This document offers a summary of content on globalisation for A level geography (Edexel). It splits the content into the enquiry questions making the document easy to navigate. Most of the content is condensed into bullet points making for an quick and easy glance at perhaps before an exam. It inc...
Edexcel A level Geography Unit 2 Topic 3 Globalisation
Enquiry Question 1: What are the causes of globalisation and why has it accelerated in
recent decades?
Globalisation- the wide range of ways in which people are connected and how that has
developed over time.
Key features of globalisation
Economic
● Global concerns such as free trade, credit crunch and the global response to natural
disasters
● The growth off trade blocs such as NAFTA and the EU allows TNCs to merge and
make acquisitions of firms in neighbouring countries, while reduced trade restrictions
and tariffs help markets grow
● The growth of TNCs accelerates cross border exchanges of raw materials,
components, finished manufactured goods, shares, portfolio investment and
purchasing
● ICT supports the growth of complex spatial divisions of labour to firms and a more
international economy
● Online purchasing using Amazon
Social
● International immigration has created extensive family networks that cross national
borders and world city societies have become multi-ethnic and pluralistic
● The circulation of ideas and information has accelerated thanks to 24 hour reporting,
people also keep in touch via Facebook and Twitter etc.
● Global improvements in education and health have caused life expectancy and
literacy levels to rise, although this is not uniform globally
● Social interconnectivity has grown over time thanks to the spread of ‘universal’
connections such as mobile phones, the internet and email
Political
● The World Bank, the IMF and the WTO work internationally to harmonise national
economies
Cultural
● Glocalisation and hybridisation are a more complex outcome that take place as old
local cultures merge and meld with globalising influences
● Successful western cultural traits come to dominate in some territories e.g.
Americanisation of food or fashion
,Edexcel A level Geography Unit 2 Topic 3 Globalisation
Factors accelerating globalisation Explanation
TNCs They are outsourcing to different countries
which causes links. TNCs want people to
work for them and make profit e.g. Shell
Transport As transport develops it makes it easier for
people and good to be to transported
around the world e.g. the Dreamliner
Global Markets The development of new markets around
the world e.g. India and China. Places like
them have lots of people to work and a
large consumer base
International Organisations Companies are coming together to support
each other, For example, the United
Nations. Countries working together to
solve global problems
Computer and Internet Technology It’s easier to promote businesses around
the world. It’s also easier to communicate
e.g. social media, spread of culture, news
Players accelerating globalisation
Organisation for the Petroleum Exporting Countries
● International organisation
● World’s 12 major oil exporting nations in Middle East, South America and Africa
● 65% of global oil reserves, 35% of global production
● They loaned money to nations in Africa
McDonalds
● Food chain
● Present in 119 countries, over 30,000 outlets, serves 59 million people daily
● Source their ingredients globally, gives them a global reach to find cheapest prices
and offer customers cheap prices
Disney
● Transnational Corporation
● ‘Just in time’ system, demand goods from suppliers on short time scales, reduces
warehouse costs and chances of having lots of merchandise without demand
Nike
● Fashion
● Designed and worn in USA, made in Bangladesh
● Used child labourers, 700 factories, 550,000 workers in 50 countries
Facebook, Skype
● Communications
● More than 845 million users of Facebook, enables people from all over the world to
communicate with each other
● Skype allows free visual communications across the globe
● 4 million phones are sold each day across the world
, Edexcel A level Geography Unit 2 Topic 3 Globalisation
Danaos Shipping Corporation
● Transport, containerisation
● Goods are packed into containers and loaded into ships
● This process has led to cheap, efficient methods of transport
● As it’s cheap and quick it’s done more often
The Beatles
● Music, culture
● Exemplified globalisation
● Between 1963-1968, they sold $154 million worth of records
● Took part in the first live global satellite broadcast, ‘our world’
Time-space compression
Time-space compression is a perceptual change where traditional concepts of time, distance
and barriers to migration, informal sharing and trading are removed. This results in places
feeling closer and more connected to each other than in the past.
Idea How has it caused time-space compression?
Railways Made it easier to import goods and raw materials, enabled the
growth of new industries and reduced travel time
Telegraph Made it easier to communicate across vast distances, allowed
railroads to operate more effectively
Steam engines and Allowed us to ship goods and travel faster than ever before, gave
ships us the ability to create new industries and mold transport
Jet aircrafts It connected nations that would never have been connected
otherwise
Containerisation E.g. Maersk (Madrid)
Containers could be effectively stacked, allowing more and more
goods to be transported across seas. Led to lower transport and
handling costs
Mobile phones Brought the world together allowing people to communicate
around the world, connecting people with their local governments
Internet Much easier for people to get information, share and
communicate, allowed people to share their work and thoughts
through social media, blogs and video sharing
Social networking Transforming banking, improving customer service, allowing
users to send money to others
Electronic banking No longer a necessity amd instead becomes a simple case of
entering details online to access your account, made it easier for
companies to operate around the globe
Fibre optics Can transport large amounts of data and high speed, cable are
lighter, more flexible and able to carry more data
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