What is Globalization? It is a process of spreading things globally. But how does it affect you personally?
Globalization. Did you come across this term during an argument and wondered what it was, but couldn’t figure it out? And then was just thinking about it all day? You’d be trying to do something, but this term (and the argument) would just pop back into your mind?
Well, you’re in for a treat. I’m not only going to tell you what globalization is but also give you plenty of examples.
When Did It First Begin?
First, globalization is the spread of products, ideas, and traditions and cultures globally.
If you want a dictionary definition, Cambridge Dictionary defines it as:
“The development of closer economic, cultural, and political relations among all the countries of the world as a result of travel and communication becoming easy.”
Its beginnings are murky, however. There are many theories for when it first happened, such as Buddhist monks globalizing as they travelled around, sharing ideas with other nations via trade, religion, and military. Another theory is that Mongolian warrior Genghis Khan was the first to globalize as he travelled around conquering lands.
Another theory, the most popular one, is called the Evolution of Globalization.
This theory breaks globalization into three phases. The first round occurred when the Arabs, who were trading with Europe, transferred Indian science, medicine, literature, and math to the Europeans.
The second round occurred in the 1400s. During this time, the Europeans were able to travel further because of the new technologies that were built for their ships. This allowed them to travel all over the world to colonize each land they anchored at. The Industrial Revolution is also part of this phase.
The third round is where we are currently at. Our current system consists of rapid economic growth and (nearly) instant communication. We entered this round after WWII.
What Drives Globalization?
Okay, so now that we know some history, how is globalization still a thing and how is it such a big part of our lives?
The reason why it exists is that its forces (international drive, transportation, communication tech, and media) drive it. I know this is very vague. But let me further explain:
All the things I listed above are things that activate globalization, if you will.
International trade activates globalization by allowing nations to exchange traditional goods and national resources. For instance, Canada could exchange our national treasure, Poutine, to Vietnam for their national treasure, Pho.
Communication technology activates globalization by allowing people from all over the Earth to communicate and connect with one another.
A person in Britain can easily just tap an icon (well, they have to connect to the Wi-Fi first, and sometimes passwords are long and confusing, but I go on a tangent), and video chat with her cousin in America.
How Media is a Main Force
As for media, you’re probably wondering why it’s one of the main forces. But if you really think about it, media is probably the strongest or most influential one.
Everyone consumes some sort of media, whether it be through shows, movies, books, music, or games. And in these, there are specific cultures, traditions and personal stories that are being spread to the entire world. So people are constantly learning and absorbing other cultures that may be foreign to them otherwise.
The media also encourages people to buy things because, let’s keep it real, a lot of it is commercialized. So this also contributes to international trade…and transportation, which will be talked about now.
Products are delivered around the world are delivered via transportation. Without it, international trade would be very difficult. And if it was crappy, globalization wouldn’t be as important to the world as it is today (and it is very important).
The Negative Effects of Globalization
Globalization has sounded pretty dandy so far, huh? And it is great! With it, we get to learn and experience so many traditions and cultures, and foods that are not our own. But this privilege has also harmed many communities.
Britain and France colonized the First Nations of Canada in the 1500s and forced them to be like Europeans. It started off as just international trade. But eventually, the First Nations’ land was ripped from them, and along with it, much of their traditions.
It’s rare to see First Nations people practicing their traditions. Many have become westernized. It’s also rare to see traditional First Nation culture showcased in the media, which limits its reach to younger generations.
This is, however, just one example of a negative effect. There are many more communities throughout the world that are suffering because of the globalizing world.
But overall, I believe that globalization is a wonderful phenomenon. We just have to do more to decrease (or even stop) the negative effects of it.
READ MORE: What is sociology?
What are your thoughts on globalization? Are you for it or against it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
P.S. If you want to learn more about sociology, check out my book, SOCI 001: The Armchair Sociologist’s Guide to Sociology. It’s a beginner sociology text for those who are new to the social science and want basic explanations of the concepts. Click here to learn more about it on Amazon.