HANDOUT PRELIMS (UNIT 1, LESSON 1)

INTRODUCTION: THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

The concept contemporary world is a composite of the terms “contemporary”
and “world”.’
World - generally means the earth, together with all of its countries and
peoples including the human and social interactions happening in it.
Contemporary - denotes belonging to or occurring in the present or living
or occurring at the same time or at the time.
The contemporary world thus refers to our world with the circumstances
and ideas of the present age, as in the phrase “in modern times like
these”. It is sometimes used interchangeably with modern times, modern
world, and present times.

LESSON 1: GLOBALIZATION in the CONTEMPORARY WORLD

One of the substantial distinctions of the so-called contemporary
world is the presence of globalization with its very profound concept and
the 'complex ideas that go with it. Globalization is one of the main
reasons the contemporary world is an ever-changing mix of social, cultural,
and political changes.
Globalization - is an umbrella term denoting the growing modern
interconnectedness of nations, people, and markets. It also refers to the
process of interaction and integration among companies and governments
worldwide.
Globalization is a union made possible, and probably inevitable, by
advances in transportation and communications technology that led to the
development of global communications networks.

CONCEPTS AND IDEAS ASSOCIATED WITH GLOBALIZATION

1. FREE TRADE - is an international trade left to its natural course,
that is, without tariffs, quotas, or other restrictions. It is a
principle or policy to remove discrimination against imports and
exports. In a free trade, buyers and sellers from various economies
may voluntarily trade without any government-sanctioning tariffs,
quotas, subsidies, or prohibitions on services and goods.

2. CAPITALISM - is an economic and political system in which industry and

trade are controlled not by the state but by private owners for
profit. It is an economic system that recognizes private property
rights.

3. TERRORISM – is politically oriented violence or threat of violence. It

undoubtedly causes change in society as it involves the purposeful
creation and exploitation of fear to bring about socio-political
change.

4. STATE’S SOVEREIGNTY – refers to the full power and right of a

governing body over itself, without any intrusion from outside bodies
or sources. In a globalized world, however, organizations such as the
International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and World Trade
Organization (WTO) are said to virtually take over the states’
traditional functions.
 5. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS - refers to a membership group that
functions across national borders for well-defined purposes. They are
practical organizations through' which vital international issues are
addressed.

6. TRANSNATIONAL MIGRATION - refers to the phenomenon in which people

migrate from one country to another for temporary labor, in which they
simultaneously participate in social connections in multiple nations.
Transnational migrants are also called foreign laborers, guest
workers, and refugees.

7. MASS MEDIA - modes of mass communication whereby information, opinion,

advocacy, propaganda, advertising, artwork, entertainment, and other
forms of expression are conveyed to a very large audience. Mass media
includes print, radio, television, film, video, audio recording, and
the Internet, in particular, the World Wide Web and Internet-based
social media.

8. TECHNOLOGY AND INTERNET - Technology has enabled globalization. Since

the turn of the 20th century, there has been international market
integration and widespread cultural exchange. Much of what is distinct
about present-day globalization can be traced to technological
innovations.

9. SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL NETWORKING - these are computer-and-internet-

mediated tools that allow people to generate, share, and exchange
information, pictures, and videos in virtual communities and networks.
As such, it includes all Internet-based applications that allow the
formation and interchange of user-generated content.

10. ETHICS - is the branch of philosophy that studies morality or the

rightness or wrongness of human conduct. Globalization and its effects
have ethical implications and they do pose some moral challenges.

