A Course Module OF Contemporary World: Lucan Central Colleges, Inc
A Course Module OF Contemporary World: Lucan Central Colleges, Inc
A Course Module OF Contemporary World: Lucan Central Colleges, Inc
PAGADIAN CITY
A COURSE MODULE
OF
CONTEMPORARY WORLD
2ND SEMESTER MODULE
FB ACCOUNT: __________________________
PREFACE
The contemporary world addresses this challenge by offering readable and practical guide that
integrates content with example, capturing the essence and elegance of theory manner. In addition,
resulting in a thoughtful and appropriate learning pace. In this module we will exert effort to
achieve the following objectives:
- Familiarize students with the principles and central ideas of important globalization theories
that they are likely to encounter in the social science discipline.
- Demystify the concept of globalization and help students see the application of global
structures and processes in their everyday activities.
- Help students become more systematic and thoughtful critical thinkers.
- Provide students with an overview and brief history of how globalization as an intellectual
topic is developing.
Course Syllabus
This is an open-ended, self-paced course. The recommendation is to work through one
module each week, but you may do more or less as your schedule allows. You should work
through the lessons in order, however, as ideas and concepts are built upon throughout the
course in a fairly linear fashion.
MATERIALS
There is no textbook required for the course. All materials are contained within the course
modules and the external links document.
You will need a blank journal of some kind for the course. This can be a hard-copy item that
you purchase or you can create a digital journal on your computer.
TIME COMMITMENT
Time to complete each lesson will vary depending upon your interest in the content for that
lesson, the time that you spend on the narrative section (reading, looking at images,
exploring links and videos), and the time that you spend writing (and the number of journal
prompts you decide to complete). If you want to get the most out of the materials
presented, you should plan to spend at least 4 - 5 hours on each module.
PREREQUISITE
There is no official prerequisite for this course although a writing course (such as English
101) is recommended.
PRE ASSESSMENT
NAME: ___________________________________________________
COURSE: __________________________________________________
DIRECTIONS: Read the question carefully and write your answer on the space provided below.
1. What is globalization?
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2. Why do we need to study globalization?
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3. How globalization starts?
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4. How was globalization affect our daily lives?
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5. How do we integrate globalization in our daily living?
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Chapter 1
Defining Globalization
Much has changed since time immemorial. Human beings have encountered many changes
over the last cent,' especially in their social relationships and social structures. Of these
changes, one can say that globalization is a very Important change, if not, the "most
important" (Bauman, 2003). The reality and omnipresence of globalization makes us see
ourselves as part of what we refer to as the “global age" (Albrow, 1996). The Internet, for
example, allows a person from the Philippines to know what is happening to the rest of the
world simply by browsing Google. The mass media also allows for connections among
people, communities, and countries all over the globe.
So what is globalization? This question is probably an easy one to answer. However, ma,
scholars gave and tried to formulate its definitions. This resulted in different, sometimes
contradicting views about the concept. It cannot be contained within a specific time frame,
all people, and all situations (Al-Rhodan, 5006). Aside from this, globalization encompasses a
multitude of processes that involves the economy, political systems, and culture. Social
structures, therefore, are directly affected by globalization.
Over the years, globalization has gained many connotations pertaining to progress,
development, and integration. On the one hand, some view globalization as a positive
phenomenon. For instance, Swedish journalist Thomas Larsson (cool) saw globalization as
"the process of world shrinkage, of distances getting shorter, things moving closer. It
pertains to the increasing ease with which somebody on one side of the world can interact,
to mutual benefit with somebody on the other side of the world" (p. 9). On the other hand,
some see it as occurring through and with regression, colonialism, and destabilization. In the
mid-199os, Martin Khor, the former president of Third World Network (IWN) in Malaysia,
once regarded globalization as colonization. In this chapter, different definitions of
globalization will be discussed. The task of conceptualizing it reveals a variety of
perspectives. To understand further the concept, different metaphors will be used. These
metaphors will also allow an appreciation of earlier epochs before globalization and the
present globalized world.
Metaphors of Globalization
In order for us to better understand the concept of globalization, we will utilize metaphors.
Metaphors make use of one term to help us better understand another term. In our case,
the state of matter-solid and liquid- will be used. In addition, other related concepts that are
included in the definition such as structures and flow will be elaborated.
