A* essay answer for the exam question "Identify and explain the factors that have led to an increase in globalisation in recent years". This essay explores the key reasons for increased globalisation including the development of TNCs, supra-national problems, and improvements in technology and comm...
Identify and explain the factors that have led to an increase in globalisation in recent years.
One definition of globalisation is as the process of the world’s economies becoming more integrated
and interdependent on one another, through improvements in communications, transport and
technology. The recent increase in the rate of globalisation and space-time compression has been
contributed to by a number of factors, in particular the rapid development of transnational
corporations (TNCs) and increased migration flows. These main factors and their effects on
globalisation can be categorised into four groups: environmental, cultural, economic and political
globalisation.
Supra-national problems—the consequences of which affect the world on a global extent, for
example global warming and terrorism—have greatly increased environmental globalisation. This is
because the problems are as a result of the increasingly more integrated world and therefore need
global cooperation in order to reduce the impacts. One example of this is the Copenhagen Climate
Change Summit in 2009, which involved delegates representing 192 nations meeting in order to
discuss plans for reducing the contributing factors to global warming. A key aim of the accord is to
provide funds—$100 billion by 2020—to help developing countries adapt to climate change. Global
protocols like this, which are put in place to reduce worldwide issues, have a large role in bringing
the world together in a global community, causing increasing interdependence.
The rapid spread and growth of TNCs such as Nike and Disney are having a major impact on the rate
of cultural globalisation. The presence of the same clothes, food, music etc. across the world
encourage multi-cultural integration, resulting in over-Americanisation and a lack of cultural
diversity. TNCs such as Mac Donald’s, which has over 30,000 outlets in 120 countries are highly
influential in bringing about cultural globalisation through the marketing of global products. The
extent of which is shown by the fact that globally, the McDonald’s logo is more recognised (88%)
than the Christian Cross (54%). McDonald’s daily traffic, at 62 million, is more than the population of
Great Britain and it is predicted that, for the next two years, it will open one new restaurant every
day. Increased migration flows have also added to cultural globalisation through the mixing of
populations and therefore cultures.
Technology and improvements in communications, resulting in global media being available
instantly, anywhere in the world, have greatly impacted the process and add to the feel of a
constantly connected world. Corporations such as the BBC World and CNN have similar effects as
TNCs, in that they link countries together and encourage a loss of individuality by presenting a
similar world view. A key example of the integration and increasing influence belonging to fewer and
fewer powers is the fact that the majority of the United State’s media is controlled by just 6
corporations which consist of: Time Warner, Walt Disney, Viacom, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.,
CBS Corporation and NBC Universal. Comparing this to the control of the media in 1983 when
approximately 50 different corporations controlled the media in the US, shows just how quickly the
world is integrating.
Overall, the factors of constantly improving technology and communications have been essential in
facilitating the rapid globalisation that is affecting the world economically, politically,
environmentally and culturally. Transnational Corporations have also greatly affected the rate of
integration through linking countries and spreading products and culture across the world, resulting
in the creation of a ‘global village’, which is aided by the compression of key media powers and
migration.
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