The Contemporary World: Globalization, Global Governance, and Asian Regionalism

Flashcards covering key definitions, theoretical perspectives, historical events, global governance structures, and regional dynamics from Lesson 1 to Lesson 7 of The Contemporary World course.

How does Manfred Steger define globalization?

Manfred Steger defines globalization as "the expansion and intensification of social relations and consciousness across world-time and across world-space."

According to Manfred Steger, what is the difference between 'expansion' and 'intensification' in globalization?

Expansion refers to both the creation of new social networks and the multiplication of existing connections across boundaries, whereas intensification refers to the expansion, stretching, and acceleration of these networks, making connections more closely-knit.

What are the two key premises of globalization outlined by Claudio and Abinales (2022)?

First, globalization is a complex phenomenon occurring at multiple levels and cannot be limited to one aspect. Second, globalization is an uneven process that affects people and countries differently.

What is the key distinction between globalization and globalism?

Globalization is a multidimensional process of expanding and intensifying social relations and consciousness, whereas globalism is an ideology—the belief that integrating economic markets on a global scale is advantageous for all and spreads freedom and democracy worldwide.

How does scholar Anthony Giddens define globalization, and what is his key emphasis?

Giddens defines globalization 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," emphasizing social interconnectedness.

How does Joseph Stiglitz define globalization?

Stiglitz defines it as "the closer integration of the countries and peoples of the world which has been brought about by the enormous reduction of costs of transportation and communication, and the breaking down of artificial barriers to the flows of goods, services, capital, knowledge, and people across borders."

What are Arjun Appadurai's five 'scapes' of globalization?

Ethnoscapes (movement of people), Technoscapes (cross-border impact of technology), Financescapes (rapid global movement of money), Mediascapes (international media influence), and Ideoscapes (spread of ideas, symbols, and narratives).

How do David Held et al. define globalization?

Held et al. define globalization as a process (or set of processes) embodying a transformation in the spatial organization of social relations and transactions—assessed in terms of extensity, intensity, velocity, and impact—generating transcontinental or interregional flows and power networks.

How do Roland Robertson and Ulrich Beck define globalization?

Roland Robertson defines globalization as "the compression of the world and the intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole," while Ulrich Beck defines it as the "perceptible loss of boundaries in daily activities in the various dimensions of the economy, information, ecology, technology, transcultural conflicts and civil society."

How do Jan Aart Scholte and Thomas Friedman view globalization?

Jan Aart Scholte defines globalization as the spread of transplanetary and supraterritorial connections, while Thomas Friedman describes it as the "flattening" of the world, enabling global collaboration and competition.

What linguistic difference between Tagalog and Cebuano does the word 'Langgam' illustrate?

In Tagalog, 'langgam' refers to an ant, whereas in Cebuano, 'langgam' refers to a bird.

What is Global Market Integration?

Global Market Integration refers to the growing interconnectedness of economies worldwide, enabling consumers to access diverse products from different countries through global trade networks and transportation systems.

What are the key services provided by International Financial Institutions (IFIs)?

IFIs lend money to countries experiencing economic trouble, advise on economic management, help facilitate foreign currency exchange, support economic development in poorer nations, and encourage cross-border trade and financial movement.

According to Iwan (2007), how do Multinational Corporations (MNCs) differ from Transnational Corporations (TNCs)?

In MNCs, decision-making is centralized at a central headquarters, whereas TNCs invest in foreign markets through decentralized operations and systems in each country, allowing flexible adaptation to local conditions and preferences.

When was the Gold Standard adopted, and why did governments eventually transition away from it?

The Gold Standard was adopted in 1867 by the UK, US, and European countries to establish fixed exchange rates based on gold. WWI (1914–1918) forced countries to spend gold reserves, and during the Great Depression (1920s–1930s), economists argued it exacerbated economic crises by limiting the circulating money supply to gold reserves.

What are fiat currencies?

Fiat currencies are world currencies that are not backed by precious metals; their values are determined by their cost relative to other currencies.

What economic philosophy influenced the Bretton Woods conference, and what two financial institutions were established there?

Bretton Woods was influenced by John Maynard Keynes (Keynesianism), who believed economic crises occur when money is not spent and circulated. The delegates created the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD or World Bank) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

What are the primary principles of neoliberalism, and who were two of its key advocates?

Neoliberalism promotes free markets, deregulation, privatization, and trade liberalization. Intellectuals Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman championed neoliberalism, arguing that government spending causes inflation and distorts market operations.

How did the IMF's Washington Consensus privatization policy impact post-communist Russia?

The rapid privatization of state industries meant that only individuals and groups who had already accumulated wealth under the former communist government had money to purchase them, establishing the Russian oligarchy.

What major events occurred during the global financial crisis of 2007–08 in the United States?

Triggered by the collapse of the U.S. housing market, JPMorgan Chase acquired Bear Stearns in spring 2008, 168-year-old Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy in September 2008 with $639 billion in assets, the Federal Reserve supported AIG, and Citigroup and Bank of America sought federal bailouts.

According to historians Dennis O. Flynn and Arturo Giraldez, when did true global trade begin?

They trace globalization back to 1571 with the establishment of the galleon trade connecting Manila in the Philippines and Acapulco in Mexico, marking continuous product exchange across populated continents.

What does the term 'race to the bottom' refer to in economic globalization?

It refers to countries lowering labor standards, worker protections, and environmental laws to attract international investors looking for maximum profits at the lowest possible cost.

When was the World Trade Organization (WTO) established, and what are its primary objectives?

Established in 1995, the WTO aims to reduce trade barriers, resolve international trade disputes, and promote free trade principles globally.

What three main categories make up Immanuel Wallerstein's Modern World System theory?

