The Contemporary World (CONTEMP_W)

Globalization – is a relatively new idea in the social sciences, although people who work in and
write about the mass idea, transnational corporations and international business have been using
it for some time.
 Increasing interconnectedness and interdependence among countries
 Driven by advancement in technologies, communication, transportation, and trade.
 Facilitated the free flow of goods and services, capital, information, and people across
national borders.

We have to check if globalization is politically, economically, etc. sound.

Implications of Social Change:

Geography – we have access to almost all our needs in real time; all local goods become global
and vice-versa.
Identity – your sense of being a Filipino is transnational; it helps a person see himself and serves
as a reference on how to engage on a global stage.
 Production
 Governance
 Knowledge

Globalization: Levels of Debate

 What are the impacts on the human condition?
o Security
o Equality
o Democracy
 What are the responses?
o Neoliberalism (markets) – willing to embrace whatever challenges in
globalization provides.
 o Rejectionism (localism/populism) – sees globalization as a threat to their
economy, culture, etc. They are not fully open to the idea of globalization. (Ex:
the Philippines’ reservation to adapting the divorce bill & reproductive health bill)
 Reserved – refers to ppl who need more time and space to think on how to
respond or adapt to the warrants of globalization.
 Closed – they look at globalization as alienating.
o Reformism (public policies) – use globalization as a tool to promote policies.
o Transformism (social revolution) – effect sociocultural revolution (change in
society). (Ex: shifting from non-renewable to renewable source of energy).

Liberal or Hyper-global Perspective

 Champions the idea of borderless community and cultural inclusivity.
 Globalization is inevitable
Conservative/Skeptical Perspective
 Characterized as Marxist/Structuralism
 A strongly state-centric perspective
 Rise of anti-global authoritarian populism/nativism
Critical/Transformation Perspective
 Combination of liberal and conservative perspective

Globalization: Key Themes and Characteristics (M. Steger)

 Globality – a social condition characterized by tight economic, political cultural, and
environmental interconnection and flows, making currently existing borders and
boundaries irrelevant.
 Globalization – a set of social processes that appear to transform our present social
condition of weakening nationality into one of globality.
 Global Imaginary – the vision of globalization. A concept referring to people’s growing
consciousness of belonging to a global community.
 Globalization as a Process, Condition, and Ideology
Globalization as a process
 Multidimensional set of social processes that generate and increase “worldwide social
interdependencies and exchanges while at the same time fostering in people a growing
awareness of deepening connections between the local and the distant.”
Globalization as a condition
 Scholte’s transplanetary connectivity (establishment of social links between people at
different places of the plant – not geographic unit but as a space) and supra-territoriality
(territorial geography – renders borders and barriers irrelevant).
Globalization as an ideology
 Exists on the people’s consciousness – ideas and beliefs about the global order, these
includes:
o Globalization is about the liberalization and global integration of markets.
o Globalization in inevitable and irreversible.
o Nobody is in charge of globalization.
o Globalization benefits everyone in the long run.
o Globalization furthers the spread of democracy in the world.
o Globalization requires a global war on terror.

World Systems Paradigm

Immanuel Wallerstein
 The core countries dominate and exploit peripheral countries for resources and cheap
labor.
 His view on globalization is as not as a recent phenomenon but as virtually synonymous
birth and spread of capitalism
 Globalization is not at all new process but something that is just continuing and evolving.
 Capitalist world system is divided into three categories
o Core – powerful and developed centers (Western Europe, North America, and
Japan)
o Periphery – those regions that have been forcibly subordinated to the core through
colonization (Latin America, Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Eastern Europe)
 o Semi-periphery – states and regions that were in the core and are moving down or
those in the periphery are moving up.
Global Capitalism
 Globalization is a novel stage in the evolving system of world capitalism
 Qualitatively new features that distinguish it from earlier epochs.
 Robinson: theory of global capitalism involving three planks; transnational production,
transnational capitalists, and transnational state.
Network Society
 Proposed by Manuel Castells
o The informational, knowledge based
o Global, production is organized on a global scale
o Networked, productivity is generated through global network
 Post-modern time, technological development as fuel towards Globalization
 Fixated to market/physical capitalism in which transferred into electronic/online
capitalism
 Highlights the immergence society. The networked enterprise makes material the culture
of the informational, global economy; it transforms signals into commercial by
processing knowledge.
o Informational – demands in information, they are not dependent on the product.
They become critical as to what to buy and consume (hence, consumerism
requires information)
o Global – In turn influences different decisions and demands, as competition arises
—so does the information that allows societies into making more.
o Network – This allows the spread of information that allows consumers to
understand more of the products and services a lot more efficient and faster. All
we access into goods and services are democratically acceptable. Internationally
accessible.
Space, Time, and Globalization
 Giddens “time-space distanciation”
 o The intensification of worldwide relations which link distance localities in such
was that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and
vice versa.
Transnationality & Transnationalism
 Transnationalism – wide variety of transformative processes
o Develops simultaneously at a local and global level
 Transnational – multiple ties and interactions (economic, political, social, and cultural)
o In which links communities from border to border
 Transnational links – a more in depth and intense speed that connects information and
communication in which affects both the experience and impacts of one’s community

