Definitions of globalisation
McLuhan (1964) - Predicted the emergence of the global village – the worlds cultures would become
one super culture (cultural homogenisation).
Waters - Globalisation is a social process in which the constraints of geography on economic,
political and cultural arrangements have declined.
Albrow - Globalisation is all those processes by which the disparate people of the world would have
been incorporated into a single society.
Cochrane & Pain (2000) - “The emergence of a global economic and cultural system which is
incorporating the people of the world into a single global society”.
Giddens (1990) - “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.”
Cohen & Kennedy (2000) - “A series of transformations of the world, including changes in
the concept of time and space, interdependent economies, increasing cultural interaction and
increasingly shared problems.”
Problems with defining globalisation:
1. The definition may assume that globalisation is a positive process - for some, globalisation
results in marginalisation and exclusion. For example, those without access to the internet
for reasons such as poverty or state restrictions (North Korea, people cannot access the
majority of the internet).
2. The definition may assume that globalisation occurs everywhere at an even pace - one thing
is clear and that is that globalisation occurs at different rates in different places. So in less
developed countries for example, digital communication may be less well used (in some
African countries - they will not have the same opportunities as western developed
countries).
3. The definition may assume that globalisation results in cultural homogenisation - in fact,
globalisation has brought people spread out all over the world with similar or unique cultural
characteristics together to protect their rights & culture, like tribal people (Native
Americans, tribes in South America fighting to protect rainforest after destruction due to
globalisation).
4. The definition may assume that globalisation is only economic or political or cultural process
- in fact, globalisation affects with all these different areas of social life, in different ways.
5. The definition assumes that globalisation all results in social change towards postmodern
characteristics such as individualism and choice - globalisation can result in people wishing
to react to defend themselves against change, as a form of cultural resistance. For example,
some people see the spread of western liberal ideas as threatening and see to protect their
own alternative culture (Westboro Baptist church, having their own culture, maintaining a
conservative point of view).
Implications of globalisation:
Micro:
Martel argues for individuals geographical distance and time zones are no longer important.
Harvey (1990) calls this space-time compression.
, Technological advances such as emails and instant messaging such as WhatsApp has erased
distance and time constraints has substituted virtual space meaning we can all occupy the
same inline space at the time.
Macro:
At a societal level, goods, money, services, popular culture, drugs, crime, terrorism, disease,
news images, ideas, religions, and pollution are no crossing national borders on a large scale
and at a speed.
Societies that were once separate and independent are now globally intertwined and
interdependent (whether or not they want to be).
The lives of people from one end of the world are impacted by events and decisions that
happen on the other side of the world (the UK agreeing for the use of oil from the Rosebank
oil rig).
Positive Negative
Focuses on opportunity. Homogeneity –
everything becomes
We can now learn from each other and are the same e.g.
no longer ‘cut off’. McDonalds, fashion
We can experience new things e.g. travel, and trends, Coke,
music, food, selling goods, buy a range of Netflix, Disney+,
products, have access to more information. language. Local
culture and
These opportunities could be recreational traditions become
to lifesaving e.g. medical knowledge/care. lost.
Positive views often come from Post- Exploitation – Poorer
modernist perspectives. become oppressed.
Only the super rich
benefit. Big business
isn’t constrained by
national laws e.g.
Amazon being based
in Ireland to avoid
taxes in UK.
Resources and
environment
stripped by TNCs.
The concerns about
Globalisation often
come from Marxists
and Functionalists.
Wiseman:
Globalisation involves social, economic, and political changes which are not experienced by
all societies in the same way; as a result, sociologists have found it difficult to agree on a
precise definition.
Some sociologists have a positive interpretation of globalisation, others are more negative,
while a further group point to both positive and negative consequences.
, The positive interpretation of globalisation nay not recognise the role of globalisation in
marginalising and excluding people who do not have access to the internet.