Core states (advanced industrialization, high technology, e.g., G7 countries, China), Semi-peripheral regions (mix of advanced and less developed activities, e.g., Brazil, India, Mexico), and Peripheral areas (resource-extraction economies with low-wage labor).

What is the core idea of the Global Interstate System theory by Chase-Dunn (1981)?

It posits that world politics can be understood as a system of sovereign nation-states, each acting as a unitary actor pursuing its national interests (security, economic prosperity, sovereignty) in a competitive global environment.

What historical event established the modern concept of state sovereignty?

The Treaty of Westphalia, signed in 1648 to end the Thirty Years' War in Europe between Catholics and Protestants.

How does Benedict Anderson define a nation?

Anderson defines a nation as an "imagined community," meaning it allows individuals to feel a connection with a community of people even if they never meet all of them personally.

What is the distinction between a state and a nation, and what are examples of multi-nation states or multi-state nations?

A state is a formal governing political entity, while a nation is a cultural/imagined identity. Examples: Scotland and Bangsamoro are distinct nations within larger sovereign states (UK and Philippines), while the nation of Korea is divided across two states.

What are the four essential elements of a state?

Population, Territory, Government, and Sovereignty.

What was the Concert of Europe (Metternich system), and how long did its power last?

Created by royal powers after defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the Concert of Europe sought to restore monarchical privileges and state sovereignty, lasting from 1815 until 1914.

Who were key thinkers in Liberal Internationalism, and what concepts did they introduce?

Immanuel Kant imagined a form of world government/principles; Jeremy Bentham coined 'international' in 1780 and advocated international law; Giuseppe Mazzini reconciled nationalism with international cooperation; and Woodrow Wilson forwarded self-determination and advocated the League of Nations.

What was the Socialist International (1889), and what workplace milestones did it achieve?

The Socialist International was a union of European socialist and labor parties established in Paris in 1889 based on Karl Marx's principles. Its achievements include the declaration of May 1 as Labor Day, International Women's Day, and the 8-hour workday.

According to Jackson and Sorensen, what is the difference between juridical statehood and empirical statehood?

Juridical statehood emphasizes constitutional independence and international recognition, whereas empirical statehood relates to internal functional capabilities, including efficient political institutions, solid economic foundations, and substantial national unity.

What is a 'quasi-state'?

A state that possesses well-functioning juridical statehood (formal recognition) but low empirical statehood, often characterized by severe poverty, weak institutions, or poor infrastructure.

According to Michael N. Barnett and Martha Finnemore, what three powers do International Organizations (IOs) hold?

The power of classification (e.g., Defining 'Refugee'), the ability to change the meaning of words (e.g., 'security'), and the power to diffuse norms.

What are the five active principal organs of the United Nations?

The General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the Secretariat. (The sixth organ, the Trusteeship Council, suspended operations in 1994).

Which nations constitute the Permanent Five (P5) of the UN Security Council, and what power do they hold?

China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. They hold veto power, which can stop any Security Council action.

Which notable Filipino diplomats held high-ranking positions in the UN General Assembly and Commission on Human Rights?

Carlos P. Romulo was elected GA President for 1949–1950, and Salvador P. Lopez served as chairman of the UN Commission on Human Rights in the 1960s.

What is the difference between Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)?

IGOs are composed primarily of sovereign member states established by formal treaty (e.g., UN), whereas NGOs are private, non-profit organizations independent of governments that advocate for social, economic, or environmental causes (e.g., Save the Children).

According to Levander and Mignolo (2011), what does the term 'Global South' represent?

It represents a "symbolic representation of human distress within the realm of global capitalism and imperial endeavors," emphasizing historical legacies of colonialism, neo-imperialism, and structural economic inequalities rather than strict geography.

How does the 'Global South' paradigm differ from the Cold War concept of the 'Third World'?

The 'Third World' was primarily a Cold War geopolitical and economic category based on alignment with superpowers, whereas the 'Global South' encompasses broader socio-economic conditions, cultural dynamics, knowledge production, and structural power dynamics.

What is South-South collaboration?

An international cooperation framework in which developing countries share resources, technology, and knowledge among themselves to achieve mutual development goals, reducing reliance on traditional North-South donor aid.

How does Louise Fawcett distinguish regionalization from globalization?

Globalization operates on a worldwide scale to integrate economies, whereas regionalization focuses on economic integration, political coordination, and cultural bonding among neighboring countries within a specific geographic area.

What is Jagdish Bhagwati's 'spaghetti bowl' effect in international economics?

The phenomenon where an accumulation of overlapping regional trade agreements creates a tangled web of complex trade rules and tariffs that can conflict with global free trade.

What are the six geographical sub-regions of Asia identified in the lecture notes?

East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia (Middle East), and North Asia/Caucasus.

What are three major motives for countries to form regional associations, along with historical examples?

Military defense (e.g., NATO), pooling resources to maximize export returns (e.g., OPEC, established in 1960), and protecting independence from superpower pressures (e.g., Non-Aligned Movement / NAM, created in 1961).

What is the 'ASEAN Way' described by Amitav Acharya (2001)?

A regional approach to cooperation based on consensus-building, informal decision-making, and non-interference in the internal affairs of member states.

What four interconnected categories of factors drive Asian regional integration?

Economic factors (rapid economic growth, intra-regional trade constituting over 50% of total trade, production networks), Political factors (end of Cold War, rise of China & India, ASEAN), Cultural factors (shared values, people-to-people exchanges, pop culture), and Technological factors (transportation and digital connectivity).

What are key challenges facing Asian regional integration?

The sovereignty-cooperation conundrum, significant economic development gaps between nations, legacies of Japan's imperial history, South China Sea territorial disputes, and navigating great power competition (US-China rivalry).