6 Common Theoretical Paradigms Associated with Globalization:

1. World Systems Theory
2. Global Capitalism Paradigm
3. The Network Society
4. Space, Time, and Globalization
5. Transnationality and Transnationalism
6. Global Culture Paradigm

The Politics of Globalization

Politics – the activities, actions & policies used to hold power; it values making decisions and
formulation of policies.

Categorical Definition of Politics According to James Danzinger

 Exercise of Power
o Politics exercises power to make decisions about local and international policies
 Allocation of Public Values
o The quality of leadership we have reflects on the wellbeing of our people.
o The type of services they provide influences our public values on politics
 Resolution of Conflict
o Explore resolutions and balance competing interest.
  Politics is Public Interest
o Public interest is always integral to politics.
o We are all expected to act in a way to serve the greater good of the people and
advance our society by creating programs that aids and benefits the society as a
whole.
States & Globalization
 The rise of civilizations has fueled different levels of internalization
 Civilizations tend to create empires which define global/international affairs
o Greek, Macedonian, Roman, etc. -ushered growth either by trade or conquest.
o This is an initial start of globalization story based on globalism

Globalism – according to Joseph Nye, he describes it as “networks of connections that span

multi-continental distances.” Is the defining core of globalization.
Thin Globalism - the initial phase of interconnection but the density of connection is still limited.
Prioritizes economic efficiency; growth. And the impact is only felt by small groups (Nye, 2002)
 Ex: silk road connected the East and West but this is limited to the trade of certain goods
like silk and spices.
Thick Globalism – density of the networks of connection is immense. Increase reliance among
nations, communities, and economies. Greater socio-economic impact-cultural transfers and
supply chain influence.
 Ex: characterizes the level of interconnection in the 21st century.

Thicker Globalism’s challenges to nation states:

 Loss of sovereignty  Cultural homogenization
 Economic interdependence  Environmental changes
 Unequal distribution of benefits  Security concerns

Globalization is defined by Power

 History has always vested the powerful with the advantage in international affairs.
 Most of the powerful nations tend to have a level of control in the different types of
Globalism:
 o Economic – powerful nations often possess strong economies; major product
producers.
o Political – uses influence to form alliances and promote their own values and
ideologies
o Military – exerting control over global affairs using their Hard Power.
o Cultural – appeals thru cultural appeal, education, ideology, and diplomatic
strategies using their Soft Power.
 Richer and most armed nations tend to define the global order.

Nye’s Types of Power

 Hard Power – direct type of power; carrots and sticks approach
o Military – brute force (sticks)
o Economic – sanctions and rewards (carrots)
 Soft Power – cultural and function as a mean of attraction
o Hollywood effect attract thru cultural attractiveness
o Films, music, language
o Ex: American films, Japanese anime, and K-Pop
 Smart – combination of the two types of power
o Superpower nation(s) have this type of power
Modern State – recognizes sovereignty of nation-states, based on the Westphalian Model.
Peace of Westphalia – established the principle of sovereignty. Only the states have the rights of
sovereignty.
Feudalism – loyalty to those who have more sources
Dominus Mundi – Lord of the World.
Sovereignty – is the authority to govern their own state.

4 Aspects of Sovereignty
 Political – define their own political structure.
 Legal – design their own legal system; exercise their own jurisdiction.
 Internal – recognized within the country.
  External – free exercise of their diplomatic rights.

Economic Political Military Cultural

Economic Globalism – economical well-off countries have the power to alter the supply chain
and impose policies such as taxes.
Political Globalism – represent the ability of the superpower’s state to influence the
establishment the policies of different global organizations.
Cultural Globalism (soft power) – extreme opposite of military power. Use culture, traditions,
history, norms as a way of appealing to win the support and control the narratives of the world
according to their advantage.

