What is GLOBALIZATION?

GLOBALIZATION

Many people believe globalization means that the world is turning into a consumer colony of America and American products, such as Coke, CNN, McDonald’s, Levi’s, Nikes - if those companies haven’t taken over the world yet, some believe they soon will.

GLOBALIZATION

Regardless of whether it’s buying or selling, in the past 20 years much of the world’s economy has become increasingly connected and interdependent and foreign investments have grown three times as fast as domestic (U.S.) investments.

From 1980 to 1995 the value of trade worldwide rose dramatically, with the total value of world exports estimated at U.S. $5.1 trillion in 1995, up from U.S. $2 trillion in 1980.

GLOBALIZATION

Globalization is a process of interaction (relationships) and integration (mixing, combining)

among the people, companies, and governments of different nations.

A process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology.

It is where different cultures meet and blend.

What does GLOBALIZATION impact?

This process has effects on political systems, on economic development, the environment, religion, on cultures, and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world.

It is sometimes called, “globality”

How does this impact you in Arkansas?

Globalization Background

For thousands of years, people, tribes and villages - and, later, corporations - have been buying from, and selling to, each other in far away lands

such as through the famed Silk Road across Central Asia that connected China and Europe during the Middle Ages.

Globalization Background

Since 1950, for example, the volume of world trade has increased by 20 times.

The current wave of globalization has been driven by government trade policies that have opened economies domestically and internationally.

In the years since WWII (1940s), and especially during the past two decades, many governments have adopted free-market economic systems.

Globalization Background

Large companies have built foreign factories and established production and marketing arrangements with foreign partners (Tyson and Wal Mart).

A defining feature of globalization, therefore, is an international industrial and financial business structure.

Hino truck manufacturing plant in Marion, AR (a division of Toyota)

http://www.mcdonalds.com.cn/

Former AR Gov. Huckabee speaking at dedication of Hino

plant in Marion, AR

McDonald’s may be the most well-known (and sometimes disliked) name of all American culture going abroad.

There are approximately 24,500 McDonald’s restaurants in over 115 countries; a new McDonald’s opens somewhere in the world every six hours.

Does this mean we live in a “McWorld?”

McDonald’s in New Delhi, India, serve lamb burgers instead of beef.

“We even separated the two menus - being Indian, we had a good understanding that vegetarians wouldn’t want to have to read about meat dishes,” said manager Sihthal.

What this has meant is that mixed groups of people, with drastically different tastes and customs, have finally found a place where they can all eat together. Is this an American idea? Does it matter?

Women in traditional cultures like to meet at McDonald’s because there’s no alcohol served, and they see it as a safe, socially acceptable place for a woman alone to go.

Many people, from the elderly to teenagers, see it as a spot where they can linger.

In cities where space is at a premium, like Hong Kong, teenagers like it because it’s somewhere outside their often cramped apartments where they can meet their friends - sometimes they even do their homework there.

But the fact that the staff are all local people means that the restaurant, though obviously foreign, isn’t instantly perceived as being American.

In New Delhi, as in Brazil or China, you may well buy your burger from the kid down the street who speaks the local language.

“People call us multinational. I like to call us multilocal,” said McDonald’s International CEO.

Technology

Technology has been the other main reason globalization has occurred.

The Internet and inexpensive, instantaneous, international communication (mass use of cell phones) has allowed people to market products and services, trade and do business like never before.

ControversyThe idea of globalization is sometimes

controversial.

People who agree with it say it allows poor countries and their citizens to develop economically and raise their standards of living.

Those who disagree say it only benefits large,

wealthy companies from the US, Europe, and Canada, and hurts small family businesses in the eastern world. Some say it also weakens individual cultures, traditions and languages.

TRADE

Top Ten Countries with which the U.S. Trades, June 2008

The values given are for imports and exports added together.

The Countries represent 64.06% of U.S. imports, and 58.60% of U.S. exports in goods.

TRADE

The United States exported about $211.4 billion worth of goods to Canada. 

The top three U.S. export products to Canada were       • Transportation equipment       • Computer and electronic products       • Machinery (except electrical)

The top three imports from Canada were       • Transportation equipment       • Oil and gas        • Chemicals

SOURCE: The Hoover Institute

Others include France, Brazil, & Venezuela

Reflecting on Globalization

As we have learned, globalization, involves culture, technology, financial investment and trade.

Culture is a set of ideas, reactions, and expectations that is constantly changing as people and groups themselves change.

Reflecting on Globalization

Where does the U.S. really fit into the big global picture?

After all, America isn’t the only seller of global goods

Americans absorb more foreign customs and objects than most are probably aware of.

Keep in mind that America is not a “one-size-fits-all” culture

Reflecting on Globalization

The US is the most multicultural society on Earth.

Thousands of things that we think of as American came from somewhere else: Christmas trees, hot dogs and beer, denim.

“America could be the best example of how

cultures appreciate each other,” said Indian professor of Sociology Singh living in New Delhi.

Reflecting on Globalization

People forget where certain things came from, and they don’t care.

Americans say “ciao” and “glitch,” eat salsa, dance to salsa music, drink vodka, and on and on, but don’t think this makes them Italian, Jewish, Hispanic, Russian, or whatever.

Globalization means a person can love his or her own country without having to reject all the others.

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/2000/culture/global/frame1.html

US, China, India

Population 305,039,154 1.31 billion 1.147billion

Land Area

9,826,630 sq km

9,596,960 sq km

3,287,590 sq km

Gov’tRepresenta-

tiveDemoc

Communist Parliamentary democ

US, China, India

Econ Agriculture; technology

industry

Agriculture; electronics;

autos

Agriculture; manufacturing

Religions Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon

1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%,

Buddhist 0.7%,

Taoist 80%, Buddhist 12%, Christian 3%-

4%, Muslim 1%-2%

Hindu (80.5%); Muslim (13%)

Langua-ges

English Standard Chinese

(Mandarin)

Hindi, English, 21 others

US, China, India

Literacy Rate

Males 99%Females 99%

Males 95%Females 86%

Males 73%Females 48%

Life Expec-tancy

Males 75 yrsFemales 81

yrs

Males 71 yrsFemales 75 yrs

Males 63 yrsFemales 64 yrs

Globalization

To find the right balance between benefits and costs associated with globalization, citizens of all nations need to understand how globalization works and the policy choices facing them and their societies.

Learn before you judge or decide whether you are pro-globalism, or anti-globalism.

Globalization

Globalization is a mixing and combining to create new relationships among the people, companies, and governments of different nations

It is driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology

It is often how people of different cultures, backgrounds and religions meet and blend

All of this happening in a peaceful way – not by force.