Introduction
No development has challenged the conventional state-centric image of world politics
more radically than the emergence of globalization. Globalization, indeed, can be seen
as the buzz word of our time. Amongst politicians, for instance, the conventional
wisdom is that the twenty-first century will be the ‘global century’. Globalization is the
emergence of a complex web of interconnectedness that means that our lives are
increasingly shaped by events that occur, and decisions that are made, at a great
distance from us. The interconnectedness that globalization has spawned is
multidimensional and operates through distinctive economic, cultural and political
processes. In other words, globalization has a number of dimensions or ‘faces’.
Globalization has been interpreted in three main ways: (a) Economic globalization; (b)
Cultural globalization; (c) Political globalization.
Globalization
Globalization is a complex, elusive and controversial term. It has been used to refer to a
process, a policy, a marketing strategy, or even an ideology. Some have tried to bring
greater clarity to the debate about the nature of globalization by distinguishing between
globalization as a process or set of processes. Others have used the term globalism to
refer to the ideology of globalization, the theories, values and assumptions that have
guided or driven the process. Globalization, regardless of its forms or impact, forges
connections between previously unconnected people, communities, institutions and
societies.
Dimensions of Globalization
1) Political Dimension- Political globalization refers to the growing importance of the
international organizations. These organizations are transnational in character and they
have influence not within a state, but within an international area comprising several
states. Contemporary political globalization signifies a redefinition of politics in the
sense that political activity is increasingly transcending national borders and taking place
at the global level. One of the key aspects of the political globalization is the declining
importance of the nation-state and the rise of other actors on the political scene. The
globalization of politics is occurring in several ways. First, there has been a significant
institutionalization of inter- governmental and transnational networks of political
interaction, for example the UN, G-8, IMF, WHO, EU, APEC, ASEAN, ARF, MERCOSUR,
etc. Second, there has been a great increase in the emphasis on collective defense and
cooperative security with regard to national security and defense policy.
2) Economic Dimension- Economic globalization is the result of human innovation
and technological progress. It refers to the increasing integration of economies around
the world, particularly through the movement of goods, services and capital across
borders. In other words, it is a shift from the world of distinct national economies to a
global economy in which production is internationalized and financial capital flows
freely and instantly between two countries. Sometimes economic globalization also
refers to the movement of people and knowledge across international borders. The new
economy is truly global because it is non- territorial. Investors can choose where and
when to invest or withdraw capital from any part of the world. In terms of financial
investment and trade, the world is now a single place. This is the case because states
agreed to dismantle their economic regulations and most regional blocs such as the EU
has practically eliminated their borders when it comes to trade. There has been an
increase in the international interdependence of the world economic system.
3) Cultural Dimension- Cultural globalization refers to the greater international
culture exchange and the intensification of global flows of cultural goods- food habits,
printed matter, visual arts, music, cinema and photography. This distinctive scale,
intensity and speed of global cultural communications today can be attributed to many
factors. First, a series of new technological innovations in communications and
transportation have generated a global telecommunications infrastructure and greater
transfer in data flow. Second, the English language provides a linguistic infrastructure
for the global transmission of ideas and cultures. It has become the dominant language
in politics, law, computing, business and science. Third, the driving forces behind
contemporary forms of cultural globalization are the mass media- both print and visual.
Global media organizations such as the CNN have been able to spread powerful images,
sounds and advertising to the remotest parts of the globe. Fourth, there has been a
great increase in international travel and tourism. Fifth is the massive growth in cross-
border movements of people. Migrations across national boundaries are made up of
several categories- emigrants, guest workers, professionals, illegal immigrants and
refugees.
Conclusion
Globalization is one of the most contested topics in the social sciences. Globalization is
not a monolithic phenomenon; it is a fragmented, discontinuous, incomplete,
contingent, and even contradictory process. The advance of globalization and the
progressive de- territorialisation of economic, cultural and political life have gradually
weakened the idea that society should be understood merely in domestic or national
terms. No doubt, globalization has brought in new opportunities to developing
countries. But globalization has also thrown up new challenges like growing inequality
across and within nations, unpredictable financial market and environmental
deteriorations.