Culture and Globalization Interaction

 Cultural Exchange  Global Brands and Consumerism
 Communication Technology  Cultural Homogenization
 Migration and Diaspora

Culture (in the time of globalization)

 Is the capability and habits acquired by man as a member of society (E.B. Taylor).
Characteristics of Culture:
 Learned  Normative
 Shared  Dynamic
 Adaptive  Historical
 Symbolic  Universal

Global Culture – concept that recognizes the increasing interdependence and interconnectedness
of societies and the sharing of cultural aspects across national borders.

How Globalization Supports Culture:

Cultural Exchange – this exchange allows local culture to learn from and be influenced by other
culture.
Preservation and Revival – global efforts to preserve and promote cultural reforms.
Economic Opportunities – growing demands for authentic cultural forms.
Cultural Fusion and Innovation – can lead to the emergence of new and innovative cultural
expression.
Increased Awareness and Respect – promotion of cultural inclusivity and respect.

Challenges to Globalization of Culture:

 Cultural Homogenization
o Loss of culture to a more dominant culture. Reduction of cultural diversity.
 Cultural Appropriation
o Failure of acknowledgement of one’s culture of origin may lead to loss of culture.
 Clash of Values
o Clashing moral values lead to moral dilemmas
 Technological Influences
o Loss of culture due to the technological advances of society.
 Preservation of Traditional Values
o Some culture also poses preservation challenges.

Theory of Comparative Advantage (D. Ricardo):

 Identify Cultural Strengths
o Our strengths are where we sell our cultural products.
 Comparative Analysis
o Identify how is particular culture will make their society excel.
o How will it contribute to the global estate
 Specialization
o Encourages society to put importance on those unique selling points of their
cultures.
 Internal Cultural Exchange
o Facilitate exchange of cultural products.
o How we encourage global collaboration.
  Preservation of Cultural Heritage
 Mutual Benefits
 Addressing Cultural Hegemony
Economic Globalization
Economic Globalization – is a historical process, result of human innovation and technological
progress. It refers to the increasing integration of economies around the world, particularly
through the movement of goods, services, and capital across borders.
 The implications to the study of CW, includes: trade investment, economic
interdependence, global value chains, inequality and development, and policy challenges.

Dimension of Economic Globalization

 Trade Globalization
o Engages in international trade freely.
 Financial Globalization
o The economy brings wealth to the nation.
 Production Globalization
o Global value chain.
 Technological Globalization
o Rapid advancement of technology.
 Labor Globalization
o The mobility of skills, knowledge and technology.
o Outsourcing of jobs in countries with lower labor costs.
 Cultural Globalization
o Intertwined with economic globalization and mutually reenforcing.

Gold Standard Era (1870 – 1914) – a monetary system where a country's currency or paper
money has a value directly linked to gold.
Bretton Woods Era (1945 – 1971) – system required a currency peg to the U.S. dollar which was
in turn pegged to the price of gold.
Post Bretton Woods (1971 – present) – this ended the dollar-gold conversion. It has a flexible
exchange rate. The U.S. dollar becomes the world’s currency reserve.
Stagflation – inflation is high; economic growth slows down; unemployment is high

Neoliberalism and Keynesianism

Features:
 Aggregate Demand
 Government Spending and Taxation
 Conter-Cyclical Policies
 Income Distribution
 Trade Protectionism
o Trade has a double-edged sword
 Exchange Rates
 Capital Flows and Financial Regulation

Keynesianism vs. Neoliberalism

Keynesianism
 Government should increase spending to stimulate the economy and increase taxation in
boom times.
 Emphasizes the importance of reducing income inequality thru effective government
intervention. Reducing inequality can have positive effects on economic stability.
 Believes that government intervention is necessary to correct market failures and stabilize
economy.
 Counter-cyclical policies – contradictory policies to cool down the economy.
 Aggregates demand by stimulating economic activities.
 Promotes competitiveness.

Neoliberalism
 Emphasizing privatization over state control as the best way to deliver public services.
 Less emphasis on income redistribution. Believes that reducing government intervention
and promoting free market will lead to overall economic prosperity.
 Believes that reducing government intervention and promoting free market will lead to
overall economic prosperity.
  Faithfulness in the efficiency of free market and believe that they are self-regulating.
 The government acts as more of an empowering figure than of someone who’s regulating
economic policies.

