Globalization and Technological Development Since 1900

Technological Advancements and Global Connectivity Post-1900

The landscape of the world after $1900$ was fundamentally altered by a series of technological innovations that transformed communication, transportation, and energy sectors. In the realm of communication, the development and proliferation of the radio, the cellular phone, and the internet facilitated faster global interaction. These technologies allowed for the instant connection of people across the globe, which in turn accelerated the distribution of business practices, cultural elements, and information. Simultaneously, transportation underwent a revolution through the advent of air travel and the use of shipping containers. These advancements significantly increased the volume of international trade, making the movement of goods not only faster but also considerably cheaper. This increased the rates at which trade could happen globally. Energy technologies also played a pivotal role; the utilization of petroleum and the development of nuclear power fueled industrial growth and improved standards of living, though they concurrently resulted in substantial environmental changes.

Medical Innovations and the Green Revolution

Scientific progress in the twentieth century led to significant medical breakthroughs, including the development of effective birth control, vaccines, and antibiotics. These innovations contributed to a notable increase in life expectancy and fueled worldwide population growth. However, the introduction of birth control specifically led to smaller family sizes, which had the economic effect of allowing for more capital per family member. In agriculture, the Green Revolution emerged as a transformative movement involving the use of genetically modified (GM) seeds and chemical fertilizers. This revolution greatly increased the global food supply, fostering greater food security and reducing the frequency of famines. Despite these benefits, the Green Revolution brought negative consequences, such as the rise of monocultures which are at greater risk of disease, the loss of heirloom seed varieties, the expansion of large agricultural corporations, and a corresponding decline in opportunities for small-scale farmers.

Persistence of Disease and Public Health Challenges

While technology bridged distances, it also facilitated the spread of microbes alongside culture. The limitations of modern advancements became apparent during the $COVID-19$ Pandemic in $2020$, where there was uneven access to vaccines; the poor, particularly those in the service sector, suffered significant losses in employment and income. History shows a pattern of persistent disease transmission, such as the $1918$ influenza pandemic, which was spread by soldiers and refugees during World War I and eventually infected $1/2$ of the global population. Another major health crisis is HIV/AIDS, spread through sexual contact and the sharing of needles by drug users. By $2018$, statistics indicated that $38,000,000$ people were living with HIV, and $32,000,000$ had died from the disease. Health challenges are often divided by economic standing: poverty diseases include Malaria, Tuberculosis (TB), and cholera, while rich diseases (associated with longer life or lifestyle) include heart attacks, Alzheimer's, and strokes.

Environmental Change and the Rise of Environmentalism

Human activity has led to significant environmental impacts, including deforestation, desertification, a decline in air quality, increased consumption of fresh water, and heightened competition for resources. These activities, particularly the release of greenhouse gases and pollutants into the atmosphere, have sparked intense debates over the nature and cause of climate change. In response, environmental activists have pressured governments to adopt conservation policies. Notable milestones in this movement include the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring in $1962$, which exposed chemical contamination, and the Club of Rome's $1972$ report, Limits to Growth, which warned of a potential collapse of industrial society due to resource exhaustion. In the democratic West, Green Parties emerged to focus on environmental protection, sustainability, and social justice. In contrast, the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin launched the Green Belt plan in the late $1940s$ to plant massive belts of trees, yet the state-directed industry caused massive damage, exemplified by the drying of the Aral Sea and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Economic Shifts: Neoliberalism and Global Industry

The late $20th$ century saw a marked decline in state involvement in markets as neoliberal economic policies spread. These policies favored the reduction of tariffs, the free global movement of capital, the use of a temporary workforce, the privatization of state-run enterprises, and cuts to taxes and government spending. This represented a reversal of the government interventionism seen during and after the Great Depression. Key figures in this shift included Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Deng Xiaoping. Deng Xiaoping, who led China from $1978$ to $1997$, dismantled communist economic elements by returning to private small-scale agriculture and welcoming foreign investment, effectively moving China toward a free-market economy. This era also saw industry shift toward Latin America and Asia due to lower labor costs and fewer regulations. A specific example is the Maquiladoras in northern Mexico—factories run by foreign companies that export products back to the home country. As a result, multinational corporations grew in power, with Walmart becoming the $10th$ largest economic entity in the world.

Private Life, Human Rights, and Global Reform

Globalization has deeply affected private life, giving individuals more autonomy over matters like marriage, the number of children to raise, and sexual identity. Technologies such as condoms, IUDs, and the birth control pill allowed for the separation of sexual life from reproduction. Simultaneously, education shifted from the family to state-run schools, changing the primary role of children from workers to students. China implemented its One-Child Policy, using financial incentives, penalties, and abortions to curb population growth. On a broader scale, the human rights movement challenged traditional assumptions regarding race, class, gender, and religion. Global feminism pushed for women's autonomy, with Ataturk in Turkey instituting state-directed feminism and the USSR and China passing marriage laws for freedom. However, some regions saw reversals, such as Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini, where strict Islamic rules like the mandatory headscarf were instituted. Resistance to globalization also manifested in large-scale protests, most notably the chaotic and violent $1999$ protest in Seattle.

Global Culture and Urbanization

Modern political and economic changes have created a global popular culture that transcends national borders, characterized by social media, soccer, Coca-Cola, and K-pop. This global modernity often clashes with traditionalism, leading to religious fundamentalism. Examples include the Iranian Revolution, which replaced a Western-influenced government with an Islamic state based on Shia law, and the American New Right, which sought to end feminism and abortion. Some secular authorities, viewing religion as backward, promoted atheism and banned religious displays in public life. Additionally, the world has seen massive urbanization, partly driven by the Green Revolution's reduction of the need for manual labor. This has led to the rise of Megacities, defined as urban centers with populations exceeding $10,000,000$. By $2020$, there were $37$ such cities across five continents. Long-distance migration also increased, driven by war, political oppression, and environmental damage, leading to debates over assimilation, such as the $2004$ French law banning headscarves.

Institutions of a Globalized World

To manage the complexities of a globalized economy and maintain peace, several international institutions were established. The United Nations (UN) was founded in $1945$ following World War II to promote international security and cooperation. Earlier, the $1944$ Bretton Woods conference established agreements to regulate financial dealings among capitalist countries, leading to the creation of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which provide loans to stabilize and improve developing economies. In trade, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed in $1994$ between the United States, Canada, and Mexico to eliminate tariffs. Finally, the World Trade Organization (WTO) now represents $164$ nations and negotiates the rules of global commerce while promoting free trade, although it frequently serves as a focal point for anti-globalization protests.