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Globalization

Overview

Buzz-word, point of contention, and modern phenomenon -- globalization is an umbrella description of the world's shrinking thanks to technological advances in communication and transportation. This coming-together creates new challenges for the world community -- economically, politically, socially, and culturally -- challenges addressed through efforts at global governance.

Background

While globalization is not new, the world has never seen it to the degree present today. The recent past for globalization was pre-World War I, where advances in technology, and especially the relative ease of global migration, brought a level of interdependence that was unprecedented. After the devastation of two world wars and the Cold War, this new age of globalization has far exceeded the past in creating an interdependent world.

While globalization is a coming together, it also serves as a catalyst for political fragmentation -- self-determination and regional integration, specifically. While such events, such as the disintegration of former Yugoslavia and the process of Europeanization, pull away in one sense from a global identity and system, they also contribute to it by providing stronger support for plugging into worldwide markets, debate, and cooperation.

Perhaps the most visible opponents to globalization have been seen fighting with riot police at World Trade Organization summits. These individuals represent a huge swathe of interest, but perhaps may be best identified as environmentalists -- concerned with growing industrialization and hence climate degradation thank to demands for increased trade -- and members of the global "South," developing nations who see an unjust redistribution of wealth perpetuated by international organizations dominated by the "North." In addition to environmental concerns and the apparent North-South divide, Islamic fundamentalists' acts of terrorism can be attributed to reaction to one facet of globalization that is eroding aspects of local culture with the implementation of technological advances and a kind of "worldwide" identity.

Efforts at global governance seek to maximize the benefits and minimalize the harm of globalization, economically, politically, socially, and culturally. Regardless, the debate and conflict over globalization's processes and future is far from over.

Links/Contact

- International Forum on Globalization
- World Bank Globalization Brief
- International Monetary Fund Globalization Brief

- Contact the US Mission to the UN
- Contact the US Department of State
- Find and contact your representative

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