Flows
Flows are the movement of people, things, places, and information brought by the growing
"porosity" of global limitations. Think of the different foreign cuisines being patronized and
consumed by the Filipinos. Aside from local dishes, many of us are fond of eating sushi,
ramen, hamburger, and French fries foods introduced to us by foreign cultures. Clearly, food
are being globalized. Another example of flaws is global finances crisis. A concrete example
is the Filipino communities abroad and the Chinese communities in the Philippines.
The Cultural Hybridization approach emphasizes the integration of local and global cultures.
Globalization is considered to be a creative process which gives rise to hybrid entities that
are not reducible to either the global and local resulting in unique outcomes in different
geographic areas. Another key concepts is Arjun Appadurai’s “scapes” in 1996, where global
flows involve people, technology, finance, political image, and media and the disjunctures
between them, which lead to creation of cultural hybrids.The cultural convergence
approach stresses homogeneity introduced by globalization. Cultures are deemed to be
radically altered by strong flows, while cultural imperialism happens one culture imposes
itself on and tend to destroy at least parts of another culture. One important critique of
cultural imperialism is John Tomlinson’s idea of “deterritorialization” of culture.
Deterritorialization means that it is much more difficult to tie culture to a specific
geographic point of origin.
2. List down the main ingredients or raw materials in manufacturing the chosen
product. Identify the corresponding country from which each ingredient or raw
materials came from.
3. Identify the countries involved in the manufacturing of the chosen product. Indicate
the corresponding service the country does for the product. (e.g., Costa Rica-planting
of coffee beans).
4. Aside from Philippines, list other countries in which the product is being sold.
5. Cite the kinds of technology that made the creation of the product possible. Consider
communications and transportations.
Economic Globalization and Sustainable Development
Development has to be ensured in and for the future generations. One significant
global response or approach to economic globalization is that of sustainable
environment. The relationship between globalization and sustainability is
multidimensional-it involves economic, political, and technological aspects.
The continuous production of the world’s natural resources such as water and fossil
fuel allows humanity to discover and innovate many things. We were able to utilize
energy, discover new technologies and make advancements in transportation and
communications. However these positive effects of development put our
environment at a disadvantage. Climate change accelerated and global inequality
was eradicated. This means that development, although beneficial at one hand,
entails costs on the other.
Environmental degradation
Development especially economic development, was hastened by the Industrial
Revolution. This a period in human history that made possible the cycle of efficiency.
Efficiency means finding the quickiest possible way of producing large amount of
products. This process made buying of goods easier for the people. This cycle harms
the planet in a number of ways.
Previous experience in dealing with environmental issues indicates that a global view
of the problem is required. A focus on specific regions, such as Europe, overlooks
impacts in other regions. Instead dealing with the causes of global warming, there is
some interest in “technological fixes” such as geoengineering.
Food Security
The demand for food will be 60% greater than today and the challenge of food
security requires the world to feed 9 billion people by 2050. Global Food security
means delivering sufficient food to the entire world population. It is therefore, a
priority of all countries, whether developed or less developed. The security food also
means the sustainability of society such as population growth, climate change, water
scarcity, and agriculture.
Agriculture accounts for 18% of the economy’s output and 47% of its workforce.
India is the second biggest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. Yet
accordingly to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations,
some 194 million Indians are undernourished, the larger number of hungry people in
any single country. As estimated 15.2% of the population of India are too
malnourished to lead a normal life. A third of the world’s malnourished children live
in India.
There are different models and agendas pushed by different organizations to address
the issue of global food security. One of this is through sustainability. The United
Nations has set ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and
promoting sustainable agricultures as the second of its 17 sustainable Development
Goals for the year 2030. The World Economic Forum also addressed this issue
through the New Vision for Agriculture in 2009 wherein public-private partnerships
were established. It has mobilized over 10 billion dollars that reach smallholder
farmers. The Forum’s initiatives were launched to established cooperation and
encourage exchange of knowledge among farmers, government, civil society and the
private sector in both regional and national levels.
Economic and Trade globalization is the result of companies trying to outmaneuver their
competitors. Will you search for the cheapest place to buy shoes, company search for the
cheapest place to make those shoes. They find the cheapest sources of leather, dye, rubber,
and of course labor. The result is that labor intensive products like shoes are often
produced in countries with the lowest wages and the weakest regulations. This process
creates winners and losers. The winners include corporations and their stockholders who
earn more profit. They also include consumers get products at a cheaper price. The losers
are high wage workers we used to make those shoes. Their jobs move overseas. But what
about the low wage foreign workers? Are they winning or losing? A lot of workers are
thrown into hazardous working conditions but it is also true that many workers in
developing countries or at least making more money. These jobs pay above average wages.
