The Challenge of Globalization The Challenge of Globalization

The Challenge of Globalization

The Challenge of Globalization • Reading: – Valentine Ch 9 315 -321 • Final Exam: – 3: 30 -5: 30 pm 11 April Curtis E

What is Globalization?

Time-Space Compression • David Harvey • Over time technology reduces the factor of distance on transport and communications – “The world grows smaller”

Time-Space Compression

Time-Space Compression • Information & communications technology have boosted this greatly

Time-Space Compression • Distant authority may be more powerful than local people

Disembodiment • Global social networks become “disembodied”

Economic Organization • Goes global • Capitalism relocates production where it is cheapest – use information technology to ensure quality, flexibility, delivery-on-time • Capitalism seeks out the most profitable markets – globally

Globalization • Undermines the autonomy of nation states • National regulatory frameworks are dismantled – under global pressure

Globalization • Emergence of a network of global control points, global cities – New York – London – Tokyo

Globalization • Widening gap between rich & poor – Incomes in Africa have declined ever since 1970

• Income gaps and information technology: USA

Globalization • Increased global flows of money, goods & services

Globalization • New global flows of people – Third World migrants head to First World – First World managers become globally mobile

Manuel Castells: • Managers and their information technology: – Space of Flows • Comes to dominate: – Blue-collar workers and everyone else: Space of Spaces

Polarization of Labour Markets • Managerial workers: globally mobile • Manufacturing jobs: migrate to parts of the Third World – where labour is cheap – loss of blue-collar jobs in First World

Sense of Place • Place re-worked by globalization • Loss of local autonomy, distinctiveness – places become similar • Sense of dislocation • People being exiled, transplanted • Globalization = Spread of western culture?

Mongolia

What happens to locality? • Distinctiveness might fade • But is often becoming more significant • Global generates local?

Polish Mc. Donald’s

Poland

Shanghai

Shanghai • • Emerging global city Becoming the economic hub of China Being transformed by globalization Still retains Chinese culture & customs – hanging laundry out to dry

Shanghai