Defining Globalization - The term globalization is used frequently these days, often in ill-

defined ways. Drawing on readings from the text as well as outside sources that you think
are releant, deelo! a careful definition of the term globalization. Then describe how
you see it a!!lying to economic, !olitical, and cultural !rocesses in the world today. "e
sure to address all three of these ty!es of !rocesses clearly in your answer.
Economic globalization is a !owerful !rocess drien in large measure by cor!orate interests
#$tiglitz%. &s a result of lower trans!ortation costs, global communications, and more liberal
trade !olicies, cor!orations make use the entire !lanet for the !roduction of commodities and
!roision of serices while constantly the maximum !rofit margins for the least amount of
ca!ital outlay. 'hile clearly beneficial to some, we hae seen a steady increase in the ga!
between the wealthiest and !oorest within and among nations. (n the last few years we hae
also seen another ma)or flaw in a globally integrated market!lace* 'hen the +$ economy
sli!!ed into recession, it took with it many other nations, Does all of this signal the demise
of true lazzeiz fare global ca!italism and the eentual rise of a more regulated market!lace-
'ill institutions like the 'orld "ank and the 'T. grow in !ower to become a de facto
global goernment regulating trade and commerce- 'ill the world s!lit into economic
trading blocks with regionalism re!lacing nationalism- .r !erha!s will there be some form
of global socialism that will emerge !roiding a safetynet for those most ulnerable to global
ca!italism- (nestigate further the theories of global economics and a!!ly them as best you
can to the future. #recommended readings /ose!h $tiglitz, &martya $en, 0ygmunt "auman,
/effrey 1riedman, Daid 2arey, etc%.
Political globalization - (n our discussions of !olitical globalization, we hae learned that
global goernance is in some ways eroding the soereignty of nation-states. 'e seen that the
global economy, intergoernmental agencies, human rights, the (33 and other global courts,
as well as a culture of internationalization hae all !layed a !art. 'hile there is not a single,
unified !lanetarity, we can certainly say that global goernance does exist albeit in the form
of a decentralized, multi-layered world !olity. 4ie me your take on global goernance.
3hoose a domain of international goernance #economy, !olitical relations, security, law,
culture, human rights, health, labor, education, etc.% and discuss how it is managed at a
global leel.
Cultural Globalization $ome argue that the diffusion of communication technologies and
consolidation of those technologies into the hands of )ust a few media conglomerates has led
to the loss of culture or een the cultural 5colonialization6 of semi-!eri!heral and !eri!heral
nations. .thers howeer argue that their is new cultural diersification occurring as a result
of the mobility of goods, serices, information, and !eo!le. 'hile culture includes the
material artifacts of a society, ( would like for you to focus on non-material culture 7 the
ideas, beliefs, alues, norms of a society. (f we are saying that culture is becoming global,
what s!ecific ideas, beliefs, alues and norms are becoming uniersal.