Chapter 1 Notes – Globalization and Global Governance
Overview
Chapter focus: Globalization and Global Governance; address how globalization affects governments, the roles of international organizations in global governance in the 21st century, and the global divide as a key phenomenon in international integration.
Objectives: by the end of the chapter you should be able to:
1) Present a working definition of globalization.
2) Describe the international system and explain how it operates.
3) Analyze how globalization affects governance and global relations.
Bridging Learning Opportunities:
A. Globalization in the News: form a trio, clip news articles on globalization, categorize as positive/negative, share perceptions in class.
B. International Organizations in Action: identify at least two IOs, study their mission/vision/goals/programs, prepare a short oral presentation.
C. United Nations as a Global Governance Actor: download and read the UN Charter.
D. #1stWorldProblems vs. #3rdWorldProblems: use Meta cards to write the most pressing global problem; post and classify as first world, third world, or both.
Page indicator: 13
Globalization: Definitions and Conceptualizations
Globalization is widely used but difficult to define; multiple definitions exist (Reich 1998; Heywood 2002).
It is more a group of processes than a single process; processes can overlap, interlock, and conflict (Heywood 2002).
Working approach: study several conceptualizations to examine economic, social, political, and technological transformations and the interconnectedness of people and places.
Globality/gobalized state as a social condition: existence of global economic, political, cultural, and environmental interconnections that render many borders irrelevant (Steger 2013).
Globalization carries both opportunities and threats; we are citizens of the world, requiring responsibility over choices.
Fun fact: Theodore Levitt coined the term globalization, linking it to the spread of corporations ( AFP. 2009; The Economist).
Table 1.1: Definitions of Globalization
Goldstein (2009): Globalization encompasses trends such as expanded international trade, monetary coordination, multinational corporations, telecommunications, tech cooperation, cultural exchanges, migration/refugee flows, and relations between rich and poor and with the environment.
Friedman (1999): The inexorable integration of markets, nation-states, and technologies enabling faster, farther, deeper, and cheaper global reach.
Kiss, Endre (2013): Globalization as the unprecedented new world state, a phase perceptible now but matured starting in 1989 with the retreat of communism.
Heywood (2014): Globalization as the emergence of a complex web of interconnectedness, with lives increasingly shaped by distant events and decisions; economic, cultural, and political globalization are distinctions within globalization.
Ritzer & Dean (2015): Globalization as a transplanetary process or set of processes involving increasing liquidity and multidirectional flows of people, objects, places, and information, and the structures they encounter and create that either impede or expedite those flows.
From these definitions, common themes (Steger 2013):
Theme 1: Creation and multiplication of social networks and activities that cross traditional boundaries.
Theme 2: Expansion/stretching of social relations and interdependencies.
Theme 3: Intensification and acceleration of social exchanges.
Theme 4: Globalization has a subjective dimension (human consciousness) as well as an objective one (material flows).
Conceptualizations of globalization (Goldstein & Pevehouse, 2009):
Liberal economic view: globalization as the fruition of liberal policies through a global marketplace; supranational institutions (e.g., IMF, EU) and nonstate actors take on market roles; states’ traditional economic units fade in importance.
Skeptical view: the world’s major economies are not more integrated than before World War I; the North–South divide persists or widens; regional distinctions remain.
Transformationalist view: globalization diffuses authority; state power is transformed rather than simply strengthened or weakened; new tools and contexts emerge.
Globalization is multidimensional; Steger (2013) uses the parable of the blind scholars and the elephant to illustrate competing dimensions and the need for interdisciplinary analysis (economic, political, cultural, social, technological).
Globalization is therefore a multidimensional, evolving phenomenon; understanding requires crossing disciplinary boundaries to see the whole picture.
The International System (overview): the set of relationships among world states structured by rules and interaction patterns (Goldstein & Pevehouse 2014).
State definition (Montevideo Convention, 1933): four de facto elements
People, territory, government, sovereignty (Declarative Theory).
Constitutive Theory adds two more: recognition by other states and degree of civilization.
Actors in IR: states and nonstate actors (IGOs, NGOs, MNCs, individuals, cities, etc.). Nonstate actors are transnational actors operating across borders.
