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Unit 9 Globalization Overview

  • Globalization: Interconnectedness of the world facilitated by technology (internet, transportation).
  • Impact of Technology:
    • Ability to travel globally in about 24 hours.
    • Instant communication worldwide through the internet.
    • Cultural exchange through music, news, and daily life.
  • Arab Spring:
    • Mass protests in the Middle East (late 2000s - early 2010s).
    • Social media (Facebook) played a crucial role in mobilizing protests against governments.
  • Green Revolution:
    • Scientific methods to increase agricultural productivity, especially in developing countries.
    • Key figure: Norman Borlaug.
    • Resulted in higher crop yields but increased inequalities between wealthy and poor farmers.
  • Pros and Cons of Agricultural Technology:
    • Pros: Increased food production, reduced starvation.
    • Cons: Health risks of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), cost barriers for subsistence farmers.
  • Energy Shift: Transition from coal to petroleum and gas; reliance on nonrenewable resources.
  • Medical Advancements:
    • General use of antibiotics, vaccinations.
    • Birth control shifted societal norms, leading to increased women's participation in education and the workforce.
  • Environmental Change:
    • Population growth drives demands for agricultural land, contributing to deforestation and desertification.
    • Urbanization leads to increased waste and pollution.
  • Economic Globalization:
    • Free trade advocates: Reagan (US) and Thatcher (UK).
    • China opened special economic zones for foreign investments while maintaining communist political policies.
  • Maquiladoras: Factories located near the US-Mexico border that benefit from lower labor costs in Mexico.
  • Human Rights Movements: Including votes for women and civil rights in the US; issues persist even after legal changes.
  • Global Culture: Blending of cultures worldwide, often leading to a homogenized global culture (e.g., global brands like McDonald's).
  • Critiques of Globalization: Job outsourcing, loss of individual sovereignty, and widening income inequality.