Globalization
Pols 293: International Politics
5/31/2005
1st Summer Session 2005
Dr. Chang
What is globalization? This has been a
question that many scholars have been trying to figure out for years.
Many definitions have been developed to try and answer this question,
each with its own twist on globalization. However, no single definition
has been pegged as the correct answer to what globalization is. In
order to understand globalization and how it has accelerated over the
years, it is important to look at how it developed and what factors
have contributed to that development. Politics, economics, culture,
religion, and the environment are all factors that influence
globalization or are influenced by globalization, each leaving its own
mark in defining globalization. One growing issue that has left an
imprint on modern day globalization has been “Americanization.” By
looking at this growing phenomenon and how it relates to the many
factors that influence globalization, a bigger picture of what
globalization really is, can be drawn.
When looking for a definition for
globalization, no single clear cut definition can be found. Everybody
has a different definition of what they believe globalization is. For
example, one person may believe globalization is “a process
characterized by the establishment of global markets, prices, and
production (Bruff 263),” while another person my feel that it is goes
beyond that and includes people from all over the world’s growing
interdependence upon one another (Globalization 1). The idea of
globalization is still being defined to this day and because it’s
constantly being redefined and used in different contexts, people often
times are left in confusion about what it truly is. Globalization
crosses many boundaries of government and business, media and social
movements, general and academic interests, with each area carrying a
different purpose and meaning of globalization (Piesterse 7). For
example, in economics, globalization is seen as the integration of all
national economies into a single global economy, while in philosophy,
theorists mainly focus on the cultural aspects of globalization (Peters
9). Because globalization is so diverse in itself, there are wide
discrepancies in the basic understandings of what it is and what it
covers (Piesterse 18). This sometimes leads people to use the same
word, but be talking about totally different things (Peters 6). I have
found that globalization is easiest to understand when I’m not focused
on a precise definition, but instead looking at how globalization
developed and what elements are a part of it.
A great way to gain an understanding of
globalization is to look at how it developed and what characteristics
surround this development. There is some controversy surrounding when
globalization actually started to develop. Some people believe that it
is a recent development that started within the past thirty years
(Piesterse 15), others believe that it started with the emergence of
industrialization and capitalism (Department 1). Still others believe
that it’s an evolutionary process in which no one knows when it was
started and will continue to occur without intervention (Peters 4).
There are many differing opinions on when globalization began, but
there are many events in history that may serve as signals to the
beginning of globalization or acceleration of it, but to understand
these signals, we must understand that the development of globalization
didn’t just happen all at once. Many historical, economic, cultural,
political, and social factors influenced the development of
globalization at different periods of time.
Economics is a huge part of the development of
globalization. Many times we hear the phrase, “money makes the world go
round,” and through looking at events that have left an impact on
globalization, we can see that money or economics mixed with technology
has played a huge role in the development and acceleration of
globalization. The world economy got a huge boost in the 16th century
with the development of international trade, foreign direct
investments, migration, and the formation of the nation state
(International 1). In the 18th century Adam Smith took notice to the
rise of machines, the increase of division of labor, and the growing
emphasis on trade and how these factors affected the wealth of nations
(Peters 36). In the 19th century Stuart Mill started to see consumers
as “self-interested wealth maximizers (37).” In the late 20th century
direct foreign investment accelerated from an inflow of $10 billion in
1970 to $349 billion in 1996 (International 2). President Reagan tried
his hand at affecting the development of globalization by introducing
supply-side economics which would cause “investments in the business
sectors of economies to trickle down to the rest of the population
through increased job opportunities and better social services provided
by a stronger economy (Peters 45).”
Many times in history, we see politics and
economics together, which can also be seen in the history of the
development and acceleration of globalization. After World War II,
economics became involved with politics when many countries such as
France, Germany, Great Britain, and Japan were financially and
productively hindered during the war. “It was in this postwar period
that significant financial plans and decisions were set into place by
world leaders to guide the process of European and Japanese recovery
(42).” At the Bretton Wood Conference in 1944, the World Bank and
International Monetary Fund were established to aid countries in
“postwar reconstruction.” The U.S.’s policies of free trade were
adopted by many of the European nations to help in their process to
recovery. The U.S.’s political and economic powers were combined to
help nations that were in need, thus leading to the power of the
nation-state. A more recent incident when politics and economics worked
together to help develop and accelerate globalization is seen in
President Bush’s goal at fighting terrorism by implementing democracy
in such places as Afghanistan and “opening this society to commerce and
investment (Steger 57).” President Bush’s goal shows that in more
recent history political influence in globalization has backed down to
a more behind the scenes player, only getting involved when the safety
of the nation is in jeopardy, but giving the economic spectrum of
globalization more freedom to expand without political regulation
(Bruff 263).
