Unit 9 Globalization 1900-Present

What is Globalization?

The spread of ideas, products, and practices from one place to another, facilitated by advances in transportation, communication, and technology.

What are the main categories related to Globalization?

Social, Political, Human-Environment Interaction, Cultural, Economic, and Technology.

List some major events from the 20th and 21st centuries related to globalization

Spanish Flu, Alexander Fleming invented penicillin, United Nations formed, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Green Revolution, Artificial birth control, Greenpeace founded, Ebola outbreak, Green Belt Movement, AIDS epidemic, Deng Xiaoping’s Economic Reforms, Tiananmen Square, NAFTA formed, World Trade Organization (WTO) formed, Kyoto Protocol, Terrorist attacks on New York, Arab Spring Revolutions, Brexit

What was the impact of the Spanish Flu (1918-1919)?

Infected one-fifth of the world’s population and was deadlier than the Bubonic plague; killed 80 million worldwide.

What was the significance of Alexander Fleming inventing penicillin in 1928?

Medicine has increased the lifespan of humans, and new research and technologies continue to do so. Antibiotics such as penicillin were used for soldiers and disinfectants. Antibiotics created the risk of superbugs if overused.

What is the role of the General Assembly in the United Nations?

Representatives from each state; discusses security and issues.

What is the function and composition of the Security Council within the UN?

Matters of security and peace; prevents conflict on a large scale. It has 5 permanent members: China, Russia, UK, USA, and France.

What is the role of the Secretariat in the United Nations?

Administrative arm that sets agenda and keeps order for the UN.

What does the International Court of Justice do?

Settle territorial and worldwide disputes.

What is the purpose of the Economic and Social Council within the UN?

Improve standards of living and improve human rights.

What are the key principles of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)?

Using enlightenment principles for declarations of basic human rights such as equality, freedom from slavery.

What are some other UN priorities?

Protecting refugees, establishing camps, feeding the hungry through the World Food Program (WFP), and supporting education, science, and culture.

What was the Green Revolution of the 1950s?

A response to world hunger by developing new, disease-resistant, and drought-resistant types of food such as wheat, rice, and GMO grains

What impact did artificial birth control (introduced in the 1950s) have on society?

It decreased fertility rates and reshaped gender roles by giving more freedom to women.

What issues does Greenpeace address and how?

Fights against deforestation, desertification, global warming, and overfishing through lobbying, education, and direct action.

What was the purpose and impact of the Green Belt Movement started in 1977?

Response to environmental degradation from colonial experience; helped women work together to plant trees to reestablish water and soil

What was the cause and impact of the AIDS epidemic (1980s-1990s)?

HIV caused AIDS, killing 25 million people by weakening the immune system; spread through exchange of body fluids.

What were the key components of Deng Xiaoping’s Economic Reforms in China (1981)?

CCP moved away from economic equality for economic growth. Steps included replacing communes with peasant-owned land and allowing factories to make more products for consumers.

What was the Tiananmen Square incident (1989)?

Peaceful student demonstration in 1989 where the government killed hundreds to stop the demonstration.

What were the results of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)?

U.S., Canada, and Mexico created NAFTA to create tariff-free goods. Many of the workers were exploited for labor, especially young women.

What is the World Trade Organization (WTO)?

An organization that took over GATT in 1995 and was criticized for closed meetings favoring corporate interests.

What was the Kyoto Protocol (1997)?

First agreement to reduce carbon emissions worldwide, though some countries refused to agree completely.

What was the “Arab Spring” revolution in the 2010s?

Series of anti-government protests throughout North Africa and the Middle East organized on social media.

What is Brexit?

Britain was a founding member of the EU in 1993, but voted to leave in 2016.

Why do countries join together to create organizations?

Countries join together to create organizations for trade, such as the European Economic Community, Mercosur (SA), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), GATT, WTO, NATO, and Warsaw.

What was the original goal for the IMF and World Bank?

IMF to create fixed exchange rates to fix the economy → making all currency in relation to the USD (gold standard). World Bank goal was to give financial assistance to countries that needed to rebuild after the war.

What is the function of the IMF and World Bank today?

The IMF fights financial crises around the world by keeping tabs on the global economy by enacting economic policies to respond. The World Bank's goals are to reduce poverty by instituting projects in poor countries around the world.