Rosie Mason - British
Globalisation has become increasingly apparent as society modernises and changes. It is defined as the process by which the world is becoming increasingly more interconnected and interdependent, and there has been an increasing sense of growing connectedness between countries—particularly in the last few decades. While this has benefitted many regions, others have been excluded. For some countries, globalisation has only made them more disconnected than ever. In this article, I explore what has led to more rapid globalisation over time, in which ways it has improved connection between countries, and how it has left some countries isolated—not just geographically, but also economically and socially.
Globalisation is not new—while it has rapidly increased in recent years, it has been apparent since the earliest trade routes thousands of years ago. However, the process of creating stronger links between countries began in earnest in the 19th century with the development of transport. Trains and steamships allowed much faster journeys to be made across vast distances, creating the feeling that countries were physically closer together. Trade became possible not just between neighbouring countries but also between countries that lay oceans apart on different continents. This meant that countries became more interdependent on each other for providing goods, and trade links were established that are still seen today. Not only was transport greatly improved during this time, but advancements were also made in communication. The telegraph became the fastest way to send a message after its invention in 1837, and not long after, the telephone was invented and came into common use by the end of the 19th century. This progress in technology meant that communication over long distances became easier and faster, making countries feel more connected. The 20th century saw the biggest changes over the shortest period of time. During this period, aeroplanes were developed, meaning that journeys that once took weeks now took merely hours. Countries were trading more than ever before; it is estimated that the gross global trading output rose from 12% in 1960 to 24% in 2002, and more people travelled internationally. Communication methods were also modernised with the invention of the internet—an electronic message could be delivered in seconds, meaning that distance between two places was no longer a limiting factor, and a message could be sent anywhere in the world with an internet connection. This idea of time-space compression—that distances between places feel shorter and closer together—became more prevalent with advancements in transport and communication over the 19th and 20th centuries, making the world feel increasingly smaller. This phenomenon has been described as a ‘global village’ by Canadian researcher M. McLuhan—the world’s countries feel much closer together, as travel between them can be done so rapidly.
A result of these increased connections between countries has been the establishment of many organisations that include different countries working together to achieve a shared goal in order to benefit one another. Naturally, the largest of these groups is the United Nations, with 193 member states and 2 more observer states. The UN has aimed to establish international laws in order to maintain international peace and security, and while this has not been entirely successful in some areas, the organisation has certainly brought about a greater sense of unity between the world’s nations. Another example of the benefits of globalisation is the establishment of trade blocs in many regions around the world. The biggest of these is the EU, with 27 member countries, but other notable trade groups include the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership), uniting countries in East Asia and the South Pacific, and the Southern Common Market (or Mercosur), which includes much of South America. Trade blocs promote ease of trade between member nations and also serve to establish and maintain good international relations. However, it is not just governments that benefit from globalisation—individual people in many countries do as well. Today, it is easier than ever before to stay in contact with friends or family in other countries thanks to the internet. Travel is cheaper for everyone, and more migration brought on by globalisation has led to an increase in cultural diversity in many countries. Not only that, but more migration has led to more people being able to find better jobs in different countries, which means that these economic migrants can send money home to their families as economic remittances. This money benefits not only individual families but also the economy of a country as a whole. In Tajikistan, remittances make up 35% of the country’s GDP. It is clear to see that globalisation has had a big impact on the world’s countries for the better, but that does not mean that all of the effects have been positive.
While it is true that globalisation has led to enhanced economic integration, this does not address the countries not belonging to a trade bloc that are less developed, with less infrastructure, and as a result, they could have no connection or poor connection to the internet. This means that the rest of the world is leaving them further and further behind in economic advancement, as well as breakthroughs in technology and knowledge in the scientific and medical fields. This is especially true for Pacific island countries like Kiribati, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Their geographical position isolates them from many of the predominant trading nations, and sometimes these countries also have very little trade infrastructure—Tuvalu, in particular, has virtually no export of goods because of this. Further adding to the problem is that these countries are very limited in what they can export, due to their size and climate. Tuvalu relies on the fish industry, which would not be of interest for most international markets, so exports are not very profitable. Kiribati also relies on the fish industry, as well as some crops grown on the island. Most of the country’s economy relies on trading with Australia or remittances from migrants working in New Zealand. Due to their geographical isolation, it is clear that many Pacific island countries are being left behind economically compared to global competitors like the USA, Germany, China, and the UK. However, this is not the only negative aspect of globalisation. Another downside is that more and more transnational corporations (TNCs) based in highly developed countries are setting up factories in less developed countries, and while this does increase job opportunities and reduce poverty, workers are often underpaid and made to work long hours in unsafe conditions. Finally, while globalisation has caused more cultural diversity within countries, it has also resulted in many languages disappearing, as more and more people learn a select group of major languages in the world, leaving more obscure ones to be forgotten. Globalisation has increased connections in some parts of the world, but in doing so has isolated other regions and caused several adverse effects.
To summarise, globalisation has been rapidly bringing unity and interdependence to many of the world’s countries—but not to all. Less developed countries, particularly those also isolated by natural barriers to the rest of the world, are being left behind and further isolated (economically and socially) by the nations with larger economies. There are also a handful of issues relating to working conditions and decreasing diversity that come with such rapid globalisation. While increased connection between some of the world’s countries has been a massive benefit of globalisation, there is still work to do to bring about true global unity and for all countries to feel the positive impacts of an interconnected world.
Bibliography
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BBC (2021). Barriers to international trade – tariffs and trading blocs - Business and globalisation - Edexcel - GCSE Business Revision - Edexcel. [online] BBC Bitesize. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zh3847h/revision/5.
Broom, D. (2023). These are the world’s biggest trading blocs. [online] World Economic Forum. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/04/growth-summit-2023-world-biggest-trading-blocs/.
Green, J. (2012). Globalization I - The Upside: Crash Course World History #41. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SnR-e0S6Ic [Accessed 13 Jul. 2024].
Harris, H. (2016). Ocr a level geography second edition. Hodder Education.
National Geographic Society (2023). Effects of Economic Globalization. [online] education.nationalgeographic.org. Available at: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/effects-economic-globalization/.
Newell, P. (1999). Globalisation and the Environment: Exploring the Connections. IDS Bulletin, [online] 30. Available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/43540082.pdf.
Tisdell, C. (2005). Give to AgEcon Search.
United Nations (2021). Our Work. [online] United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/our-work#:~:text=Maintain%20International%20Peace%20and%20Security.
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