Not only have economics and politics had an
influence on the development and acceleration of globalization, but
also culture has played a key role in influencing this process as well.
Media and technology have played an important role in spreading
different cultures throughout the world. Many believe that culture lies
at the heart of globalization and that globalization lies at the heart
of culture (Steger 37). “Through globalization a network of complex
cultural interconnections and interdependencies has been created that
have grown to shape modern social life.” Because of this, culture is no
longer tied to certain places, such as towns and countries, “but now
acquires new meanings that deflect dominant themes emerging in a global
context.” An example of this that is occurring within the world
currently is Americanization which I will be talking about in depth,
later on in this paper. Another example of cultural globalization that
has had an affect on our lives can be seen in the food we eat. Half of
the foods or restaurants that Americans eat at or go too are influenced
by another cultural. They were brought into the American culture
through globalization.
By looking at how globalization developed and
some of the influences behind that development, it is possible to gain
a clearer understanding of what globalization actually is and how it
affects our lives. However, in order to make that picture even clearer,
it’s important to look at the contents like politics, economics,
culture, religion, and the environment that are shaping and being
shaped by globalization today.
The most well known factor in shaping
globalization is economics. Many believe that economics are the heart
of globalization and the fuel that makes it work. Manfred Steger notes
that globalization is connected to economics through its increasing
linkage of national economies through trade, financial flows, and
foreign direct investment by multinational firms (Steger 27). Economics
is defined by Steger as the primary aspect of globalization and the
engine behind its rapid development (27). Two world institutions, the
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, set up by the United
States to originally help the European nations recover financially from
WWII, helped establish the United States as an economic powerhouse for
the rest of the world. The Marshal Plan supplied most of Europe with
its economic needs, allowing the U.S., after WWII, to focus on the
“underdeveloped world (Peters 43).” The US has given billions of
dollars too many countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. One
country in Latin America that has received the United States’ aid is
Columbia. The U. S. has given money to Colombia’s paramilitaries
through Plan Colombia, which was created to help stop the Colombian
drug trade (Nassar 78). Some believe there is an ulterior motive behind
the United States’ intentions, for example, that they are sending
financial support to help stop the guerilla movement so it won’t become
a threat to their influence in Latin America (78). Such influences
would be the availability of cheap labor, resources, and production
conditions for transnational corporations that are available in
Columbia (Steger 30). Transnational corporations or TNC’s account for
over 70% of the world’s trade and consist of companies like Wal-Mart
and General Motors. “They have the ability to cut labor costs by
dispersing economic production processes into many distinct phases,
carried out by low-wage workers (31).” TNC’s thus have become a
profound part of the impact economics has had on globalization.
Another key player in globalization is
politics, which is essential to the expansion of global markets (Steger
32). Some scholars say that the rise of technology has broken down
barriers of communication, which no longer limits the connection
between the countries on such issues as economics, leaving no need for
the restrictive policies and regulations on economics that were
introduced by governmental agencies (32). However, others believe that
politics are the driving force behind which policies are enacted to
mobilize globalization and the economic institutions within it. For
example, politics are what is responsible for encouraging the
deregulation and privatization of the global economy, so political
agencies could reverse the trend and create new restrictions on the
global economy if they wanted too (34). With politics lies the power
and influence that the economy has on globalization, making politics a
major player in keeping globalization alive and strong. Some scholars
seek to eliminate the hoopla over whether the major factor in
globalization is economic, political, or cultural, but instead call for
a cultural political economy, that shows how each factor influences the
other in making globalization work (Bruff 269).
Culture has become another prominent factor in
globalization and cultural practices from all over the world, lie at
the heart of globalization (Steger 37). With the help of the media and
new developments in technology, culture is no longer tied to a fixed
location (38). However, this spreading of cultures does not always have
such a positive impact on certain groups of people around the world. In
India for example, maintaining traditions and religious rituals from
the past is very important, however these rituals have led India into
poverty (Isaak 125). Instead of keeping up with the speed of
globalization for such things as commutation to jobs through public
transportation systems, which would stimulate the economy, many Indians
instead prefer to use traditional transportation leaving themselves in
poverty (126). For many Hindus time spent with religious traditions is
more important then time spent trying to keep up with the world’s
modern economy (127). Unlike many Hindus however, much of the world has
conformed to the Anglo-American value system, because they have seen
the success of this system over many years. This global diffusion of
American values, consumer goods, and lifestyles is known as
Americanization and is a specific issue that I would like to focus on
(Steger 38).
