bank for International Settlements
15. OPEC - Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

o Regional Trade Blocs

The WTO permits the existence of trade blocs, provided that they result in
lower protection against outside countries than existed before the creation of
the trade bloc.
1. EU - European Union
- a customs union, a single market and now with a single
currency
2. EFTA - European Free Trade Area
3. NAFTA - North American Free Trade Agreement
- between the USA, Canada and Mexico

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4. Mercosur – a customs union between Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay,

Paraguay and Venezuela
6. AFTA - ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Free
Trade Area
7. COMESA - Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa
8. SAFTA - South Asian Free Trade Area
– created in 2006 with countries such as India and Pakistan
9. Pacific Alliance – a regional trade agreement between Chile, Colombia,
Mexico and Peru
10. TPP - Trans- Pacific Partnership
– a proposed free trade agreement being negotiated during
2013 between Australia, Brunei, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and
Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam
 For the scholar of culture and communication, globalization is the creation of global
village due to technological revolutions, communications technology as shrinking our
world, and cultural imperialism.
 Manfred Steger- “Globalization is the expansion and intensification of social relations
and consciousness across world-time and world- space.”
o Expansion- refers to “both the creation of new social networks and the
multiplication of existing connections that cut across traditional political,
economic, cultural and geographic boundaries.
o Intensification- refers to the expansion, stretching, and acceleration of these
networks.

However, globalization is different with globalism, which points our aspirations for an end
state of affairs, values are shared by all the people in the world, as well as their environment,
roles as citizens, consumers and producers that can answer common problems. Not it is
universalism, values that hugs all humanity. Meanwhile, Steger (20025) uses the term
globality to mean globalization as a condition.
Competing Conceptions of Globalization

There are manifold concepts, perspectives, and ideas about globalization. Many scholars gave
and tried to formulate the definition of globalization. This resulted in different, sometimes
contradicting, views about the concept.
•Manfred Steger remarks that since its earliest appearance in the 1960s, the term
‘globalization’ has been used in both popular and academic literature to describe a process, a
condition, a system, a force, and an age. (Steger, 2003)
•Thomas Larsson, a Swedish journalist saw globalization as positive phenomenon and
define it 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 the other side of the world. (Larsson, 2001).

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Globalization may be defined and conceptualized from different lenses, but an

interdisciplinary definition is essential. Some scholars consider it as a process, a condition, or
an ideology. Experts from different fields of social sciences also define globalization based
on their expertise. But a working definition has to encompass all definitions of and notions
about globalization. Steger’s definition, for the purpose of this module, is the most unbiased
working definition.

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Exercise 1: Globalization and I

Name: ______________________________ Date: ____________
Course and Section: ____________________ Score: ___________

Instructions: Find, read and attach an opinion-editorial (op-ed) article

discussing globalization. Extract the underlying concept of globalization
explained in the article.

___________________________________________________
Title and Author of the Chosen Article

1. Based on the article, is globalization a process, a condition, or an ideology?

Explain your choice.
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2. On whose perspective is the definition of globalization anchored (political

scientists, economists, or culture and communications experts) Give at least
three (3) reasons to support your choice.
___________________________________________________________
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Exercise 2: Personal Experience of Globalization

Name: ______________________________ Date: ____________
Course and Section: ____________________ Score: ___________

Instructions: Narrate your own experience of globalization. Is your

globalization experience a process, a condition or an ideology? Defend your
answer.

___________________________________________________________
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Assignment 1: Metacognitive Reading Report

Name: ______________________________ Date: ____________
Course and Section: ____________________ Score: ___________

Instructions: Read the attached referenced article and complete the

statements that follow.
 Irani, F. & Noruzi, M. (2011). Globalization and challenges: What are
globalization’s contemporary issues? International Journal for
Humanities and Social Sciences, I(6), 216-218.

1. The three (3) things that I significantly learned from the readings are ………..
___________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

2. The three (3) things that are still unclear to me are ……………..
___________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________

3. I used to think that ……………..

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4. The three (3) questions that I want to ask about the readings are ……………..
___________________________________________________________
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Referenced article: Source: http://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol._1_No._6;_June_2011/24.pdf

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Vol. 1 No. 6; June2011

p. 216

Globalization and Challenges; What are the globalization's contemporary issues?

Farhad Nezhad Haj Ali Irani (Corresponding Author)

Public Management, PhD
Islamic Azad University, Bonab Branch, Iran

Mohammad Reza Noruzi EMBA, PhD Student

Policy Making in Public Sector Islamic Azad University, Bonab Branch, Iran
Young Researchers Club Member, Islamic Azad University, Bonab Branch, Iran

Abstract
One of the most important factors of developed countries is the indicator of the country's globalization
rate indicator. If a country has good indicator or high globalization indicator it is a positive point for
that country. This paper aims to study some contemporary issue of globalization and its challenges.

