Unit 1: Going global

Going Global

Globalisation
Global Groupings
Global Networks
Roots
On The Move
World Cities
Global Challenges For The Future

possessions with you

now

Where do they come from ?

Where would they have come from
50 years ago?

know about
globalisation?

What is globalisation?

The term globalisation has been used since the

1990s.
The IMF defines it as the growing economic
interdependence of countries worldwide through
increasing volume and variety of cross border
transactions in goods and services, freer
international capital flows, and more rapid and
widespread diffusion of technology.
So really it is about how people, their cultures,
money, goods and information are transferred
between countries so that places and people are
becoming more closely linked.

Globalisation ideas?

National economies are becoming more

integrated into a single global economy?
Actions and decisions in one part of the
world have knock on effects in other parts
of the world?
The spread and development of technology
has fuelled the interdependency?
The world is becoming very similar
politically with democracy, freedom and
free trade?

Cultural globalisation western

cultural norms are spreading to other
parts of the world?
Demographic globalisation
increasing migration/movement of
people means the greater mixing of
ethnicity?
Environmental implications?

Not a new idea?

People, countries and continent have always

been connected in terms of economic, cultural
and political ways through:
Trade from 1492 when Columbus reached
the Americas
Colonialism by the end of the 19 th century
the British empire directly controlled of the
world and its people
Co-operation since WW1 ended in 1918
international organisations similar to todays
United Nations have existed.

(post 1940) globalisation

different?

Lengthening of connections e.g.

here in the UK you can buy water
brought tens of thousands of km
from Fiji.
Deepening connections i.e. links
with more people and places in
all areas of our lives

Your Food

Spices the first globally traded product

Potato from the Andes, S America,
Coffee thought to be from Ethiopia
Tomato originally from Peru
Tea originating in China
Chili from S America over 500 years ago

Check out Yale the globalisation of food

http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/about/food.jsp

Tacos in USA

Thailand

Designed in Texas
and Taiwan

Graphics card made

in China

Battery made in
Mexico

Assembled in
Malaysia

CD/DVD drive made

in Philippines
Power adaptor made
in Thailand.
Memory made
Germany
Power cord made in
India
Microprocessor
made in Costa Rica

Removable memory
stick made in Israel.

Hard disk drive

made in Singapore

The Global origins of a Dell

Types of Global
Near
Length of global
Connection

Far

connections

Shallo
w

Depth of
global
connectio
ns

Dee
p

Low-income nations (e.g. Sudan or Chad),

whose poorest people may still be isolated
from global influences. Some shallow links
to far-off places may exist (e.g. they receive
Aid or grow cash crops).
Middle-income nations (e.g. Brazil), where poorer
people may still rely on local produce but work for
foreign firms. They have global cultural awareness
(e.g. music and football) and political awareness.
High-income nations (e.g. the UK), where the majority
of people are affluent consumers of global products &
culture (e.g. imported television and film). Most people
are widely travelled and fly
overseas.

Inequality in terms of
globalisation

Some low income countries like Mali and Chad

have large number of people living in poverty who
have shallow global integration
Other middle income countries eg Brazil have great
unevenness between the peoplesexperiences of
globalisation. The rich elite in Sao Paulo and Rio
are highly globalised and even in favelas they
follow international football teams and listen to
American music etc
In high income nations eg USA, UK most people are
affluent consumers of global products and culture.
Many are widely travelled and fly overseas.

Untouched from globalisation?

Deforestation?
Global climate change?

Find out more here: