Globalization

The world of today and the world of yesteryear differ greatly. The
technology, culture, and economic standing of many of the worlds nations have
changed at an incredible rate. The reason behind this is globalization. Globalization
is the idea that everything is connected on an international scale, from the smallest
event to the largest. Globalization acts almost like a set of dominoes. One small event
can trigger international attention and fallout for weeks. Take for example this last
summers Brexit.
Brexit was the referendum that was brought forward to the English
Parliament about the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. Never before in
history has a member of the EU left. The vote caused England to go through a
political shift, with their Prime Minister, David Cameron, stepping down. This
caused international chaos because many countries rely on the UK as a valuable
trading partner, and with political unrest, the world became unsure about
everything. Many questions as to how the new England would look or how England
would continue to trade internationally. The value of different currencies went
through a period of dips and rises, as the world market was left unsure about the
future. This shows the larger impact of a single countrys event on the rest of the
world.
Viewing Brexit from a micro standpoint, an example could be a UK citizen
working for UK based medical shipping company Pharmex. Imagine Pharmex is a
global company that ships worldwide. Now that the UK is no longer a member of the
EU, how would the company be affected? The same tariffs or taxes on their goods
can change, causing less to be shipped and affecting how many employees they have.
Now this person has to worry about his or her future because of the decision of one
group of people. Since Pharmex is a global company, this also means that there is a
macro picture. More than just this specific persons life will be affected.
Globalization acts like a domino effect. Continuing with the same example
Pharmex, the global picture can be seen. Imagine that Pharmex ships medicine from
the UK to Germany, and Germany ships it further to Turkey, who then ship it across
Asia. Hypothetically, Pharmex cut down on its workers because of a rise in taxes
within the UK. With fewer workers, there is fewer products to ship. This means that
less will arrive in Germany to be shipped to Turkey and further shipped throughout
Asia. Now one person in a city in Thailand may no longer be able to get their
medicine because of a decision that happened across the world.
This Brexit example serves to show what globalization is. It is the connection
that now exists between everything in the world. Globalization can be felt even by
the smallest activities you do. Facebook and Instagram are both social media tools
that connect every person together globally. From the smallest unit, to the largest
group, the world as it is today is more connected to itself than ever before.