Developments in the digital world
Global village - People are connected all over the world by transport, mass media,
telecommunications etc. New technologies have made communicating across the world much easier
making the world a much smaller place - we can create and maintain a relationship with someone on
the other side of the world without ever going anywhere. There is evidence of how the global village
can power the individual in that we can also be part of groups of interest which allow us to feel more
connected and to change things on a global scale.
Positives of a global village:
Pountney - social media has increased ability to form relationships with friends, peers,
colleagues and people who live far away.
Allows people to come together with similar interests with similar interest groups e.g. star
trek fans.
Pountney suggests these relationships can be just as significant as those that are offline.
Supports multiculturalism.
Increased opportunities through increased travel and communication.
Negatives of a global village:
Westernised culture becomes dominant.
Loss of traditional culture.
Spread of fake news.
Dependent on digital world; loss of digital world e.g. local businesses, obesity links.
Dark side of the internet - dangerous - online grooming.
Support for a global village:
Virtual communities - A social network of people who create an online community which may or
may not reflect their lives online. These can cross geographical, political and social lines. There are
lots of forms of viral communities including: message boards, online chat rooms, virtual worlds,
social networks and specific services communities.
Carter (2005) conducted research into one particular virtual community which the author
names Cybercity. Carter carried out participant observation and questionnaires as well as
offline semi-structured interviews on this predominantly western sample and found that
people use this virtual city to meet people with similar interests. Carter found out that
people who meet a person online do in fact often then continue these online friendships in
their offline lives, by meeting them in person, and argues that cyberspace is becoming
increasingly embedded in people's everyday lives.
Boellstorff (2008) conducted research into Second life which is one of the largest virtual
worlds, in which residents to create communities, buy property, buy and sell virtual goods
and fall in love. Boellstorff lived inside of second life for two and a half years, observing
residents in the same way anthropologists do of social groups in the 'real world'. He used
participant observations and interviews all inside a virtual world, exploring a range of issues.
However, there are no consequences of actions that are considered crimes offline. Since
2007 Belgian police have begun 'patrolling' second life, after a user reported being raped
within the game. More recent report have revealed that prostitution/pornography occurring
on second life, raising more issues about consent and regulation. This raises serious
McLuhan (1964) - Predicted the emergence of the global village – the worlds cultures would become
one super culture (cultural homogenisation).
Waters - Globalisation is a social process in which the constraints of geography on economic,
political and cultural arrangements have declined.
Albrow - Globalisation is all those processes by which the disparate people of the world would have
been incorporated into a single society.
Cochrane & Pain (2000) - “The emergence of a global economic and cultural system which is
incorporating the people of the world into a single global society”.
Giddens (1990) - “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.”
Cohen & Kennedy (2000) - “A series of transformations of the world, including changes in
the concept of time and space, interdependent economies, increasing cultural interaction and
increasingly shared problems.”
Problems with defining globalisation:
1. The definition may assume that globalisation is a positive process - for some, globalisation
results in marginalisation and exclusion. For example, those without access to the internet
for reasons such as poverty or state restrictions (North Korea, people cannot access the
majority of the internet).
2. The definition may assume that globalisation occurs everywhere at an even pace - one thing
is clear and that is that globalisation occurs at different rates in different places. So in less
developed countries for example, digital communication may be less well used (in some
African countries - they will not have the same opportunities as western developed
countries).
3. The definition may assume that globalisation results in cultural homogenisation - in fact,
globalisation has brought people spread out all over the world with similar or unique cultural
characteristics together to protect their rights & culture, like tribal people (Native
Americans, tribes in South America fighting to protect rainforest after destruction due to
globalisation).
4. The definition may assume that globalisation is only economic or political or cultural process
- in fact, globalisation affects with all these different areas of social life, in different ways.
5. The definition assumes that globalisation all results in social change towards postmodern
characteristics such as individualism and choice - globalisation can result in people wishing
to react to defend themselves against change, as a form of cultural resistance. For example,
some people see the spread of western liberal ideas as threatening and see to protect their
own alternative culture (Westboro Baptist church, having their own culture, maintaining a
conservative point of view).
Implications of globalisation:
Micro:
Martel argues for individuals geographical distance and time zones are no longer important.