The political system (Almond & Powell 1988): a set of institutions and agencies that formulate and implement a society’s goals; exists domestically and internationally; inputs/outputs shape and are shaped by environments.
Core functions (Almond & Powell model):
Input function: political socialization; political recruitment; political communication.
Process function: interest articulation; interest aggregation; policy making.
Output function: policy action; regulation; distribution.
Globalization and the system: intensification of cross-border interactions and interdependence between states; impacts domestic and external environments; trends toward more integrated international systems and interdependence.
Anarchy in international relations: absence of a central world government; islands of order and cooperation exist within an anarchic system.
The collective goods problem (Goldstein & Pevehouse, 2014): difficulty of providing common goods in an anarchic system because states are sovereign and lack a central authority.
Core principles to address it:
Dominance principle
Reciprocity principle
Identity principle
Ways of solving:建立 a power hierarchy; reward behavior that benefits the group; highlight identities of participants who care about others.
Cooperation under anarchy: liberalism and institutionalism argue that interdependence creates incentives to cooperate and supports global governance; not all states are equal once sovereignty is considered, but cooperation is possible.
Key takeaway: Globalization is multidimensional, transforming how states interact, with the potential for more cooperative, governance-oriented outcomes despite anarchy.
Global Governance
Distinction between global government and global governance:
Global government would imply a central global authority with hierarchical power; there is no global government.
Global governance denotes rule-based orders, norms, laws, and institutions that mediate cross-border relations among states, cultures, citizens, IGOs, NGOs, and markets; it is broader than a centralized state power (Weiss 2014).
The United Nations (UN) as a central global governance actor:
The UN personifies global governance; it is not a perfect bureaucracy, but embodies the international community of states and acts as a locus for collective action and information sharing (Weiss & Thakur 2014).
The UN system has universal state membership and mechanisms for involving nonstate actors, serving as a central clearinghouse for information and action.
UN trivia (highlights):
World celebration day on October 24 since 1948.
Presidency of the General Assembly rotates among five regional groups.
The UN aims to maintain international peace, promote human rights; founded in 1945; known for peacekeeping, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, humanitarian aid; started with 51 members; now 193 members; engages with 140 nations on climate change; has 80 treaties/declarations protecting human rights; develops friendly relations.
Founding charter/structure dates: founding charter signed June 26, 1945; came into force October 24, 1945.
The UN Charter principles (founding):
States are equal under international law.
States possess full sovereignty over their own affairs.
States have independence and territorial integrity.
States should honor internal obligations (e.g., respecting diplomatic privileges, refraining from aggression, honoring treaties).
UN organs (six principal organs):
General Assembly
Security Council
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Trusteeship Council
International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Secretariat
UN structure and key bodies (as described in the chapter):
General Assembly: main deliberative, policy-making, and representative organ; decisions on peace and security, admission of new members, and budget require a two-thirds vote; other decisions require a simple majority; all 193 member states have equal representation and must comply with Security Council decisions.
Security Council: primary responsibility for international peace and security; 15 members: 5 permanent with veto power and 10 non-permanent elected for two-year terms; permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; non-permanent members include a rotating set (e.g., Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Kuwait, Peru, Poland at different term years); the Philippines has served as a non-permanent member previously; the Council can determine threats, call for peaceful settlement, recommend terms, impose sanctions or authorize force, appoint the Secretary-General and admit new members, and elect ICJ judges.
Veto power among permanent members is a point of critique regarding equality among member states.
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): central body for the UN development system; coordinates, reviews policy, engages in dialogue, and makes recommendations on social and environmental issues and sustainable development.
Trusteeship Council: charged with international trusteeship supervision; currently inactive after Palau’s independence; historically supervised territories.
International Court of Justice (ICJ): the UN’s principal judicial organ; resolves disputes between states and can give advisory opinions; only states can sue or be sued; separate from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which prosecutes individuals for war crimes; ICC operates under universal jurisdiction.
Secretariat: headed by the Secretary-General; administrative functions across UN organs; Secretary-General appointed by General Assembly on Security Council recommendation.
UN programs and specialized agencies:
The UN system includes affiliated programs, funds, and specialized agencies with separate membership and budgets; these agencies function as independent international organizations (examples listed in UN materials).