Introduction
Globalization typically refers to the process by which different economies and societies become more
closely integrated, and concurrent with increasing worldwide globalization, there has been much
research into its consequences (Nilson, 2010, p.1191). Covering a wide range of distinct political,
economic, and cultural trends, the term ―globalization‖ has quickly become one of the most
fashionable buzzwords of contemporary political and academic debate. In popular discourse,
globalization often functions as little more than a synonym for one or more of the following
phenomena: the pursuit of classical liberal (or ―free market‖) policies in the world economy
(―economic liberalization‖), the growing dominance of western (or even American) forms of political,
economic, and cultural life (―westernization‖ or ―Americanization‖), the proliferation of new
information technologies (the ―Internet Revolution‖), as well as the notion that humanity stands at
the threshold of realizing one single unified community in which major sources of social conflict have
vanished (global integration‖; Globalization, 2010). Globalization is not a new phenomenon, with
global ecological changes, an ever more integrated global economy, and other global trends, political
activity increasingly takes place at the global level (Globalization, 2005). It is old but not very about
more than 20 years scholars from a variety of fields and coerces have been discussed in a vigorous
debate about this social phenomenon: globalization (Belk, 1996; Castells, 1996; Featherstone, 1990,
1995; Ger and Belk, 1996; Liebes and Katz, 1993; Robertson, 1992; Sklair, 2002; Waters, 1995;
Matei, 2006, p.1).

Different streams and looks on globalization

There are two branches of interest in the area of globalization some are interested and some not i.e.
the proglobalization lobby argues that globalization brings about much increased opportunities for
almost everyone, and increased competition is a good thing since it makes agents of production more
efficient. But the other ones i.e. the anti-globalization group argues that certain groups of people who
are deprived in terms of resources are not currently capable of functioning within the increased
competitive pressure that will be brought about by allowing their economies to be more connected to
the rest of the world (investor word, 2005). The results have enlarged profits for investors but offered
pittances to laborers, provoking a strong backlash from civil society. This page analyzes economic
globalization, and examines how it might be resisted or regulated in order to promote sustainable
development (Global Policy.org, 2005).

Globalization in the contemporary

Industrial
College emergence
of Arts of worldwide
and Sciences production
– Social Sciences markets and broader access
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products for consumers and companies has increased a lot during the globalization process (Politzer,
2008).
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© Centre for Promoting Ideas, USA www.ijhssnet.com

p. 217
There are different approaches and ideas surrounding the idea of ―globalization, which we can categorize it in
two broad areas:
(1) Some say that globalization is necessary and we should willingly and actively enter into this process, and (2)
Others take the quite opposite view, espousing the need for increased nationalism and consolidation of state
power. However, arguably the mainstream view of globalization, at least among the people who matter in the
countries that matter—the vast majority of economists, many political scientists, and political commentators—is
that globalization is a benign force leading us ultimately to the era of converging world incomes (as poor
countries like China open up to the world and see their incomes rise), converging institutions as democracy
becomes a universal norm, and cultural richness as people of different background interact more frequently
(Milanovic, 2002: Noruzi & Westover, 2010,p.112).

Few concepts have disused as rapidly as globalization. A look into the Social Science Citation Index shows zero
entries 1986, 10 entries 1990, and nearly 400 entries 1997. It grows daily in newspapers. But, in spite of all the
talk of globalization, pro and con, the notion is seldom defined, much less operational zed. It therefore often
serves ideologically as a disuse positive goal associated with degrees of freedom, mobility, integration,
exchange of learning and broadening of horizons; or, as an equally negative alien force, falling down like rain on
poor innocent locals, diminishing their autonomy and threatening their identity. Globalization has become a
generic term for a wide variety of processes involving a number of societal spheres: trade and investment, the
geography of branches and arms, the political geography of spatial competence in decision-making, cultural
exchange and hybridization, transportation and telecommunications. Indeed, it can be argued that since these
processes are plural, we should ``conceive of globalizations in the plural'' (Nederveen Pieterse, 1994, p. 161;
Clurk & Lund, 2000, p. 468).