People want this jobs and over the pay would be unacceptable in developed countries, they
are often the best alternative. The multiplier effect means an increase in one economic
activity can lead to an increase in other economic activities. For instance investing in local
business will lead to more jobs and more income. In the absence of regulation it is still
possible that workers would not be horribly mistreated. First, public awareness is growing
along with the pressure from the international community to take steps to protect workers.
For example the United States produces an annual publication called the list of goods
produced by child labor or forced labor. If a company is buying products from that list they
are likely to be blasted by officials and the media. So awareness is the first step to
improvement. The second step came from those that support globalization. The pro
globalization set argues that as developing economies grow there are more opportunities
for workers which lead to more competition for labor and higher wages. Economic
globalization has helped millions of people get out of extreme poverty but the challenge of
the future is to lift up the poor while at the same time keep the planet livable. One of the
best way to help those in extreme poverty is to enable them to participate in the economy.
This applies to developing countries in the global marketplace and to individuals at the local
level. A perfect example is microcredit. In 2006, a Bangladeshi professor named Muhammad
Yunus won the novel peace prize for implementing a simple idea. He gave small loans on
average around $100 to low-income people in rural areas. The borrowers who are mostly
female often used the money to fund plans that could raise their income. For example they
started small businesses. Microcredit was a success and has since spread to developing
countries throughout the world. Private lenders, governments and nonprofit organizations
have jumped on board to loan billions of dollars to the World's most disadvantaged.
Microcredit when it works allows people to improve their lives by participating in the
economy on their own terms. But we cannot forget that a lot of people who participate in
the global economy are not doing it on their own terms. Many of the people who have
emerged from extreme poverty in the last 25 years have jobs and wages and working
conditions that would be and thinkable in the developed world. Economist say that it is all
right but it is progress that is very hard to achieve.
Scenario B. You decided to purchase a new T-shirt through an online shop based on
London.
Global corporations often locate their factories in countries which can provide the
cheapiest labor in order to save up for expenses in the making of a product. As a
result, developing nations will provide incentives, like tax-free trade zones or cheap
labor. The companies will set up shop in their country in hopes of bringing jobs and
industry to beleaguered agricultural areas. This promotes more rapid advances in the
developing nation because of the ideas and innovations brought over from the
industrialized nations. It is also makes nations around the world more
interdependent, which minimizes the potential for conflict,
International trade and global corporations, along with the Internet and more global
processes, contribute to globalization because people and corporations bring their
own beliefs, their traditions, and their money with them when they interact with
other countries. These ideas and capital can then be incorporated in other countries,
and thus, change the cultures and economies of this foreign languages.
The corporation is an award winning documentary film that examines the modern-
day corporation. It assess the corporation as a person and provides criticism to
corporate business practices. It is also describes the contemporary corporation with
a clinically diagnosed psychopath.
This film serve as a learning experience for you. Since corporations are large entities,
this documentary can help you appreciate the nature of these organizations through
a simple and more understandable manner.
Chapter 4
The Global Interstate System
The state has traditionally been the subject of most interest to scholars of global politics
because it is viewed as “Institution that creates warfare and sets economic politics for a
country”. Furthermore, the state is a political unit that has authority over its own affairs. In
other words, its boarders are recognized by the other countries. It is assumed that whoever
in charge of those boarders has the right to determine exactly what is going to happen in
their country. The Treaty of Westphalia of 1648 established the notion of the nation-state
and the idea of state sovereignty, government control, and the state policies are challenged
from all sides.
With globalization, some scholars suggest a decrease in the power of the state and that
other actors are actually becoming powerful. These actors include multinational
corporations and global civil society organizations, like the Red Cross, that cross national
boundaries.
Traditional Challenges
External intervention can generally be described as invasion by other countries. For example
when Saddam Hussein who was the ruler of Iraq in 1990 he decided he was going to take
over the oil fields of Kuwait. He invaded Kuwait and took it over. As a result he was
dislodged by international coalition led by the United States. Internal political challenges can
also happen. For example, after the Arab spring in Egypt a new constitution was created and
a government was elected. That government was more fundamentalist and rejected the
notion of a plural society that included religious diversity. The military stage a coup that
disposed the government in order to restore stability. There are also regional organizations
challenging state autonomy. The United Nations intervened war Sudan because of the
several years of civil war. More recently in Europe, specifically in Greece, it also interfered in
the Greek debt crisis.