Challenges to global governance (Weiss 2014): the UN plays four essential roles in identifying and diagnosing problems:
1) Managing knowledge – addressing problems without passport; questions include how knowledge is acquired, transmitted to policy-makers, and translated into solutions.
2) Developing norms – articulating and institutionalizing norms; ensuring norms are transmitted into national policy via elite learning; institutionalization processes face challenges at national, regional, and global levels.
3) Formulating recommendations – as a policy actor, the UN identifies policy gaps and proposes options for governments and IGOs to change behavior; the 2004 UN report outlines evolving multilateralism.
4) Institutionalizing ideas – implementing recommendations; it is challenging to get sovereign states to adopt norms/laws; enforcement mechanisms for international norms are limited; the UN cannot enforce a world government.2004 UN recommendations for the 21st century governance:
Multilateralism is now multifaceted and involves many constituencies; the UN must service this broader network.
The UN should become outward-looking, networked, and focus on results rather than procedural rigidity.
Strengthen global governance by promoting universality, inclusion, participation, and accountability at all levels.
Engage more systematically with world public opinion to shape attitudes and support for multilateralism.
The Global Divide
Globalization is here and now, with supporters arguing that it expands opportunities and fuels competition and efficiency; opponents argue it creates resource gaps and vulnerabilities for some states or groups.
The global divide arises as globalization intensifies cross-border interactions and interdependencies while sovereign states remain; opportunities and threats coexist.
Analogy: Claudio (2014) uses Starbucks vs. shanties to illustrate globalization’s dual nature. Global brands (Starbucks) appear in Melbourne, Manila, New York, New Delhi with uniform offerings, but nearby realities include poverty and informal sectors, with shantytowns and child labor; this juxtaposition highlights globalization’s underside and the “globalization creates undersides” idea.
Locating the Global South: historically linked to poorer countries and the developing/underdeveloped world; North/South divide is a common frame (G8 members and several permanent Security Council members are in the Global North).
Czerniewicz (2016): Global South is partly geographical and partly imaginary; it is not simply an equal division; terminology reflects postcolonial and globalization dynamics.
Grovogui (2014, as cited): Global South is not a fixed geographical designation; it’s a symbolic label reflecting postcolonial international order rather than a strict geographic category.
The Global South is not fixed and may change with globalization; new definitions of “Global South” reflect historical, socioeconomic, and political contexts.
The Starbucks/shanty analogy demonstrates that global interconnectedness exists alongside deep local inequalities; globalization creates both affluence and precarity.
The global South is a concept distributed across spaces; it is “everywhere, but also somewhere,” located at the intersection of dispossession and repossession in entangled political geographies.
Fourth World concept (Castells): a subpopulation of extreme poverty and social exclusion; Manuel Castells coined the term to denote the most impoverished, marginalized segments within or across nations.
Fun fact: Is there a Fourth World? Yes — Castells coined the term to describe the most poverty-stricken and excluded groups within global society.
Key Terms and Concepts (Glossary)
Globalization: process by which social relations and consciousness expand across world-time and world-space, creating interdependencies across borders.
Global governance: system of rules, norms, and institutions that mediate transborder relations without a centralized global government.
International system: the network of state and nonstate actors interacting under agreed rules and patterns.
Anarchy: absence of a central global authority; order exists in pockets within an otherwise noncentralized system.
Collective goods problem: difficulty of providing for common interests in an anarchic system without a central authority.
Core principles for solving the collective goods problem: Dominance, Reciprocity, Identity.
Nonstate actors: IGOs, NGOs, MNCs, cities, individuals; actors operating across borders beyond nation-states.
Montevideo criteria: four de facto elements of a state (people, territory, government, sovereignty); constitutive theory adds recognition and civilization degree.
UN organs: General Assembly, Security Council, ECOSOC, Trusteeship Council, ICJ, Secretariat.
Veto power: discretionary power of permanent Security Council members to block resolutions.
Fourth World: term describing the most impoverished, socially excluded populations within the global system.
Connections to Foundations, Real-World Relevance, and Implications
Globalization is neither wholly good nor wholly bad; it creates opportunities (trade, tech transfer, cultural exchange) and threats (inequality, vulnerability, exclusion).