Globalization may be defined and realized in many ways. For example, one may speak of economic, social, and
cultural globalization (Bornman & Schoonraad, 2001) and therefore the plural (‗‗globalizations‘‘) is perhaps
more accurate (Braman & Statan, 2000). Teitel (2005) defines (economic) globalization as ‗‗. . . the
phenomenon of increased integration of the world economy as evidenced by the growth of international trade
and factor mobility.‘‘

Globalization and culture

Technology has now created the possibility and even the likelihood of a global culture. The Internet, fax
machines, satellites, and cable TV are sweeping away cultural boundaries. Global entertainment companies
shape the perceptions and dreams of ordinary citizens, wherever they live. This spread of values, norms, and
culture tends to promote Western ideals of capitalism. Will local cultures inevitably fall victim to this global
"consumer" culture? Will English eradicate all other languages? Will consumer values overwhelm peoples' sense
of community and social solidarity? Or, on the contrary, will a common culture lead the way to greater shared
values and political unity? This section looks at these and other issues of culture and globalization (Global
Policy, 2009).

Results and Conclusions

Over many centuries, human societies across the globe have established progressively closer contacts.
Recently, the pace of global integration has dramatically increased. Unprecedented changes in communications,
transportation, and computer technology have given the process new impetus and made the world more
interdependent than ever (Globalization, 2005). The global social justice movement, itself a product of
globalization, proposes an alternative path, more responsive to public needs (Global Policy Froum, 2011).
Advances in communication and transportation technology, combined with free-market ideology, have given
goods, services, and capital unprecedented mobility. Northern countries want to open world markets to their
goods and take advantage of abundant, cheap labor in the South, policies often supported by Southern elites.
They use international financial institutions and regional trade agreements to compel poor countries to
"integrate" by reducing tariffs, privatizing state enterprises, and relaxing environmental and labor standards
(Global Policy.org, 2005).

As a result, laws, economies, and social movements are forming at the international level. Many politicians,
academics, and journalists treat these trends as both inevitable and (on the whole) welcome. But for billions of
the world's people, business-driven globalization means uprooting old ways of life and threatening livelihoods
and cultures (Global Policy Forum, 2011). Civil society organizations act globally by forming alliances with
organizations in other countries, using global communications systems, and lobbying international organizations
and other actors directly, instead of working through their national governments (Globalization, 2005).

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International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Vol. 1 No. 6; June2011

p. 218

References
Belk, R.W., 1996. Hyperreality and globalization: culture in the age of Ronald McDonald. Journal of
International Consumer Marketing 8 (3–4), 23–37. Braman, S., & Statan, C. V. (2000). Globalization
and culture. Study guide for Unit 12 of the Postgraduate Diploma in Telecommunications and
Information Policy. Clurk & Lund, 2000, Globalization of a commercial property market: the case of
Copenhagen, Geoforum 31 (2000) 467±475 Featherstone, M., 1990. Global Culture: Nationalism,
Globalization, and Modernity. Sage Publications, London. Featherstone, M., 1995. Undoing Culture:
Globalization, Postmodernism and Identity. Sage Publications, London. Ger, G., Belk, R.W., 1996.
I‘d like to buy the world a coke: consumptions capes of the ‗‗less affluent world‘‘. Journal of
Consumer Policy 19, 271–304. Global Policy Forum, (2011), available online at: Global Policy,
2009, globalization of culture, available online at:
http://www.globalpolicy.org/globalization/globalization-of-culture.html Global Policy.org, 2005,
globalization of the economy. Available online at:
http://www.globalpolicy.org/globalization/globalization-of-the-economy-2-1.html Globalization, 2005,
globalization, available online at: www. Globalization/globalization.html Globalization, 2005,
globalization, available online at: www. Globalization/globalization-of-politics.html Globalization,
2010, Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy, available online at: http://plato.stanford.edu/
http://www.globalpolicy.org/globalization/defining-globalization.html
http://www.investorwords.com/2182/globalization.html Investor word, (2005), Globalization,
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Receiving End. Hampton Press, Cresskill, NJ. Liebes, T., Katz, E., 1993. The Export of Meaning:
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(1989–1999) Telematics and Informatics 23 (2006) 316–331 Nilson, Theresse, (2010), Good for
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38, No. 9, pp. 1191–1203, 2010 Noruzi, Mohammad Reza; Jonathan H. Westover (2010), A Short
Study of Iranian Organizations' Needs in the Area of Globalization: Opportunities, Challenges and
Relative Advantages, Cross-cultural Communication Vol.6 No.3, 2010 Politzer, Malia, (2008) "China
and Africa: Stronger Economic Ties Mean More Migration". By Malia Politzer, Migration Information
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Global Culture. Sage, London. Sklair, L., 2002. Globalization: Capitalism and Its Alternatives, third
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Journal of Socio-Economics, 34, 444–470. Waters, M., 1995. Globalization. Routledge, London.

References:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english

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