Challenges from National/Identity Movements
The next challenge are part of a national identity or movement. It is important to know that
a nation has a cultural identity that people attached to, while a state is definite entity due to
its specific boundaries. However, different people with different identities can live in
different states. For example, the Kurds reside in several different countries including Iraq,
Iran, and Turkey. The Catalans live primarily in Spain but we can also find some of them in
France.
Global movements, such as the Al-Qaeda and ISIS, are not example of national or identity
movements. In this case, they are structured around the fundamentalist version of Islam.
Global Economics
Global Economy demands the states to conform to the rules of free-market capitalism.
Government austerity comes from developments of organizations that cooperates across
countries, such as WTO and regional agreements, such as NAFTA, the European Union, and
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Neoliberal economics or neoliberal capitalism started in 1980s. It focuses on free trade and
dismantling trade barriers. It made sure that governments did no impose restrictive
regulations on corporate presence, as well as on the free flow of capital and jobs. Free trade
was seen as an ideal or the normative belief, that it is the best economy is one where there
is free trade everywhere. Laws and standards that would interfere with the flow of capital in
a particular country, including environmental regulations, were deemed to discourage
economic growth. Neoliberal economics requires a state to cooperate in the global market
through the free flow of capital, the privatization of services, and the fiscal austerity or
constraint. In turn, the government’s role is diminished as it relates to the market.
Neoliberal economics is seen as a threat, in general, because a state cannot protect its own
economic interest as a threat, in general, because a state cannot protects its own economic
interest as a sovereign state.
Activity 8- Debate
The issue of whether or not the nation state is relevant today in the era of globalization has
gained different reactions. Some scholars would argue that its role in global politics is
diminishing. On the other hand, others would say that it still remains to be the primary actor
in political affairs. In this activity, you should be able to point out contending views about
such issue through a debate.
1. Divide the class in two groups- affirmative side and negative side.
2. The central issue would be: the state remains to be relevant amid in the process and
structures of globalization.
3. Each side would be given 20 minutes to prepare the arguments.
4. The affirmative side will present their main arguments within 10 minutes. The same
rule applies for the negative side.
5. After the presentation of arguments, each side will be given 2 minutes to ask the
opposing side.
6. The opposing side will have 2 minutes to construct the answers. Then, they should
be able to answer within 3 minute.
7. Finally, both sides will have 3 minutes each to present their final statement about
the issue.
Globalization and Globalism
You probably think about links, connections, and interrelatedness of things, people,
and countries when you encounter the word "globalization." However, when
compared to the term "globalism," globalization would be better described as the
"increase or decline in the degree of globalism" (Nye, 2002, p. 1). What then is
globalism? Globalism refers to the network of connections that transcends distances
of different countries in the world. In other words, the links among countries and
people are better associated with globalism while the speed in which they become
linked with one another is globalization.
If we are to make a stark contrast between globalism and globalization by saying that
globalization means connectedness while to a confusion that the present is the only
which people got connected while in the past they were not. But even before the
Industrial Revolution, the world was already connected. Through the conquests of as
those of the Romans, many parts of the world became under one rule. Today,
however, the contemporary world is characterized by being connected through the
Internet, modem transportation, and advanced communication technologies. This is
to say, therefore, that societies in the world have always been connected; what
makes the contemporary world different from the past is the type and speed of
connection that people and societies experience.
We can also differentiate globalism and globalization in terms of its "thickness" (Nye,
zoos). Globalism is thin. As it becomes thicker, globalization happens. This means
that being able to connect countries in the world through a more dynamic and faster
way is globalization. Let us take global trade as an example. In the past, the Silk Road
served as the trade routes among countries in Europe and in Asia. Aside from the
trade of silk between the continents, other products, even illegal ones, were
exchanged among traders and consumers. In addition, cultural interactions among
people were made through their trades. However, they were felt by a relatively small
group of people, most especially those who were actually on the road and did the
trades. The connections were not intense not "thick." In contrast to the
contemporary world, "globalism becomes increasingly thick" (Nye, 2002, p1).