Keynesianism Neoliberalism
On Government Policies:
- Active role of state in managing the - Advocates for limited government
economy. intervention in economy.
On Economic Policies:
- Increased government spending. - Reduction of barriers to trade & invm.
On Income Distribution:
- Importance of reducing income - Less emphasis of income
inequality. redistribution.
On Market Failures:
- Government intervention is necessary - Faith in efficiency of the free market
to stabilize economy. and believe they are self-regulating.

Washington Consensus – a set of ten economic political prescriptions considered to constate the
“standard” reform package promotes for crisis-wracked developing countries by Washington
D.C. These are:
1. Fiscal Discipline – avoid budget deficits and reduced public debt
2. Redirecting public expenditures – avoid white elephant projects (something that came
from political interests; ex: Dolomite Beach during the COVID-19 pandemic)
3. Tax reform – broad tax base and promote simplified tax systems
4. Interest rate liberalization – should be determined be determined by market force rather
than controlled or regulated by the government.
5. Competitive exchange rates – flexible exchange rate system.
6. Trade liberalization – promote economic integration and export-led growth.
7. Liberalization of FDI – removal of restrictions and create favorable conditions for FDIs.
8. Privatization – reduce the burden on public budgets and increase efficiency.
 9. Deregulation – state should encourage entrepreneurship and economic dynamism.
10. Secure property rights – enforce clear property rights to encourage investments and
economic growth.

Criticism to the Washington Consensus

 Lack of Socio-Economic Context
 Negative Social Impact
 Insufficient Emphasis on Developmental Priorities
 Financial Volatility and Crisis
 Lak of Democratic Accountability
 Inadequate Response to Market Failures
 Limited Focus on Income Distribution

World of Regions
(Interstate System and Global Governance Global Divide Asian Regionalism)

Global Governance – the formal and informal arrangements that produce a degree of order and
collective action above the state in the absence of a global government that involve coordination
 Deepening Interdependence
 Constitutional Pluralism
 Transnational Actors – multinational organization, global-civil society groups
 Anti-Globalism –
 Rising Multipolarity
United Nations – is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by
51 countries to:
 Maintaining international peace and security
 Developing friendly relations among nations
 Promoting social progress
 Better living standards
 Human Rights
 o Due to its unique international character, the organization can take action on a
wide range of issues, and provide a forum for its 192 member states to express
their views.
Key Role of UN in promoting Global Governance
 Peace and Security – prevent and resolve conflicts.
 International Law and Human Rights – discuss and address human rights issues.
 Sustainable Development – provide comprehensive development framework.
 Global Health and Pandemic Response – responds to health outbreaks and pandemics.
 Humanitarian Assistance – effective and coordinated response to humanitarian crisis.
 Norm and Standard Setting – promotes dialogue, consensus-building.
 Multilateral Diplomacy and Cooperation – facilitate dialogues and negotiation.

The UN Main Bodies

 UN General Assembly – is the main deliberative organ of the UN and is composed of
representatives of all Member States.
 UN Security Council – it has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international
peace and security.
 UN Economic and Social Council – is the principal organ to coordinate the economic,
social, and related work in the UN and the specialized agencies and institutions.
 UN Secretariat – it carries out the day-to-day work of the organization. It services the
other principal organs and carries out tasks as varied as the issues dealt with by the UN.
 International Court of Justice – it settles legal disputes between countries and gives
advisory opinions to the UN and specialized agencies.

Productivity of the Philippine Membership to UN

 International Cooperation
 Peace and Security
 Development and Humanitarian Assistance
 Advancing Human Rights
 Global Recognition and Influence
 Disaster Response and Climate Change
 Global Divide
Global Divide – the pluralities of global divisions of the world growth development into two.
 Global North – countries classified as more economically developed
 Global South – less economically developed countries.
Brandt Line – is a visual depiction of the North-South divide between their economies, based on
their GDP per capita, proposed by Willy Bradt in the 1980s.
Global Marshall Plan – transferring of excess resources from the wealthy nations to the
developing ones to address the economic divide.

What Makes a Country Belonging to Global North-Global South

 Economic Development
 Income and Wealth
o Income inequality
o Higher level of income
 Human Development
o Global North: Higher HDI
o Global South: Lower HDI
 Political and Institutional Factors
o Global North:
 Stable political system
 Strong governance framework
o Global South
 Political landscape is unstable; several governmental issues, controversies,
and unresolvable internal threat.
 Geopolitical Consideration
o Former colonial powers are associated with the global north
o Former colonies, countries under their regime are more often classified as global
south.