The international system’s move toward greater interdependence has increased the importance of global governance mechanisms like the UN and its affiliated bodies, which can manage knowledge, set norms, formulate policy recommendations, and attempt to institutionalize ideas, even though enforcement remains limited.
The UN’s structure (six principal organs, with General Assembly and Security Council at the center) illustrates how legitimacy, representation, and power influence global governance outcomes.
The North–South divide remains a critical lens for analyzing globalization’s unequal distribution of benefits and burdens; however, scholars emphasize that such divisions are partly constructed, evolving, and not strictly geographic.
The Starbucks–shanty metaphor helps students grasp globalization’s dual character: uniform global brands and local inequalities coexisting within the same urban spaces.
The Fourth World concept highlights extreme poverty and marginalization; these groups illustrate that globalization’s benefits are not evenly shared and may necessitate targeted policy responses.
Ethical implications: questions of sovereignty, accountability, inclusivity, and equality in global governance; balancing universal norms with respect for diverse political orders;
The UN’s role in norm development vs. enforcement highlights the tension between universal ideals and national sovereignty.
Practical implications for learners: understand multiple definitions of globalization, recognize the variety of actors in the international system, and analyze how global governance mechanisms can address complex transborder challenges.
Summary Takeaways
Globalization is a multidimensional, dynamic process that expands and intensifies cross-border interactions and interdependencies, shaping both opportunities and vulnerabilities across regions.
The international system comprises state and nonstate actors operating under a mix of liberal, skeptical, and transformationalist perspectives; cooperation is possible but constrained by sovereignty and lack of a central global authority.
Global governance, led by institutions like the UN, aims to manage knowledge, norms, and policy options to address global challenges; it cannot enforce a universal world order but can shape state behavior and norms through collective action.
The Global Divide persists as a critical analytical lens; it is both a geographic and symbolic construct, reflecting ongoing inequalities, while also acknowledging changing geographies and the evolving nature of global power.
lmao part 2 same notes
Overview
Globalization: Definitions and Conceptualizations
Globalization is a broadly used term that's challenging to precisely define; it's understood as a collection of interconnected processes rather than a single event (Heywood 2002).
Working Approach: Involves studying various conceptualizations to understand the economic, social, political, and technological transformations and the increasing interconnectedness of people and places.
Globality/Globalized State: Describes a social condition characterized by global economic, political, cultural, and environmental interconnections, often rendering traditional borders less significant (Steger 2013).
Globalization presents both opportunities and threats, requiring individuals to act as responsible global citizens.
Fun Fact: Theodore Levitt coined the term 'globalization,' linking it to the global expansion of corporations (AFP, 2009; The Economist).
Common Themes in Globalization Definitions (Steger 2013):
Theme 1: Creation and expansion of social networks and activities that cross established boundaries.
Theme 2: Broadening and extending of social relations and interdependencies globally.
Theme 3: Intensification and acceleration of social exchanges.
Theme 4: Possesses both a subjective dimension (human consciousness) and an objective dimension (material flows).
Conceptualizations of Globalization (Goldstein & Pevehouse, 2009):
Liberal Economic View: Globalization is seen as the successful outcome of liberal policies, fostering a global marketplace where supranational institutions (e.g., IMF, EU) and nonstate actors take on market roles, reducing the traditional economic importance of states.
Skeptical View: Contends that major world economies are not more integrated today than pre-World War I, noting the persistence or widening of the North–South divide and enduring regional distinctions.
Transformationalist View: Suggests that globalization alters state power (diffuses authority) rather than simply increasing or decreasing it, creating new tools and contexts for international relations.
Globalization is inherently multidimensional, necessitating an interdisciplinary approach to analysis (economic, political, cultural, social, technological), analogous to the parable of the blind scholars and the elephant (Steger 2013).
The International System
The international system is defined as the relationships among world states, structured by specific rules and patterns of interaction (Goldstein & Pevehouse 2014).
State Definition (Montevideo Convention, 1933):
Declarative Theory: A state must possess four de facto elements:
A permanent People.
A defined Territory.
An effective Government.
Sovereignty (the capacity to engage in relations with other states).
Constitutive Theory: Adds that external recognition by other states and a degree of civilization are also necessary for statehood.