CONCEPT MAP OF GLOBALIZATION

HANDOUT PRELIMS (UNIT 1, LESSON 2)

STUDY OF GLOBALIZATION
Manfred Steger, professor of Global Studies and
director of the Globalism Institute at Royal Melbourne
Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, explains
that globalization is not new as it started with pre-
historic early human migration (Steger, 2014). For him,
what has been taking place from 1980 onwards is no
longer globalization per se but rather the expansion of
globalization to a point of “convergence.”
THE PARABLE OF THE BLIND MEN AND AN ELEPHANT
The Parable of Blind Men and
the Elephant is used today as a
warning for people who endorse
absolute truth or exclusive claims
on a subject matter. The reason for
the warning is that a person with an
incomplete grasp of truth cannot
turn that into the only version of
all reality.
Steger claims that similar to the blind men, some globalization
scholars are too focused on compressing globalization into a singular
process and clash over which aspect of social life constitutes its primary
domain and prevails. He admits that globalization is a contested concept.

COMPETING CONCEPTIONS OF GLOBALIZATION

A. REJECTIONISTS – these scholars perceive globalization as a “power
word',” like “nationalism” and “development”. For them, powerful words
like globalization explain everything and nothing; they are mere
labels slapped on everything but never a tool for analysis.
B. SKEPTICS - skeptic scholars point out that even if the term
globalization is meaningful, it is nonetheless not significant at all.
C. MODIFIERS – scholars who consider globalization as simply one of
many similar historical phases. They thus conclude that the phenomenon
should be viewed not as a distinctive affair but merely one moment in
a more general theory of world history.

FOUR MAIN DIMENSIONS OF GLOBALIZATION

1. THE ECONOMIC DIMENSION OF GLOBALIZATION
- refers to the intensification, increase, and stretching of economic
connections around the world.
Neoliberalism - transfers control of economic factors to the private
sector from the public sector. It promotes, among other things, that
governments must limit subsidies, limit protectionism, and open
markets up to trade.
2. THE POLITICAL DIMENSION OP GLOBALIZATION
 - the intensification and expansion of political interrelations
around the world. The political dimension of globalization includes
aspects such as the modern nation-state system and its evolving
role in today’s world, the effects of globalization on state
sovereignty, the role of global governance, the growing impact of
intergovernmental organizations, the direction of the global
political systems, global migration flows and environmental
policies affecting our planet.

3. THE CULTURAL DIMENSION or GLOBALIZATION

- is the intensification and expansion of cultural flows across the
globe. Culture is a very extensive concept and is often, used to
describe the whole of human experience, including the economic and
political, in the discussion on globalization, however, Steger
means it to refer to "the Symbolic construction, articulation, and
dissemination of meaning.
4. THE ECOLOGICAL DIMENSION OF GLOBALIZATION
- studies the effects of global unions on environmental issues. It
refers to worldwide environmental issues which include population
growth, access to food, global reduction in biodiversity, the gap
between rich and poor as well as between the global North and
global South, human-induced climate change, and global
environmental degradation.

UNDERLYING PHILOSOPHIES AND IDEOLOGIES IN GLOBALIZATION

I. MARKET GLOBALISM
- pursues to grant globalization with neoliberal meanings and free-
market norms. Market globalists promise a consumerist, neoliberal,
free-market world. This ideology is advocated by some powerful
individuals, who claim, among other things, that globalism spreads
democracy and benefits everybody.
II. JUSTICE GLOBALISM
- is a political ideology that advocates for a global civil society
with fairer relationships and environmental safeguards. It opposes
neoliberalism and market globalism, which it sees as unjust and
unsustainable.
III. RELIGIOUS GLOBALISM
- endeavors for a global religious community with dominance over
secular structures. These globalists fight against both market
globalism and justice globalism as they seek to champion religious
beliefs and values that are said to be under severe attack by the
powers of consumerism and secularism in the globalized world.