“There is a global south in the global north, and there is a global north in the global south.”
 Asian Regionalism
Asian Regionalism – is where different Asian countries are now shifting in regional community
initiatives. Response to globalism which led to the formation of associations like ASEAN, SCO,
and SAARC.
Regionalism (ideology) – emphasis the interest of a particular region or group of countries,
whether in terms of social, cultural, political, or economic matters.
Regionalization (process) – process by which regions become important in economic, political,
and social terms. Seen as a response to the challenges and opportunities of globalization to
strengthen their collective position in the global political and economic system.

Key Forces Leading to Asian Regionalism:

 Economic Interdependence
o Growth of the global trade that made Asian countries interdependent to one
another
o Integrating their global economies closely to regional economies.
 Security Concern
o Our desire of a stable a stable government
o Promote regional dialogue
 Historical and Cultural Ties
o A unifying course.
 Influence of the Major Powers
o Implication for global and regional politics
 Globalization and Global Challenges
o Those challenges and issues require transnational dialogue
o Establishes an effective regional cooperation in Asia
 Regional Economic Competition
o As countries compete with each other for service competitiveness, it warrants the
necessity to recognize the benefits of regional collaborations of integrated
countries.
 Developmental Needs
 o Effective tool to address the needs of people in Asia
o Promotes economic growth and development

How Regionalism Benefits Asia?

 Enhance Economic Integration
 Strengthened Regional Resilience
 Improved Infrastructures and Connectivity
 Heightened Political Dialogue and Diplomacy
 Shared Solution to Regional Challenges
 Cultural and People-People Oriented Exchanges
 Increased Regional Influences

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FINALS

Globalization of Media & Religion

 Media = medium  mechanism which empowers people that shows information. We
also need to control the media sometimes to balance the interest of other parties.
 William Schrum says “The duty of media is to educate and not politicize.”
 Everything that happens in the global state is everybody’s business and everybody’s
game.
 Media has to have an equal representation of facts.
 Transnational Media allows people to get to know the view of the world. However, they
also have the power to influence the global narrative.

Key Aspects of the Relationship between Media and Globalization

 Information Dissemination – promotes cross-cultural understanding and awareness.
 Media Convergence – sharing and integration of content across national boundaries.
 Transnational Media Corporation – production and distribution of media content
worldwide.
 Cultural Exchange and Hybridization – enable people to engage and access diverse
cultural content.
 Media Imperialism – control of global media landscape.
 Challenges to Local Media – loss of local voices and narratives
 Activism and Social Movements – powerful tool for amplifying voices.

Characteristics of New Media

 Global Reach  Real-Time Communication
 User-Generated Content  Global Advertising and Marketing
 Multilingual and Multicultural
Content
 Roles of International Mass Media in Enhancing Globalization
 Dissemination of Information
o Disseminating global events.; provides coverage of international news and allows
people to be updated on the events around the world.
o International mass media is equally contributing in enhancing people’s cross-
cultural understanding and awareness
 Bridging the Geographical Divides
o International mass media connect people across different regions and countries.
o We have the democratic access to media across the globe.
 Cultural Exchange and Hybridization
o Facilitates cross-cultural mobility
o Contributes to the cultural exchange and hybridization by disseminating things
such as films and televisions.
 Global News Networks
o Provides comprehensive coverage that keeps people across the globe informed
about global events.
o These access to worldwide news further the horizons of our perspectives.
o Gives us a more contextualized oversight by sending local correspondents and
providing on-the-ground experiences on global events.
 Transnational Media Corporations
o Corporations that are operating across multiple countries
 Global Advertising and Marketing
o Contributes to the global spread of global culture and help facilitate integrations
of local to a more global market.

Three Paradigms of Communication

 Communication and Development – it is more educational and empowering the people. It
helps them to get information to help themselves and contribute to the development of
society. Media and communication serve to empower people.
 Media Imperialism – looks at media and communication as a weapon. They capitalize the
media to control narratives and use to impose what they think is important. It contributes
to the homogenization of global culture.
o Media as an instrument of Major Powers
 Media Pluralism – looks at media as a tool to promote heterogenization. Media
recognizing the role of the audience.

Issues on Global Media

1. Cultural Homogenization
2. Western Dominance and Representation
3. Media Ownership and Concentration
4. Representation and Stereotyping
5. Digital Divide and Access
6. Misinformation, Disinformation, and Fake News