Chapter 1: Historical evolution, sources and barriers of globalization §

Class: IS403 Created Time: October 1, 2021 4:39 PM Database: Class Notes Database Last Edited Time: November 29, 2021 9:35 PM Type: Reading Notes

1. When did the term “globalization” become popular? §

• Globalization Coined in second half of 20th century
• 15th century: ‘Globe’ came from Latin
  • later defined the world as a sphere
• Global circulated in 17th century and added the meaning of ‘world scale’ in 19th century
• Globalize and Globalism appeared in 1940s
• Globalization first used in 1959, in dictionary in 1961
  • Was not popular during the Cold War but did after
• Globality circulated in the 1980s

1.1. Briefly illustrate the popularity of the term “globalization”. §

• It became popular in recent decades
  • got translated to many languages
  • ideas of globalization it appeared independently in different fields roughly at the same time (1980s) in Sociology, Business, International Relations, Economist, Geographers
  • United States Library of Congress’s mention of ‘globalization’ multiplied from 34 in 1994 to 5,245
  • Now its in education, main concern of global conferences

2. Why is a clear and precise definition of “globalization” necessary? §

• When using the term Globalization, because it’s popular, while not knowing what it clearly means it can be dangerous
  • If you have a negative understanding of Globalization you could be put off from the benefits of globalization or the appeal of it in general (extremist terrorism, interdependence = weakness…)
• before globalization can be treated as a serious scholarly category, it must be properly have clear, precise, explicit, consistent and cogent conceptualization first.
• How to know what definition is good? criterias? not in the book.

2.1. What are the criteria of a meaningful definition? Briefly explain. §

💡 Criterias of a good definition should

1. advance new knowledge, teach us something, to describe a new phenomenon, not rebrand an old concept
2. be as neutral as possible: to be accepted by most groups of people
3. relative to a context: should describe a new context instead of old one
4. not be fixed, should be dynamic, open to change
5. be clear, precise, explicit, consistent, and cogent: supported with empirical evidence

3. What are the weaknesses of the following definitions of “globalization”? §

• Definition of Globalization through Internationalization, Liberalization, Universalization, and Westernization are unoriginal
  • Arguments that build on these conceptions fail to open insights that are not available through pre-existent vocabulary
  • People reject the novelty and transformative potential of globalisation in contemporary history because of these definitions
• These are the attempts to categorize definitions of Globalization into 4 types:

3.1. Globalization is internationalization. §

• Some authors use internationalization and globalization as synonyms
• Globalization is a more intense form of globalization
  • ‘old wine in new bottle’ makes understanding the concept confusing, the subtle differences between each.
• Too state-centric
• weaknesses
  • Doesn’t fit into all criterias of a good definition
  • too fixed: Have too small a scope, uninclusive
  • State centered, globalization = more actors

3.2. Globalization is liberalization. §

• openness to liberal economy, capitalism, the westphalian model, removal of economic barriers
• weaknesses
  • too fixed: only refer to economic connections
  • no new knowledge: term already exist ‘old wine in new bottle’
  • too biased: to neo-liberalism, removal of trade barriers,
    • liberal economic policy is not the only and perfect one

3.3. Globalization is universalization. §

• The equality between ethnicity, people, nationality, the spread of sameness
  • Same actions, experiences, language, entertainment…
  • Homogenization, spread of culture/religion, practice diversity all over the world
• weaknesses
  • no new knowledge: redundant definition of very old concept, cosmopolitanism
  • too fixed: doesn’t recognize politics

3.4. Globalization is westernization. §

• Social structure of western modernity spread all over the world
  • connected with colonization
  • western dominated idea
• weaknesses
  • biased to western culture: they might not accept that therefore stay away from globalization
  • destroy other non-western cultures:

4. What is the 5th definition of “globalization”? §

• The argument the author support over the earlier 4 definitions of globalization
• Globalization = The supra-territorial/trans-planetary connection: respatialization
  • space can influence all aspect of your lifestyle
  • trans-planetary: the conncetion exist and apply across the whole planet. Geography, global weather… that surpass border barriers
• There are 2 Different Spaces:
  • Physical Space: geographic characteristics, distance measurement
  • Social Space: The perception of ease of travel, communication, and closeness between people regardless of physical distance
• This definition says globalization made social spaces more connected.

4.1. Why does the author argue that this definition is the best of all? Briefly explain. §

• It provides new insights: does not rely on old concepts to define new phenomenon.
  • New insights of Social Space, Trans-Planetary, Trans-Territorial
• It is more neutral: can be accepted by different groups of people
• It is open:
• It is relative to modern context: will apply to the future too
• It is cogent: traffic jams don’t disconnect people much…

💡 Don’t only use the 5th definition, use all and even the weak definitions according to context you’re analyzing.

• Ex: use Globalization as liberalization for analyzing a country’s economy.
• Use weaker/smaller scoped defintions of globalization to easier collect data and scope down topic of research

5. Differences between “global” and “world, international, transnational” §

• Global connection/globailty = Globalization
• World/International/Transnational connection ≠ supra-territorial/trans-planetary connection
  • World connection isn’t accurate, There are still borders (Countries, North/South…)
• Global Connection = Supra-territorial connection

6. Various instances of globality in the contemporary era §

• Communication: online/telephone communication, broadcast medias/free-flow of information, online shopping+shipping
• Production: global supply chain, intermediary products,
• Military: world reaching weapons, ICMB, spread out military bases
• Law: Global law enforcement, arrests in different country than the crime

7. Major qualifications to the 5th definition of “globalization”? §

(What cautions need to be taken when the 5th notion of “globalization” is applied?)

• Qualification: refers to the misperception/misunderstanding/exageration to avoid when thinking about globalization
• Different Misconceptions/Qualifications from the definition of Supra-territorial Connections

1. Globalism: those who support globalization
   • Their exagerated arguments of a borderless and fully globalized world
   • The world is in the process of globalizing and isn’t borderless yet
     • Trans-border travel requires documentation and restrictions
     • Actors in a nation must still obey laws by government
2. Reification
   • Misperception: that ‘Global, regional, national, local’ products can be reified/separated. Each part of a product (phone) comes from different spaces
   • CorrectionThe product shouldn’t be identified by all its different parts but as a whole
3. Global/Local Binaries
   • Misperception: thinking that Global things and Local things are arch enemies and does not complement one another.
     • Extremist Islam makes its thinking in destruction of all other’s social structure
   • Correction: Global things + Local things both complement one another
     • To combine the good parts of Global things and the good parts of Local things to apply to the world
4. Cultural Homogenization
   • Misperception: a country must protect itself to keep one same identity from being lost.
   • Correction: a culture/identity can be a hybrid or should evolve overtime according to its context and accepting of foreign identity
     • A country’s identity won’t be lost but just evolves
     • Some traditional identity won’t fit social context it requires foreign things (giving cola to monks)
5. Universality (Cosmopolitanism)
   • Misperception: every people is the same everywhere
   • Correction: thinking there’s global equality means we give up on betterring wealth inequality, social injustices, racism…
     • Glocalization: the combination of globalization and localization. The application of local identity into a new foreign product.
     • People experience different interpretation/variation of the same branded things
6. Political Neutrality
   • Misperception: globalizations will benefit all people equally.
   • Correction: globalization will inequally affect people, negatively or positively according to geographic position
     • Governments should have redistribution efforts to make people more equally benefited by globalization

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💡 Policy makers should look out for these misperceptions when defining what problems needs addressing and not have misperceptions about influences of globalization.