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GE3 Defining Globalization and Metaphors

Globalization is a complex, multifaceted concept that is difficult to define precisely due to its constantly shifting nature. It involves increasing liquidity and multidirectional flows of people, objects, information, and capital across borders. Definitions of globalization vary depending on the perspective of the person defining it and whether they view it positively or negatively. It is an ongoing process that is changing as human society develops and has occurred at different points in history.

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566 views

GE3 Defining Globalization and Metaphors

Globalization is a complex, multifaceted concept that is difficult to define precisely due to its constantly shifting nature. It involves increasing liquidity and multidirectional flows of people, objects, information, and capital across borders. Definitions of globalization vary depending on the perspective of the person defining it and whether they view it positively or negatively. It is an ongoing process that is changing as human society develops and has occurred at different points in history.

Uploaded by

hannah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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• The reality and omnipresence of globalization makes us see

ourselves as part of what we refer to as the “global age”


(Albow, 1996).

WHAT IS GLOBALIZATION?

• Globalization encompasses a multitude processes (economy,


political systems, and culture.)
PROGRESS

POSITIVE/NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENT

INTEGRATION
Swedish journalist Thomas Larsson (2001) globalization 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 on the other side of the world”.

• But for others, they see it as regression, colonialism and destabilization

Martin Khor, the former president of Third World Network (TWN) in Malaysia,
once regarded globalization as colonization.
1961- Webster’s Dictionary (First appearance)

The definitions of globalization revealed that definition could be classified as


either:

(1) Broad and Inclusive


(2) Narrow and Exclusive
Broad and Inclusive
Ohmae in 1992 stated, “… globalization means the onset of the borderless
world…”

 It can include a variety of issues that deal with the overcoming traditional
boundaries. It does not shed light on the implications of globalization due
to its vagueness.
Narrow and Exclusive
 Are better justified but can be limiting in the sense that their application
adhere to only particular definitions.

• Robert Cox’s definition suits best in this type: “ the characteristics of the
globalization trend include the internationalizing of production, the new
international division of labor, new migratory movements from South to
North, the new competitive environment that accelerates these process, and
the internationalization of the state… making states into agencies of the
globalizing world” (as cited in RAWOO Netherlands Development
Assistance Research Council, 2000, p.14)
• In fact, in a comprehensive study of 114
definitions by the Geneva Center for Security
Policy (GCSP) in 2006, 67 of them refer to
economic dimension. These definitions
include political and social dimension as
well.
• Ritzer (2015), “globalization is a transplanetary
process or a set of process involving increasing
liquidity and the growing multidirectional flows of
people, objects, places, and information as well
as the structures they encounter and create that
are barriers to, or expedite those flows…” (p.2).
Why are we going to spend time
studying this concept? How can we
appreciate these definitions? How can
these help us understand
globalization?
• First, the perspective of the person who defines
globalization shapes its definition.

In 1996, Arjun Appadurai said, “globalization is a ‘world


of things’ that have different speeds, axes, points of origin and
termination and varied relationship to institutional structures in
different regions, nations, or societies.” (as cited in Chowdhury,
2006, p.137)
• Second, globalization is the debate and the debate is globalization.

As Poppi (1997) wrote: “The literature stemming from the debate


on globalization has grown in the last decade beyond any individual’s
capability of extracting a workable definition of the concept. In a sense,
the meaning of the concept is self-evident, in another, it is vague and
obscure as its reaches are wide and constantly shifting. Perhaps, more
than any other concept, globalization is the debate about it” (as cited in
Kumar, 2003, p.95).
• Third, globalization is reality. It is
changing as human society
develops. It has happened before
and is still happening today.
Overall, GLOBALIZATION is a concept
that is not easy to define because in
reality, globalization has a shifting
nature. It is complex, multifaceted and
can influenced by the people who
define it.
• Ritzer (2003) said, “attitudes
toward globalization depend,
among other things, whether one
gains or lose from it.” (p.190).
SOLID
• Also refers to barriers that prevent or make difficult
the movement of things.
• Natural or man-made
Natural Solid (ex: landforms or bodies of water)
Man Made Barriers (ex: Great Wall of China and
Berlin Wall)
• Modern man made solid (e.g. An imaginary line
such as nine-dash line- used by the people’s republic
of china- in their claim to the South China Sea)
LIQUID
• as a state of matter, takes the shape of its container.
Moreover, liquids are not fixed.
• Liquidity refers to increasing ease of movement of
people, things, information, and places in the
contemporary world.
• Ritzer (2015, p.6) regarded as the most important
characteristics of liquid: it “tends to melt whatever
stands in its path (especially solids).”
FLOWS
• Flows are the movement of people,
things, places and information
brought by growing “porosity” of
global limitations (Ritzer, 2015).
The following are other kinds of flows that can be
observed today.

• Poor illegal migrants flooding many parts of the world


• The virtual flow of legal and illegal information such as
blogs and child pornography, respectively.
• Immigrants recreating ethnic enclaves in host
countries. (Filipino communities abroad and the
Chinese communities in the Philippines)

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