Intro to Globalisation
Geography: Edexcel A Level, topic 4.1.1
What is Globalisation?
Globalisation is the ever-increasing interconnectedness between countries. It is a process that involves connections, interdependence and flows between different locations.
Types of flows in globalisation
- Commodities, capital (or finance), information, migrants and tourists can all flow more freely between different countries.
- As the world becomes more globalised, the connections between places are becoming wider and deeper in most of these areas.
Internet and digital advances
- The internet has been a huge facilitator of globalisation.
- Information flows more freely between different countries, but the internet also allows tourists to discover more places and helps capital and commodities to flow internationally.
- Logistics companies like DHL and investment companies like Blackrock allow commodities and capital to flow internationally.
Migration
- A borderless world does not exist because there are still obstacles to migration.
- The free movement of people is only possible within some trade blocs and within some regions.
- E.g. The Schengen Area in the EU.
Tourism
- Budget airlines have resulted in the huge growth of tourist flows because people are able to travel to different countries at a reasonable cost.
- Airlines like Ryanair, Wizz Air and Easyjet can let you travel to a different country for as little as £20.
Types of Globalisation
Because globalisation is such a varied process, we can divide it into four different types.
Economic globalisation
- Economic globalisation includes the growth of MNCs (Multinational Corporations) or TNCs (Transnational Companies). For example Inditex (which owns Zara), Domino's Pizza, Apple, Google and Meta (which owns Instagram and WhatsApp).
- The growth of the internet and better communication technology is included in economic globalisation.
Social globalisation
- Social globalisation describes the increasing number of international migrants, the increasing quality of education and healthcare and the rise of social media.
Cultural globalisation
- Cultural globalisation describes the spread of Western ideas and culture such as North American films, fast food and fashion.
- Tom Cruise films, Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, Logan Paul, Netflix and McDonalds are found in almost every country in the world nowadays.
Political globalisation
- Political globalisation describes the growth of trade blocs as different countries seek to work together to increase the prevalence of free trade.
- Important organisations in political globalisation are the World Bank, IMF (International Monetary Fund), World Trade Organisation and the United Nations.
Test yourself on Intro to Globalisation
What has most allowed information to flow more freely between countries?
What kind of globalisation involves the spreading of Western lifestyles and ideas across the world?
What kind of globalisation involves the growth of multinational and transnational corporations?
4 Categories of Globalisation