Definition: Globalization

 

"Globalization" is a term which may be defined in two, partially-overlapping ways.

Cultural Globalization

In its most innocuous sense, globalization simply refers to the complex of forces that trend toward a single world society.  Among these forces are mass communications, commerce, increased ease of travel, the internet, popular culture, and the increasingly widespread use of English as an international language.

Globalization vs. National Sovereignty

The more important sense of the term refers to a process, well underway, which trends toward the undermining of national sovereignty, and therefore citizen's rights, in favor of the economic interests of gigantic transnational corporations (TNCs). The latter already comprise more than half of the largest "economies"

 

of the world, and are vastly more powerful than most governments. (See this link for details.)

Controversies Concerning Business & Globalization

One consequence of this trend toward TNC-sponsored globalization is the severe destabilization of employment worldwide, usually through offshore outsourcing, as TNCs export jobs to those markets offering the cheapest labor (initially this was often Mexico, but now it is increasingly China), the fewest environmental protections, the least taxation, and the least governmental oversight. It is important to note that no aspect of globalization is subject to democratic oversight, and none of the institutions of globalization, such as the World Bank, are transparent. Also of urgent concern is the tendency toward massive governmental

 

bribery of TNCs, which has become known in the US as "corporate welfare".

Causes of Globalization

The trend toward globalization has sharply accelerated since the 70s due to the ascendancy of a plutocracy in America, massive political corruption, the implementation of "free trade" accords such as NAFTA and GATT, the rise of pro-globalization media cartels (which are themselves active behind the scenes in advancing globalization), the rise of organizations advancing the agenda of economic elites, and the increasing economic and political influence of the TNCs.

Historical Origins of Globalization

The deeper roots of globalization may be found in such "Bretton Woods" institutions as the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

 

 

and the World Bank. (In turn, the roots of those organizations may be traced to the starkly plutocratic Council on Foreign Relations.) However, the tracing of these roots goes well beyond the scope of this definition. For a plutocratic perspective on globalization (feverishly supportive) see the resource page presented in Foreign Affairs (a tremendously influential propaganda instrument of American businessmen, via the Council on Foreign Relations): cfr_link

Additional Resources Concerning Globalization

For additional information see: When Corporations Rule the World, by David C. Korten, and Alternatives to Economic Globalization, from the International Forum on Globalization.

See also: class conflict, mass media, oligarchy, plutocracy.