A WORKING DEFINITION OF GLOBALIZATION

The website ShodhGanga.inflibnet.ac. enumerates some definitions from
some known scholars of globalization (“Concept of Globalization,” 2017):
1. “Globalization as a concept refers both to the compression of the
world and the intensification of consciousness of the world as a
whole.” (Roland Robertson)
2. “Globalization compresses the time and space aspects of social
relations." (James Mittelman)
3. “The concepts of globalization reflect the sense of an immense
enlargement of world communication, as well as of the horizon of a
world market both of which seem for mere tangible and immediate than
in earlier stages of modernity," (Fredric Jameson)
 4. “The diminution or elimination of state-enforced restriction on
exchanges across borders and the increasingly integrated and complex
global system of production and exchange that has emerged as a
result.” (Tom G. Palmer)
5. “Globalization may be thought of as a process (or a set of processes)
which embodies a transformation in the spatial organization of social
relation and transaction-assessed in terms of their extensity,
intensity velocity and impeach-generating transcontinental or
interregional flows and networks of activity, interaction and the
exercise of power." (David Held)
6. “Globalization can be defined as the intensification of worldwide
social relations which link distant localities in such a way that
local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and
vice-versa.” (Anthony Giddens)
Laissez-faire is a French term that means "let do" or "let go". It is a
doctrine or policy that opposes governmental interference in economic
affairs. It is based on the idea that the free market can regulate itself
better than any government intervention.
Hyper-globalizers believe in the dramatic change in the size, scope, and
velocity of globalization that began in the late 1990s and continues into
the 21st century. Hyper-globalists view globalization as a positive process
characterized by economic growth, increasing prosperity, and the spread of
democracy.
McDonaldization is a term used to describe the penetration of American
cultural and economic products throughout the world. It is used
symbolically and is drawn from the market and ideological success of
Mcdonald’s fast-food franchises all over the world.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

In today’s interconnected and globalized world, the importance of the
English language cannot be overstated. With over 1.5 billion English
speakers worldwide, English has become the lingua franca of international
communication, business, science, and entertainment. Here are some of the
reasons why English is a must-learn language in our contemporary world:
1. Speaking English brings better employment opportunities.
- Being the most widely-spoken language in the world, English has
also become the international language of business.
- Knowing English and being able to communicate professionally will
undoubtedly give you access to new career opportunities and make
you stand out among other applicants.
2. English is important for accessing information.
- Around 95% of all articles published in scientific journals are
written in English, even if it is not the author’s first language.
3. Global Networking and Communication.
- In an era of globalization, connecting with people worldwide has
never been easier. Social media, online forums, and international
conferences often use English as the primary means of
communication. Learning English enables you to participate in
global conversations, build international connections, and expand
your social and professional networks.
4. Cultural Enrichment.
- Language is not just a tool for communication; it is also a gateway
to understanding different cultures. Learning English gives you
insight into the rich tapestry of English-speaking countries’
histories, traditions, and art.
 5. Boosting Cognitive Abilities.
- Studying a new language, such as English, has cognitive benefits.
It can improve your problem-solving skills, enhance your memory,
and sharpen your multitasking abilities.
6. Preparing for the Future.
- As the world continues to evolve, English remains a vital tool for
staying adaptable and competitive. Technological advancements,
international collaborations, and the global job market are all
closely tied to English. By learning this language, you are
equipping yourself with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive
in the fast-paced, ever-changing world of the 21st century.
HANDOUT PRELIMS (UNIT 2, LESSON 1)
THE STRUCTURES OF GLOBALIZATION – GLOBAL ECONOMY
Global economy refers to the system of trade and industry around the
globe that has developed as the outcome of globalization, that is, how
economies have been expanding to function together as seemingly one system.
The global economy is often equated to the international spread of
capitalism, especially in recent decades, across national borders and with
slight restraints by governments.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION
1. Intergovernmental organizations - also known as international
governmental organizations are organizations that have national
governments as members (referred to as member-states). Remarkable
examples are the United Nations (UN) and its various agencies. The
world’s economic coordinating institutions, such as the World Bank,
the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Group of Eight (G-8),
are also IGOs. Other IGOs are military coalitions, such as the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and political alliances, such as
the Arab League and the African Union. Other examples include the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the World Trade
Organization (WTO).
2. International nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) are nonstate
institutions. They have the same mission as non-governmental
organization (NGOs), but are international in scope and have
headquarters around the world to deal with definite issues in several
countries.
3. Multinational corporations (MNCs) are companies that have facilities
and other assets in at least one country other than their home
country. MNCs have offices and/or factories in various countries and
typically have a centralized head office where they coordinate global
management. These corporations generally derive at least a quarter of
their revenues outside their home country.
Almost all major multinationals have assets in at least one country,
examples are American, Japanese, or Western European, such as Honda,
Nike, Toshiba, Coca-Cola, BMW, Wal-Mart, and AOL.
4. Transnational corporations (TNCs) refer to incorporated or
unincorporated enterprises consisting of parent enterprises and their
foreign affiliates. A parent enterprise is that which controls assets
of other entities in countries other than its home country, typically
by owning a particular equity capital stake. Examples include General
Electric, Royal Dutch, Ford Motor, Allianz, AXA, and ExxonMobil.