In so many ways globalization is the spread of
“Americanization” on the world (Global 1). All over the world products
screaming America can be seen, such as Mickey Mouse hats on African
children’s heads, Nike shoes on Amazonian Indian’s feet, and Chicago
Bulls shirts on Palestinian youth’s backs (Steger 40). When I was in
China, one of the major food chains we saw was McDonalds and inside the
McDonalds the workers spoke English, and if they didn’t know how to
speak it, they would at least try. “Many countries want to thrive
economically but can they without bringing some American ideas,
culture, and influences into the picture (Global 2)?” American pop
culture is not the only thing that has caught on in other countries.
American ideas such as “pay for performance” have also started to catch
on in other countries, while risk taking and failure, once seen as
negatives in Asia and Europe, are now seen as building blocks to
success (2). Almost half of the world’s population of foreign students
is enrolled in Anglo-American universities (Steger 40). These are just
a few examples of ways that other countries are trying to become
“Americanized” in order to achieve the same success that they have seen
America achieve. However, “Americanization” is not all peaches in
cream, which some countries are beginning to find out. “The American
economic model has led to increasing disparities of wealth and income
(Global 4).” In countries that have adopted America’s idea of stock
options and pay for performance, inequality is rising faster then in
the U.S. If half the world achieves the American life and way of
consuming, an environmental disaster will occur. Another problem with
“Americanization” and some cultures and their religions is that they
don’t always mix. “The global spread of democracy and markets tends to
not be well received by some groups outside the western world and leads
to group hatred and ethnic violence (Steger 39).” For example,
“Americanization” is at odds with the Islamic belief in jihad, the
rejection and repeal of anything with Western influence. Both forces
want to have the dominate belief or ideal in the world today, leaving
the American and Islamic culture at odds. Yet despite these startling
factors, people still see the biggest symbol of progress as
American-made (5).
How people view their environment depends
largely on their culture (42). As I noted above, if half the world
follows the American way of life and way of consuming, an environmental
disaster will occur (Global 4). It’s great that other parts of the
world want to “Americanize” in some aspects but if they consume like
Americans, whose consumption is 20 times higher then the developing
world, then the world will be in trouble. The environment is a huge
part of what propels globalization, yet globalization has the power to
either maintain or destroy the environment. “Human behavior has led to
rampant environmental degradation which is rooted in three things,
disregard for life, community, and the earth in favor of comfort,
profit, and productivity (Peters 114).” A few ways in which this lack
of concern for the earth occurs is through environmental racism, over
consumption, and economic models that support producing for export.
Environmental racism occurs when more powerful countries dominate or
take over the resources of another group of people or country because
of race, ethnicity, or culture (Bandy 47). “Some dominant countries
believe that indigenous populations, ethno classes, and other
minorities, and their rights to land, natural resources, clean air,
good health, and environmental protection, are expendable for the sake
of national security, national unity, and economic development (47).”
One example of this that occurred within the United States was taking
of Native American’s lands by the United States government in order to
ensure that the white people had land to settle on, at the expense of
the Native Americans. Over consumption is another environmental concern
that is plaguing the world today. The wealthiest 20% of the population
consumes almost 60% of the total energy, compared to just 4% consumed
by 50% of the people (Issak 221). First world countries, like the
United States, need to take responsibility for their over consumption
and realize that if their culture keeps spreading like it is, while
they continue using more resources then they need, in the near future
the earth will not be able to sustain them (Peters 114). Producing for
export is another factor that has greatly affected the environment
today. Such money makers as logging, factory farms, and industrial
factories have caused increasingly large amounts of damage to the
environment. Factory farms increasing amounts of waste have caused
manure spills that have left hundreds of thousands of fish dead and
have left manure on farm land to seeped off into near by rivers and
streams leaving toxic algae that has harmed many cities water supplies
(Peters 120). Logging has eliminated many of our world’s forests mostly
in the “two-thirds” world, where from 1900-1960 half of the forest area
was cleared by logging companies. Along with logging and factory farms,
factories have been emitting toxic chemicals into the atmosphere that
have created holes in the ozone layer, causing global temperatures to
rise. Clearly, globalization has left the environment in jeopardy and
the only way for this matter to be taken seriously, is if the first
world countries put their foot down, and use their power to reverse the
trend of over consumption and pollution.
Globalization is a topic that many scholars have
been trying to understand for years. Many definitions have been placed
on globalization over the years, but no single one clearly defines
every aspect of what globalization is. By looking at how globalization
developed and what factors contributed to this development, a clear
picture can be drawn of what globalization really is. However, there
are other factors such as politics, economics, culture, religion, and
the environment, as well as specific issues like “Americanization,”
that continue to have an affect on globalization to this day, that help
create an even clearer picture of globalization and what it’s true
definition is.
Professor Comments: Dr. Chang didn't write many comments within my
paper, however he did write "good" at the top of the page and gave me a
10/10 on the paper.