To what extent have the processes of globalization resulted in a more even distribution of economic activity across the globe?
Globalization is currently a very hot topic and many people have an awful lot to say about the matter, creating different theories and points of view. A definition of globalization could be, ‘The straightforward exchange between core and peripheral areas based upon a broad division of labour, is being transformed into a highly complex, kaleidoscopic structure involving the fragmentation of many production processes and their geographical relocation on a global scale in ways which slice through national boundaries.’ (Dicken ’98). When talking about globalization it is difficult to go straight down one trail of
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In the past economic activity has been resource driven, whereas as now, due to advances in technology in particular, modern day economic activity is based upon ‘ideas and information rather than material or physical goods.’ (J.Khan notes ’07). This would indicate that knowledge is key and changes in technology mean that a more skilled workforce is needed. Different locations have been better suited to utilise technology over the ages, e.g. the industrial revolution saw the rise of the U.K and Western Europe, and then the introduction of Fordism (mass production) saw the rise of the Far East. On the whole these different periods of development have made a massive difference to the areas affected, it is however still very difficult to definitively state whether or not the distribution of economic activity is more evenly spread or not. It could be suggested that the distribution of economic activity is definitely not even, however over the last few decades it could be put forward that the level of unevenness may have become less great. The argument of globalization causing world economic activity to become more even is hard to fight for when there are statistics like, ‘in the year 2000 the top 1% of the worlds population earned more than the bottom 60%,’ also in world GDP terms, ‘the high income countries account for $37.5tr or 77% but only 15% of the world’s population, the low income countries account for $1.6tr or 3.3% but 37% of the world’s population’,
Economic inequality among countries has been declining due to the increased inequality within countries. This has been mainly caused by the introduction of globalization, resulting in the decline of production in the developed countries. For instance, in my global issues class, we had to discuss globalization and whether it was a good or bad thing. Whereas, some of us said it was a good thing, few of my classmates stated that globalization is known for making the rich even richer, and increasing uneven economy within
Globalization is the process by which different societies and cultures integrate through a worldwide network of political ideas through transportation, communication, and trade. Generally, globalization has affected many nations in various ways; economically, politically, and socially. It is a term that refers to the fast integration and interdependence of various nations, which shapes the world affairs on a global level. Simply put; globalization is the world coming together. In this essay I will discuss multiple perspectives on globalization through the analysis of these three sources.
Globalization has, for better or worse, altered the economic arena for every country in the world. For many less developed countries, globalization has leveled the playing field so that their economies can compete with the larger, more developed ones such as the United States and other large western economies. For instance, technical engineers in India and China are now just as qualified as engineers in America, but at half the cost. The once large and prosperous service sector in the United States as well as telemarketing services have largely been sourced to India as a large exodus of American multinational corporations find cheaper workers who deliver comparable quality. This then seems to be the essence of globalization - businesses
Many authors feel that globalization has taken place in three waves. The first wave started in the late 1800s and lasted until the start of the 1900s. It was caused by a combination of falling transport costs and a reduction in tariff barriers. This opened up the possibility of using abundant land countries (Argentina, US, Australia and New Zealand). People immigrated to these countries and capital was invested in manufacturing in these countries. (World Bank, 2000) The
During the last decade of the twentieth century, the word ‘globalization’ has become an increasingly prominent feature of political, social, and economic discussion in academic and policymaking circles, as well as in the media. The processes and outcomes of globalization drew attention and debates that had one thing in common. The research shows that nearly everyone agrees that globalization is a trend that is changing the face of the world, and as a result the world society lives in a more ‘globalized’ world. Nearly two and a half decades passed since 1990s, and studies have been conducted to examine the causes and consequences of globalization. Moreover, nearly every person experiences some type of globalization and can testify firsthand the effects it has on their life, society, and the state. The analysis of the effects that globalization dynamics have on the world society indicates that globalization has a significant positive impact via spreading opportunities and wealth across nations, stimulating innovation and productivity, enhancing the economic development of poorer countries, and helping to improve living standards.