Actors in International Relations (IR):
States: Sovereign entities with defined territories.
Nonstate Actors: Transnational entities operating across borders, including International Governmental Organizations (IGOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Multinational Corporations (MNCs), individuals, and cities.
The Political System (Almond & Powell 1988):
This system comprises institutions and agencies that formulate and implement societal goals, operating both domestically and internationally.
Core Functions (Almond & Powell Model):
Input Function: Involves political socialization, political recruitment, and political communication.
Process Function: Includes interest articulation, interest aggregation, and policy-making.
Output Function: Encompasses policy action, regulation, and distribution.
Globalization and the System: Globalization intensifies cross-border interactions and interdependence, affecting both domestic and external environments and leading to increasingly integrated international systems.
Anarchy in International Relations: Describes the absence of a central world government. Despite this, areas of order and cooperation do exist.
The Collective Goods Problem (Goldstein & Pevehouse, 2014):
This is the challenge of providing common goods in an anarchic system, where sovereign states lack a central authority to enforce contributions.
Core Principles to Address It:
Dominance Principle: Establishes a power hierarchy to compel contributions.
Reciprocity Principle: Rewards cooperative behavior and discourages free-riding.
Identity Principle: Fosters shared identities among participants, encouraging care for others and the group's welfare.
Cooperation under Anarchy: Liberalism and institutionalism posit that interdependence fosters incentives for cooperation and supports global governance, even though states are not sovereign equals.
Global Governance
Distinction:
A global government would imply a central, hierarchical global authority, which does not exist.
Global governance refers to the rule-based orders, norms, laws, and institutions that mediate cross-border relations among states, cultures, citizens, IGOs, NGOs, and markets. It's a broader concept than centralized state power (Weiss 2014).
The United Nations (UN) as a Central Global Governance Actor:
The UN, founded in 1945 with 51 original members (now 193), embodies global governance. It serves as a hub for collective action and information sharing, despite its imperfections (Weiss & Thakur 2014).
Its world day is celebrated on October 24 since 1948, with aims to maintain peace, promote human rights, and foster friendly relations.
UN Charter Principles:
States are considered equal under international law.
States possess full sovereignty over their internal affairs.
States have independence and territorial integrity.
States must honor international obligations (e.g., respecting diplomatic privileges, refraining from aggression, honoring treaties).
UN Principal Organs
The UN operates through six main organs:
General Assembly: The primary deliberative, policy-making, and representative organ. All 193 member states have equal representation. Decisions on peace, security, new members, and budget require a two-thirds vote; other decisions need a simple majority.
Security Council: Holds primary responsibility for international peace and security. It has 15 members: 5 permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) with veto power, and 10 non-permanent members elected for 2-year terms.
Critique: The veto power of permanent members is often criticized for undermining equality among member states.
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): The central body for the UN development system, coordinating, reviewing policy, and making recommendations on social, environmental, and sustainable development issues.
Trusteeship Council: Currently inactive, having fulfilled its mission after supervising various territories until Palau's independence.
International Court of Justice (ICJ): The UN’s primary judicial organ, it resolves legal disputes between states and provides advisory opinions. Only states can be parties to cases, distinguishing it from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which prosecutes individuals for war crimes under universal jurisdiction.
Secretariat: Headed by the Secretary-General (appointed by the General Assembly upon Security Council recommendation), it performs the UN's administrative functions.
UN Programs and Specialized Agencies: The broader UN system includes numerous affiliated programs, funds, and specialized agencies (e.g., approximately 80 human rights treaties/declarations; approximately 140 nations engaged on climate change) that operate as independent international organizations with separate memberships and budgets.
Challenges to Global Governance (Weiss 2014)
The UN plays four key roles in addressing global issues, termed "problems without passport":
Managing Knowledge: Acquiring, transmitting, and translating knowledge into policy solutions.
Developing Norms: Articulating and institutionalizing international norms, facing challenges in their national implementation.
Formulating Recommendations: Identifying policy gaps and proposing options for governments and IGOs to alter behavior.
Institutionalizing Ideas: Implementing recommendations, which is difficult due to state sovereignty and limited enforcement mechanisms for international norms.
