What is globalization?

What is globalization? Wikipedia states that globalization, “describes the process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a global network of political ideas through communication, transportation, and trade [1].” However, this does not even begin to illustrate what globalization truly encompasses and the affects it can have on the global society. Globalization is very much a process that links all countries of the world together either directly or indirectly. These links are what make globalization such a powerful concept. What happens in one country now directly affects what happens in another country, or even countries (and vice versa). Because of the power globalization holds, world leaders are often concerned with the matter not only within their own borders, but with relative countries as well.

Much like mass communication, globalization was brought to the forefront with a new invention. Much like moveable type allowing knowledge to be distributed to the masses, the creation of the internet and world wide web allowed the dispersal of information at almost instantaneous rates. This amazing feat spawned open trade in many countries and began what would later become the global economy or global market. Small businesses around the globe could now know the value of their product at any instant in time. However, as Stan Lee would say, with great power comes great responsibility.

The great power involved with globalization can create a number of both positive and negative outcomes. In a perfect global society, every person would be satisfied with the outcomes of globalization. This is not the case in reality. Throughout the 1990’s, globalization led to a number of failed economies including those of Thailand, Indonesia, and even South Korea, the 11^th largest economy at the time [2]. With some of these cases, economic downfall went hand-in-hand with political and social unrest, often leading to rioting and violence throughout the effected country. Noam Chomsky relates this outcome to a quote in that, “the poor complain, they always do, but that’s just idle chatter. Our system brings rewards to all, at least all who matter [3].” This represents the viewpoint of the average citizen effected by negative outcomes involved with globalization. While a government may fall on hard times and quickly regain it’s composure, the average citizen may spend years recovering. These negative results coming out of modern globalization are what need to be changed. Bill Clinton states that, “[Trade] is not sufficient to build a peaceful free world, but it is absolutely necessary [2].” In other words, globalization is a necessary evil in the modern world.

[1] Bhagwati, Jagdish (2004). In Defense of Globalization. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.

[2] "Commanding Heights: Storyline | on PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 05 Jan. 2011.

[3] Chomsky, Noam. "What Is Globalization?" YouTube. 26 Mar. 2007. Web. 05 Jan. 2011

[4] Curran, James, and Myung-Jin Park. "Beyond Globalization Theory." De-Westernizing Media Studies. London: Routledge, 2000. Print.