Globalization by definition means the tendency of business, technologies or philosophies to spread around the world, or the process of making this happened. Globalization depends on three keys of advancement, the role of human migration, international trade and rapid movements of capital. Globalization has many pros but yet also many cons that can have a deciding factor in an economy. Many people think globalization still favors the rich and it’s a detriment to countries who emerging in the world and does not have a stable or great economy. According to Bloomberg Business Week Globalization has said to have hit its peak in the year 2007, which ties into the unfolding of the Global crisis. Some Critics and
The process of globalization is a process determined by different countries' need to develop international relationships. These international relationships are intended to provide countries with what they need, while providing what other countries need. Some countries require workforce and have the financial resources it requires, while other countries have this workforce that they can export and need to increase their financial resources.
It is known that the economy is definitely effected by globalization, but not always in a negative way. In a sense, the world revolves around some situations dealing
Globalization became a worldwide phenomenon with the growth of market economy and information technology. With globalization, the operators of companies and enterprises could use resources, management, expertise, information and labour of the entire world to manufacture the goods in the most appropriate areas, and then sell the produce to the areas which require them, to accomplish the most favourable distribution of resources in the world. This caused enterprises and countries to break out the boundaries of the local resources and markets, starting a competition with others in a broader sense to accomplish development. Globalization brings states and regions together by reducing the distances between each other and increasing the degree
The concept of globalization is a complex and peculiar one, failing to be definable by a single, precise definition. Centrally, globalization involves information and goods being exchanged amongst different countries. These interactions and interchanges among countries globally over time is due to an increase in communication and transport networks. Globalization is often divided into three main areas being economic globalization, cultural globalization and political globalization. All three are vital areas to one’s life and globalization is said to have a large impact on each. Although globalization is controversial in the aspect that it cannot be declared just how much of an influence the notion has in the world. Political scientists such as Muhammad Ijaz Latif, Anton Pelinka and Martin Wolf all discuss this issue in their respective pieces as well as differing aspects of globalization such as the role the European Union plays in relation to globalization, the different perspectives of globalization and the challenges of the nation-state in regards to globalization.
Globalization is one of the defining features of the modern world, with t-shirts that are made from cotton grown in texas which is shipped to China and turned into a t-shirt, which is sold to a customer in the United States, which is finally donated to Africa.(Rivoli) The interconnected world has produced massive benefits to many people through cultural, economic, and ideological exchanges, but it has also produced problems, including the domino effect of the 2008 and 2010 crises. Within the international interaction that is one of the main facets of globalization comes the simple issue of who wins and who loses. One of the more interesting parts of this question is has globalization really benefited the advanced industrialized countries who were responsible for its initial expansion.
Globalization shapes the world economy in different ways. Most obviously, international trade and capital flows are affected. Over the last 30 years or so, international trade has grown faster on average than production, implying a more integrated world economy. Closer integration brings about opportunities for specialization, and hence increases interdependencies. This is highlighted by changes in the structure of world trade. For example, international sourcing, i.e. the purchase of intermediate inputs from foreign sources, has grown faster than domestic sourcing and now accounts for about half of all imports by major countries [OECD 19946d]; intra-industry trade has
Globalization is a process of increasing integration and the result of economic, cultural and political interdependence among countries. Globalization has been a controversial debate, since this phenomenon has affected the world in several ways. Consequently, there are plenty of economic, cultural and political arguments in favor of and against it. Some arguments in favor of globalization are that it promotes democracy, creates jobs (by dividing labor around the world), promotes knowledge and an interconnected world, and makes the world “borderless.” On the other hand, others argue that
Aspects of Globalisation The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) defined globalisation as, 'The geographical dispersion of industrial and service activities (for example, research and development, sourcing of inputs, production and distribution and the cross border networking of companies (for example through joint ventures and the sharing of assets) Economic activity is becoming organised on a global scale giving a new international division of labour, with production, investment patterns and movements and technology transfers all becoming global. In this strategy, activities are established in many sites spread over the world, based on a country's comparative
The theory of globalization today is a field of intensive debate as the efforts towards defining globalization most often highlight its individual aspects. According to Held and McGrew (1999), “globalisation is an idea whose time has come, yet it lacks precise definition”. Despite the ambiguity of the term “globalisation,” the use of the term, according to Held and McGrew, reflects increased interconnectedness in political, economic and cultural matters across the world creating a shared social space. Given this inter-connectedness, globalisation may be defined as: “a process which embodies a transformation in the spatial organisation of social relations and