Globalization: Structures, Scapes, and A Ground-Up View

What is Globalization?

• Learning outcomes (from the lesson):
  • agree on a working definition of globalization for the course;
  • differentiate the competing conceptions of globalization; and
  • narrate a personal experience of globalization.
• A Story: Gio, Latif, and the Laksa (illustrative narrative to ground globalization):
  • Gio is a second-year international affairs student from the Philippines who joins an international Model UN competition in Sydney, Australia.
  • He befriends Latif, a Malaysian student from a Muslim university in Kuala Lumpur; Latif shares what he likes about KL (food diversity: Chinese, Indian, Malay cuisines) and explains this mix traces back to British colonial policy that organized Malaysian society.
  • Latif describes hawker centers where diverse cuisines (e.g., nasi lemak, laksa) are enjoyed; he introduces laksa (rice noodle soup in a spicy coconut curry) and explains its significance in multicultural Malaysia.
  • Latif notes Malaysian restaurants proliferated in Sydney as more Malaysian students moved abroad, catering to students and to local Australians (Sydneysiders); this demonstrates cross-border cultural diffusion.
  • Gio experiences laksa and flat whites; he learns that flat whites are common in Australian-inspired cafés in Kuala Lumpur and Cebu, signaling cross-border culinary exchange.
  • The two become online friends (Facebook, Instagram) and exchange emails/photos; Latif shares his mother’s laksa recipe, which Gio uses back home in the Philippines.
  • Gio later moves to Singapore as an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker); he finds Singaporean food similar to Malaysian food, reflecting regional culinary continuity despite political borders.
  • Singapore is described as a hub for global commerce and a place where approximately $40\%$ of the population are classified as foreign talents, illustrating global labor mobility and multicultural urban settings.
  • Gio finds a laksa stall in Newton Hawker Centre and reconnects with Latif who also moves to Singapore; they meet again near Orchard Road and renew their friendship by sharing a cup of flat whites, illustrating ongoing cross-border ties.
  • The narrative emphasizes that globalization operates at multiple levels (cultural, economic, social) and can be experienced concretely through everyday encounters.
• Global experiences from the story:
  • The spread of Filipino media to Malaysia (Filipino TV crossing borders).
  • An international competition (Model UN) connecting students across countries; the university’s participation shows how educational networks link places globally.
  • Social media (Facebook, Instagram) enabling instantaneous cross-border communication and friendship.
  • Foodways as a medium of globalization: Malaysian dishes become familiar in Sydney and Singapore; cross-border restaurant presence follows student migration.
  • The cross-border movement of people and ideas (Latif moving to Sydney, Gio moving to Singapore) illustrating migration and labor mobility.
  • The story is fictional but grounded in real-life globalization dynamics, illustrating how friendships can reveal the global connections that shape everyday life.
• Initial takeaway: Gio and Latif’s story demonstrates globalization as a concrete, multi-layered phenomenon that shapes culture, economy, and social networks across borders.
• The narrative also hints at unequal experiences of globalization: some enjoy cosmopolitan benefits, while others face negative consequences (see following notes).
• Early questions to consider:
  • What other hints of globalization appear in the story? (e.g., cross-border media, migration, urban cosmopolitanism, global labor markets)
  • How do global connections form and strengthen through institutions (universities, MUN), technology (Facebook, Instagram), and commerce (hawker centers, international restaurants)?

Globalization: A Working Definition

• The common economic focus of globalization (e.g., trade liberalization and relations to global markets) is acknowledged: many critiques come from those who challenge global economic deals or organizations (e.g., World Trade Organization). However, scholars advocate a broader, interdisciplinary view that accounts for multiple theories and perspectives.
• Manfred Steger’s scholarly definition (used in the course): $\text{Globalization} = \text{expansion and intensification of social relations and consciousness across world-time and across world-space}.$
  • Expansion: creation of new social networks and multiplication of existing connections that cut across political, economic, cultural, and geographic boundaries.
  • Intensification: the expansion, stretching, and acceleration of these networks; connections multiply and deepen in reach and speed (e.g., financial markets, media, NGOs).
  • Time-space compression: the perception that the world has become a smaller place due to faster communication and travel (e.g., instant email replies, cable TV, the internet).
• Examples illustrating expansion and intensification:
  • Global financial networks: electronic trading increases trade volume and speed between financial centers (e.g., London and New York drawing in more cities).
  • China’s integration into the global economy since the 1980s led to Shanghai’s re-emergence as a major trading post; more broadly, global economic integration connects distant markets.
  • Supply-chain disruptions (e.g., 2012 Bangkok monsoon floods): Honda’s plant in Thailand halted production, affecting Honda-USA’s ability to meet targets and impacting service centers; this shows how events in one region affect global profits and operations.
• The third attribute: global processes involve subjective perception, not just material changes. People feel distance shrinking as communications and media connect us to distant places in real time.
• Globalization vs globalism:
  • Globalization (process): the broad, multi-layered phenomenon of increasing global interconnectedness.
  • Globalism (ideology): a belief held by some powerful actors that global economic integration is universally beneficial, spreading freedom and democracy; this is a political or policy-oriented perspective often found in media and policy discussions.
  • The lesson notes that criticisms of globalization often target manifestations of globalism rather than the broader process itself; globalization as a process cannot be reduced to a single ideology or policy outcome.
• Two crucial premises about globalization:
  • It is a complex phenomenon that occurs at multiple levels (economic, political, cultural, technological, ecological, etc.).
  • It is uneven, producing different experiences and outcomes for different people and places.
• Concluding takeaway from the working definition:
  • Globalization is not a single, uniform process; it is multi-faceted and uneven, requiring careful, multi-perspective analysis.