Harvey (1990) calls this space-time compression.
, Technological advances such as emails and instant messaging such as WhatsApp has erased
distance and time constraints has substituted virtual space meaning we can all occupy the
same inline space at the time.
Macro:
At a societal level, goods, money, services, popular culture, drugs, crime, terrorism, disease,
news images, ideas, religions, and pollution are no crossing national borders on a large scale
and at a speed.
Societies that were once separate and independent are now globally intertwined and
interdependent (whether or not they want to be).
The lives of people from one end of the world are impacted by events and decisions that
happen on the other side of the world (the UK agreeing for the use of oil from the Rosebank
oil rig).
Positive Negative
Focuses on opportunity. Homogeneity –
everything becomes
We can now learn from each other and are the same e.g.
no longer ‘cut off’. McDonalds, fashion
We can experience new things e.g. travel, and trends, Coke,
music, food, selling goods, buy a range of Netflix, Disney+,
products, have access to more information. language. Local
culture and
These opportunities could be recreational traditions become
to lifesaving e.g. medical knowledge/care. lost.
Positive views often come from Post- Exploitation – Poorer
modernist perspectives. become oppressed.
Only the super rich
benefit. Big business
isn’t constrained by
national laws e.g.
Amazon being based
in Ireland to avoid
taxes in UK.
Resources and
environment
stripped by TNCs.
The concerns about
Globalisation often
come from Marxists
and Functionalists.
Wiseman:
Globalisation involves social, economic, and political changes which are not experienced by
all societies in the same way; as a result, sociologists have found it difficult to agree on a
precise definition.
Some sociologists have a positive interpretation of globalisation, others are more negative,
while a further group point to both positive and negative consequences.
, The positive interpretation of globalisation nay not recognise the role of globalisation in
marginalising and excluding people who do not have access to the internet.
Developments in the digital world
Global village - People are connected all over the world by transport, mass media,
telecommunications etc. New technologies have made communicating across the world much easier
making the world a much smaller place - we can create and maintain a relationship with someone on
the other side of the world without ever going anywhere. There is evidence of how the global village
can power the individual in that we can also be part of groups of interest which allow us to feel more
connected and to change things on a global scale.
Positives of a global village:
Pountney - social media has increased ability to form relationships with friends, peers,
colleagues and people who live far away.
Allows people to come together with similar interests with similar interest groups e.g. star
trek fans.
Pountney suggests these relationships can be just as significant as those that are offline.
Supports multiculturalism.
Increased opportunities through increased travel and communication.
Negatives of a global village:
Westernised culture becomes dominant.
Loss of traditional culture.
Spread of fake news.
Dependent on digital world; loss of digital world e.g. local businesses, obesity links.
Dark side of the internet - dangerous - online grooming.
Support for a global village:
Virtual communities - A social network of people who create an online community which may or
may not reflect their lives online. These can cross geographical, political and social lines. There are
lots of forms of viral communities including: message boards, online chat rooms, virtual worlds,
social networks and specific services communities.
Carter (2005) conducted research into one particular virtual community which the author
names Cybercity. Carter carried out participant observation and questionnaires as well as
offline semi-structured interviews on this predominantly western sample and found that
people use this virtual city to meet people with similar interests. Carter found out that
people who meet a person online do in fact often then continue these online friendships in
their offline lives, by meeting them in person, and argues that cyberspace is becoming
increasingly embedded in people's everyday lives.
Boellstorff (2008) conducted research into Second life which is one of the largest virtual
worlds, in which residents to create communities, buy property, buy and sell virtual goods
and fall in love. Boellstorff lived inside of second life for two and a half years, observing
residents in the same way anthropologists do of social groups in the 'real world'. He used
participant observations and interviews all inside a virtual world, exploring a range of issues.
However, there are no consequences of actions that are considered crimes offline. Since
2007 Belgian police have begun 'patrolling' second life, after a user reported being raped
within the game. More recent report have revealed that prostitution/pornography occurring
on second life, raising more issues about consent and regulation. This raises serious