THE MODERN WORLD-SYSTEM

A world-system is “a socioeconomic system, under systems theory, that
encompasses part or all of the globe, detailing the aggregate structural
result of the sum of the interactions between polities” (“World-system,"
n.d.). World-systems are typically larger than single states, but do not
have to be global.
The Westphalian System is said to be the foremost world system functioning
in the contemporary world, standing for the system of sovereign states and
nation-states formed by the Westphalian Treaties in 1648. Westphalian
sovereignty, or state sovereignty, is the principle in international law
which states that every nation state has exclusive sovereignty over its
territory.

WALLERSTEIN’S WORLD SYSTEMS THEORY

World systems theory, an approach to world history and
social change, was developed by sociologist Wallerstein.
It indicates among other things, that a country's
economic system cannot be understood without reference to
the world system of which it is a part. Wallerstein's
world system theory proposes that there is a world
economic system in which some nations profit while others
are exploited.

As a foundation for comparison, Wallerstein offers four various

categories: (1) core, (2) semi-periphery, (3) periphery, and (4) external,
into which all regions of the globe can be located. The categories
pronounce every region's relative position within the capitalist world
economy and some internal economic and political features. All parts of the
system are reliant on and interact with each other any change in the system
will influence the system as a whole:

1. The Core. The core countries control and exploit the

peripheral countries for labor and raw materials. They
dominate the economic arrangement of their historical
time and endeavor to maintain or magnify this authority.
One central element of a core nation is its capacity to
produce and allocate products.

2. The Periphery. The peripheral nations are dependent on core countries

for capital. Historical examples include some colonies from the 16th to the
20th centuries and those termed as underdeveloped or semi-developed for a
short time in the 20th century. Peripheral areas usually lack strong
central governments or are directly or indirectly controlled by other
states, export raw materials to the core, and depend on forced labor
practices.
3. The Semi-Periphery. The semi-peripheries lie between the two extremes.
Semi-peripheral areas represent either core nations in decline or
peripheral countries attempting to improve their relative position in the
capitalist world economic system. Hence, the semi-peripheries share
characteristics of both core and peripheral countries.
4. External Areas. External areas maintain their economic systems as they
manage to remain outside the modern world system either by choice or
neglect. Russia serves as a good example. Unlike Poland, Russia’s wheat has
served principally to supply its internal market. Although it traded with
Asia and Europe, its internal commerce remained more significant than its
external trade. Likewise, the substantial power of the Russian state helped
regulate its economy and constrained external commercial influence.
However, practically every region in the world had been consolidated into
the modern capitalist world system by the 20th century.

Economic integration is an agreement among different regions that usually

includes the lessening or abolition of trade barriers, and the coordination
of monetary and fiscal policies. Fiscal policy refers to how a government
adjusts its tax rates and expenditure levels to monitor and influence a
country’s economy. Monetary policy involves the actions of a central bank,
currency board, or other regulatory committee that determines the rate and
size of growth of the money supply, which in turn affects interest rates.
These two policies are used in various combinations to direct a country’s
economic goals.

GLOBAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

Economic integration is an agreement among regions that usually includes
lessening or abolishing trade barriers and coordinating monetary and fiscal
policies. Fiscal policy refers to how a government adjusts its tax rates
and expenditure levels to monitor and influence a country’s economy.
Monetary policy involves the actions of a central bank, currency board, or
other regulatory committee that determines the rate and size of growth of
the money supply, which in turn affects interest rates. These two policies
are used in various combinations to direct a country’s economic goals.

FACTORS THAT FACILITATE ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION

The following are the major factors or players of the present-day global
economy as they facilitate economic globalization:
1. Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), also known as international
governmental organizations, are organizations that have national
governments as members (referred to as member-states). Remarkable
examples are the United Nations (UN) and its various agencies. The
world’s economic coordinating institutions, such as the World Bank,
the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Group of Eight (G-8),
are also IGOs. Other IGOs are military coalitions, such as the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and political alliances, such as
the Arab League and the African Union. Other examples include the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the World Trade
Organization (WTO).
2. International nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) are nonstate
institutions. They have the same mission as non-governmental
organization (NGOs), but are international in scope and have
headquarters around the world to deal with definite issues in several
countries.
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an institution that is
neither a part of a government nor a traditional profit-oriented
business. According to the UN, “any kind of private organization that
is independent of government control can be termed an NGO, provided
it is not-for-profit, non-criminal and not simply an opposition
political party” (“Non-Governmental Organization,” n.d.).
3. Multinational corporations (MNCs) are companies that have facilities
and other assets in at least one country other than its home country.
 MNCs have offices and/or factories in various countries and typically
have a centralized head office where they coordinate global
management. These corporations generally derive at least a quarter of
their revenues outside their home country.
Almost all major multinationals have assets in at least one country,
examples are American, Japanese, or Western European, such as Honda,
Nike, Toshiba, Coca-Cola, BMW, Wal-Mart, and AOL. Supporters of
multinationals claim that they generate technologically advanced
goods and high-paying jobs in countries that otherwise would not have
access to such things.
4. Transnational corporations (TNCs) refer to incorporated or
unincorporated enterprises consisting of parent enterprises and their
foreign affiliates. A parent enterprise is that which controls assets
of other entities in countries other than its home country, typically
by owning a particular equity capital stake. Examples include General
Electric, Royal Dutch, Ford Motor, Allianz, AXA, and ExxonMobil.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF GLOBALIZATION

Globalization is as old as mankind itself. Since the beginning of
recorded time, key factors such as rulers, adventurers, traders, and
preachers have traveled to expand their political power, enhance their
quality of life, proselytize their faiths, or simply quench the human
thirst for curiosity. As part of the modern world, we must understand
globalization and its history.
Globalization
Age of discovery Globalization Globalization
Globalization 1.0 (19th Globalization
(15th – 18th 2.0 (1945 – 3.0 (1989 -
Era century – 4.0 (Present)
century) 1989) 2008)
1914)

Textiles/
Leading Raw materials/ Global Supply Digital
Industrial Factories
Exports Basic goods Chain goods/services
goods

Satellite,
Tea, machines
Spices, gold, leather, TV 3D TV, Smart
/motors, iPhone,
Goods/ ivory, potatoes, remote TVs,
generators, encyclopedia,
Materials/ tomatoes, control, nanomachines,
fax machines, BitTorrent, QR
coffee, computer, iPads,
Inventions textiles, tv, code, and E-
telescope, and cellphone, earpads, and
and voting.
microscope. and World AI.
telephones.
wide web.

Modern
Magellan’s
Amazing technology
Turning points circumnavigation
inventions such as AI made the
that made a around the world Touchscreen
such as internet, lives of
great impact opened the door cellphones and
electricity, cellphones, people a lot
on the way to the DNA tests.
light, and satellites, easier.
people lived introduction of
telephones. and
different spices
computers.

Enabling Ships and Trucks and AI and

Trains Computers
Innovations compass airplanes internet

Transactions
pacing
World size