The Structures of Globalization

• Call to move beyond a single grand narrative and recognize multiple globalizations.
• When approaching globalization, some scholars prefer discussing "multiple globalizations" rather than a singular, all-encompassing process.

Arjun Appadurai and the Five Scapes (Multidimensional Globalization)

• Anthropologist Arjun Appadurai’s framework: globalization occurs across multiple, intersecting dimensions of integration that he terms "scapes." These are windows into global processes and help explain why globalization can look different depending on what is being globalized.
• The five scapes:
  • $\text{Ethnoscape}$: the global movement of people (migrations, diasporas, tourism, refugees).
  • $\text{Mediascape}$: flow of cultures and media (movies, TV, news, online content).
  • $\text{Technoscape}$: circulation of mechanical goods and software (infrastructure, manufacturing, technology transfer).
  • $\text{Financescape}$: global circulation of money (capital flows, investment, financial markets).
  • $\text{Idioscape}$/$\text{Ideoscape}$: movement of political ideas and ideologies (policy doctrines, political narratives).
• Key point of Appadurai:
  • These scapes intersect but follow different logics; they are distinct lenses for analyzing globalization.
  • Even if one does not accept all five scapes, Appadurai’s central claim remains: there are multiple globalizations, and different dynamics emerge depending on what is being globalized.
• Practical takeaway:
  • When analyzing globalization, identify the primary thing being globalized (people, media, technology, money, ideas) and consider the corresponding scape(s) involved to understand the dynamics and impacts.

Globalization from the Ground Up: The Multidimensional and Uneven Landscape

• The lesson acknowledges that discussions about large-scale processes can be confusing because globalization is diffuse and constantly evolving.
• Some scholars advocate the idea of "multiple globalizations" to reflect distinct but interconnected processes rather than a single monolithic phenomenon.
• The overarching point is to shift focus from a singular narrative to multiple lenses, each highlighting different networks and connections that expand and intensify globally.
• The structure of upcoming lessons will reflect this multidimensional approach, focusing on different networks and connections that illustrate globalization in contemporary life.
• Guiding takeaways:
  • Globalization is not only about trade; it encompasses social relations, cultural exchanges, migration, communication, and ideological flows.
  • The experience of globalization is uneven; some people and places benefit more than others, and some are negatively affected (e.g., urban poor displaced by foreign investment, or workers in precarious global supply chains).
  • Different theoretical lenses (economic, political, cultural, technological) illuminate different aspects of globalization.

Guide Questions and Learning Activity

• Guide Questions:
  1. What is Globalization?
  2. How have you experienced globalization?
  3. Why is it crucial to emphasize that globalization is uneven?
• Learning Activity: How Globalized is Your Home?
  • Task: Inventory the items in your room and categorize them by country of origin.
  • Steps:
  • List the most essential items (footwear, clothes, computers, cell phones, television, radio, books, newspapers, news magazines, school supplies, equipment).
  • Separate items into two categories: those made in the Philippines and those from foreign brands; list the countries of origin for foreign-brand items.
  • Repeat the process for the kitchen and the living room, including appliances.
  • In-class activity:
  • Compare your inventory with classmates to identify which countries supply most household and personal needs.
  • Include a parallel analysis for Philippine-made items.
  • Use the discussion to reflect on why certain products are produced in the Philippines while others are produced abroad.

Key Concepts and Takeaways to Memorize

• Globalization is best understood as a process of expansion and intensification of global interconnectedness across time and space.
• Expansion vs. Intensification:
  • Expansion: creation of new networks and multiplication of existing connections across political, economic, cultural, and geographic boundaries.
  • Intensification: faster, deeper, and more widespread networking and integration, including financial markets and supply chains.
• Time-space compression: technologies and communication reduce the perceptual distance between places, making the world feel smaller.
• Globalism vs globalization:
  • Globalism is an ideology favoring global economic integration as beneficial for all, often promoted by elites in media and policy circles.
  • Globalization is the broader, multifaceted process that encompasses more than economics and includes culture, politics, and social relations.
• Appadurai’s scapes provide a framework for analyzing globalization through multiple dimensions: $\text{ethnoscape}, \text{mediascape}, \text{technoscape}, \text{financescape}, \text{ideoscape}.$
• Globalization is uneven: different people experience different impacts based on location, class, gender, and access to resources; some experiences are positive (cultural exchange, job opportunities) while others are negative (displacement, exploitation).
• The lesson emphasizes a move toward recognizing multiple globalizations and using diverse lenses to understand contemporary global life, rather than resorting to a single overarching narrative.