This is where globalization comes in. If we look at the global trade today, it has
reached a greater number of people around the world. For example, the selling
products are not solely done through physical transactions but can be done online as
well. This allows one, who has access to computers and the World Wide Web, to be
connected with millions of people around the world. Aside from the number of
people, the speed was also affected by the transition from thin globalism to thick
globalization. In the past, if you were a European trader taking the Silk Road going to
China. It would take you days or weeks to sell your products. But today. It would only
take a few seconds or minutes to sell, buy, and exchange products and services with
other people even if they are a thousand miles away from you. A concrete example
of this is the change in the price of oil which can happen overnight depending on its
price in the world market.
Although globalism and globalization are often understood in terms of the economy,
Nye (2002) gave “four distinct dimensions of globalism: economic, environmental,
and (p. 2). Like economic globalism, the three other dimensions also become thicker
and faster as globalization intensifies. The enormous speed of potential conflict and
threat of nuclear war is an example of military globalism. In terms of environmental
globalism, global warming continuous to accelerate. The last dimension, social and
cultural globalism, "involves movements of ideas, information with them”’. For
instance, religious ideas have spread throughout the world at greater scope and
speed. Religious teachings are delivered today through the mass media, such as
Televisions, radio, and the internet. Unlike before, religious leaders walk by foot and
had to deliver their message in the face-to-face manner.
With the advent of modern mass communication, computers, and social networking
sites, it seem, that the connections made through the exchange of information
creates a new kind of network in this contemporary world. It is at this point that the
concept of informationalism will be helpful for us to discuss.
Informationalism
Globalism is tied to the notion of networks. For Castells (2000), "networks constitute
the fundamental pattern of life, of all kinds of life" (p. 3). It was previously
mentioned that in the present and even in the past, the world is connected. The
difference between globalism and globalization is the speed and thickness or
intensity of connections. Nevertheless, people are connected with one another
whether as a small community or as a large country. The question now is about the
type of connection that exists and begins to increase in the contemporary world. The
answer lies on the growth of information as the binding force among people, things,
and places around the globe. This technological paradigm, associated with computer
science and modern Telecommunication that replaces industrialism is called
informationalism (Castelis, 2004). These are technology, the media, and the Internet.
This is not to say that we do not need to produce material goods such as factories,
clothes, and food; rather, exchanging information and knowledge, which is clearly
immaterial goods, becomes central in the contemporary world (Hardt & Negri,
2000). This is due to the "three of the most cutting-edge aspects of the social world
in general Internet and globalization in particular" (Ritzer, 2015, p. 134), technology,
media, and the creation of the world's first container ship the expansion in 1956 and
the expansion of airfreight greatly hastened the transport of goods all around the
World. But a notable example of technological advancement is the founding of
Federal Express in the 1970s. It make use of computer technology founding in its
deliveries. Computer technology is used to check our health through the invention of
magnetic resonance Imaging (MR1s), ultrasound, and CT or CAT scans. Space-based
technologies were also made possible through the use of computers (Ritter, 20t5).
The launching of satellites for military surveillance, the use of global positioning
systems (GPS), and the operation of global navigation systems (OS) are some
remarkable examples.
McLuhan and Fiore (2005) argued that in the New Media Age, the importance lies in
the medium, the way in which the message is transmitted, not necessarily in the
medium. This means that televisions, radios, and newspapers have been shaping
"individual subjectivity and culture, not only locally but globally" (Ritter, 2015, p.
143). In addition, the French social theorist Guy DeBord (1994) emphasized in his
idea of media spectacle the sophistication and ubiquity of spectacular visual in
televisions. This made TV news a form of entertainment. Although content matters
in television broadcasts, visual spectacle or significance is an important element and
perhaps the primary key to catch the attention of the audience.
When one mentions online social networking, spam, and computer viruses, it is the
Internet that binds them all. The Internet is a mark of the contemporary world.
According to Ritzer (2015), "The Internet has prompted a flat world thesis; anyone
can be involved in it, at least theoretically" (p. 150). Having a computer today in our
homes, our schools, our workplaces, and accessing the Internet through our personal
cellphones allow us to be connected with the rest of the world. We can gain
information by accessing different websites, such as Facebook and Wikipedia,
through the Internet. In the same manner, the information about ourselves that we
share is also exposed. In order to control Internet access and use, there are
mechanisms such as personal passwords or in the case of Chinese government, the
"Great Firewall."