2004 UN Recommendations for 21st-Century Governance:
Multilateralism should become more multifaceted and networked, serving a broader range of constituencies.
The UN should be outward-looking, results-focused, and less procedurally rigid.
Global governance should be strengthened through universality, inclusion, participation, and accountability.
Systematic engagement with world public opinion is crucial to build support for multilateralism.
The Global Divide
Globalization, while fostering cross-border interactions, also gives rise to a global divide, where opportunities and threats coexist (e.g., expanded trade alongside resource gaps and vulnerabilities).
Analogy: Claudio (2014) employs the "Starbucks vs. shanties" metaphor to illustrate globalization's dual nature: global brands appear uniformly even as nearby poverty and informal sectors persist, highlighting its "underside."
Locating the Global South:
Historically associated with poorer, developing countries, framed by the North/South divide (most G8 members and permanent Security Council members are in the Global North).
Czerniewicz (2016) and Grovogui (2014) describe the Global South as not strictly geographical but also symbolic and imaginary, reflecting postcolonial and globalization dynamics. It is "everywhere, but also somewhere."
Fourth World Concept (Castells):
Coined by Manuel Castells, this term refers to a subpopulation experiencing extreme poverty and social exclusion, representing the most marginalized segments within or across nations.
Key Terms and Concepts (Glossary)
Globalization: Process of expanding social relations and consciousness across world-time and world-space, creating interdependencies.
Global Governance: System of rules, norms, and institutions mediating transborder relations without a centralized global government.
International System: Network of state and nonstate actors interacting under agreed rules and patterns.
Anarchy: Absence of a central global authority, though pockets of order and cooperation exist.
Collective Goods Problem: Difficulty of providing common interests in an anarchic system lacking central authority.
Core Principles for Solving the Collective Goods Problem: Dominance, Reciprocity, Identity.
Nonstate Actors: IGOs, NGOs, MNCs, cities, individuals; operate across borders beyond nation-states.
Montevideo Criteria: Four de facto elements of a state (people, territory, government, sovereignty); constitutive theory includes recognition and civilization degree.
UN Organs: General Assembly, Security Council, ECOSOC, Trusteeship Council, ICJ, Secretariat.
Veto Power: Discretionary power of permanent Security Council members to block resolutions.
Fourth World: Term describing the most impoverished, socially excluded populations within the global system.
Connections to Foundations, Real-World Relevance, and Implications
Globalization is neither entirely good nor bad; it offers opportunities (trade, tech transfer, cultural exchange) and poses threats (inequality, vulnerability, exclusion).
The international system's increasing interdependence highlights the importance of global governance bodies like the UN. These institutions manage knowledge, set norms, and propose policies to address global challenges, despite limited enforcement powers.
The UN's structure (six principal organs, with General Assembly and Security Council central) illustrates how legitimacy, representation, and power dynamics affect global governance outcomes.
The North–South divide remains a critical framework for analyzing globalization's unequal distribution of benefits and burdens. However, this division is increasingly seen as constructed, evolving, and not strictly geographic.
The Starbucks–shanty metaphor effectively demonstrates globalization's dual character: the coexistence of global brands with deep local inequalities in urban spaces.
The Fourth World concept emphasizes extreme poverty and marginalization, showing that globalization's benefits are not evenly distributed and often require targeted policy responses.
Ethical Implications: Concerns sovereignty, accountability, inclusivity, and equality in global governance, highlighting the tension between universal norms and national sovereignty.
Practical Implications for Learners: Understanding these concepts equips learners to analyze complex transborder challenges and recognize the diverse actors and mechanisms involved in global governance.
Summary Takeaways
Globalization is a dynamic, multidimensional process that expands and intensifies cross-border interactions and interdependencies, creating both opportunities and vulnerabilities globally.
The international system comprises state and nonstate actors operating under various perspectives; cooperation is possible but limited by sovereignty and the absence of a central global authority.
Global governance, primarily through institutions like the UN, aims to manage knowledge, norms, and policy options for global challenges. It cannot enforce a universal world order but influences state behavior and norms through collective action.
The Global Divide persists as a critical analytical framework, understood as both a geographic and symbolic construct that reflects ongoing inequalities while also acknowledging shifting geographies and evolving global power dynamics.