Notes in Contemporary World Relevance of this course 1.
Studying the
outside world is a cure to parochialism or an outlook that is limited to one’s
immediate community. 2. It is important to study the world because it can
teach you more about yourself. 3. You need to study the world because you
will be interacting with it. Lesson : What is Globalization? The story of Gio,
Latif and the Laksa Gio - a second year international affairs student in a
university in Cebu City. Latif - from a Muslim University in Kuala Lumpur.
International Model UN competition in Sydney Australia - competition about
international politics. Hawker centers - food park Best malaysian cuisine-
nasi lemak and laksa Laksa - a rice noodle soup in a spicy coconut curry
sauce. Flat whites- an espresso drink similar to latte. Still connected to
other through facebook and instagram . Gio moved to Singapore as an OFW.
Orchard Road - singapore’s main commercial road. Two Premises 1.
Globalization is a complex phenomenon that occurs at multiple levels. 2. It is
an uneven process that affects people differently. Globalization Primarily an
economic process. 5 Characteristics of Globalization 1. The expansion and
intensification of social relations and consciousness across world-time and
across world-space. – Manfred Steger 2. Globalization involves the creation of
new social networks and the multiplication of existing connections. 3.
Expansion, stretching and acceleration of these networks. 4. Intensification
and acceleration of social exchanges and activities 5. Globalization processes
do not occur merely at an objective, material level but also involve the
subjective plane of human consciousness. Globalism Is a widespread belief
among powerful people that the global integration of economic markets is
beneficial for everyone. Globality Is a social condition characterized by
globalization, political, cultural, environmental interconnectedness,
borderless irrelevant. Manifestation- value of individualism and competition
existence of economic system of private property. Communal & cooperative
- social relations which is less capitalistic. Hyperglobalists Pro-globalist
Nationalist and Activist Anti-globalist Kinds of globalization according to
Arjun Apparudai 1. Ethnoscape- global movement of people 2. Mediascape-
flow of culture 3. Technoscape- circulation of mechanical goods and software
4. Financescape- global circulation of money 5. Ideoscape- political ideas
move around Lesson 2: The globalization of world economic Economic
globalization The International Monetary Fund (IMF) defines it as a historical
process representing the result of human innovation and technological
progress. According to the IMF, the value of trade (goods and services) as a
percentage of world GDP increased from 42.1 percent in 1980 to 62.1
percent in 2007. Increased trade means that investments are moving all
over the world at faster speeds. According to the United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the amount of foreign direct
investments flowing across the world was US$ 57 billion in 1982. By 2015,
that number was $1.76 trillion. International Trading Systems Silk road
oldest known international trade route a network of pathways that spanned
China to Middle East and Europe. Traders used the Silk Road regularly from
130 BCE when the Chinese Han Dynasty opened trade to the West until
1453 BCE when the Ottoman Empire closed it. the Silk Road was
international, it was not truly “global” because it had no ocean routes.
According to historians Dennis O. Flynn and Arturo Giraldez, “t he age of
globalization began when “all important populated continents began to
exchange products continuously both with each other directly and indirectly
via other continents and in value sufficient to generate crucial impacts on all
trading partners” 1571- establishment of the galleon trade that connected
Manila in the Philippines and Acapulco in Mexico. Mercantilism era
countries primarily in Europe, competed with one another to sell more goods
as a means to boost their country’s income (called monetary reserves). To
defend their products from competitors who sold goods more
cheaply,imposed high tariffs, forbade colonies to trade with other nations.
Also a system of global trade with multiple restrictions. Gold Standard a
more open trade system that emerged in 1867. Its goal was to create a
common system that would allow for more efficient trade. Established a
common basis for currency prices and a fixed exchange rate system – all
based on the value of gold.
During World War I, when countries depleted their gold reserves to fund their
armies, many were forced to abandon the gold standard. Great depression-
caused by the gold standard and was the worst and longest recession ever
experienced by the Western world. Economic historian Barry Eichengreen
argues that the recovery of the US really began when having abandoned the
gold standard. At the height of World War II, other major industrialized
countries followed suit. Fiat currencies – currencies whose value is
determined by their cost relative to other currencies. The Bretton Woods
System After the two world wars , world leaders sought to create a global
economic system that would ensure a longer-lasting global peace. The
Bretton woods sytem was inaugurated in 1944 to prevent the catastrophes of
the early decades of the century from reoccurring and affecting international
ties. It was largely influenced by the ideas of British economist John
Maynard Keynes who believed that economic crises occur not when a
country does not have enough money, but when money is not being spent
and not moving. Global Keynesianism- a system of the active role of
governments in managing spending served as the anchor. Two financial
institutions International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD or
world bank) – too be responsible for funding postwar reconstruction projects.
International Monetary Fund (IMF)- which was to be the global lender of last
resort to prevent individual countries from spiraling into credit crises. After
Bretton Woods, various countries also committed themselves to further
global economic integration through the General Agreement on Tarrifs and
Trade (GATT) in 1947. Its main purpose was to reduce tariffs and other
hindrances to free trade. Neoliberalism and Its Discontents The high point
of global Keynesianism came in the mid-1940s to the early 1970s.
Governments poured money into their economies, allowing people to
purchase more goods and increase demand for these products. As demand
increased, so did the prices of these goods. The theory went that, as prices
increased, companies would earn more, and would have more money to hire
workers. Keynesian Economists believed that all this was a necessary trade-
off for economic development. In early 1970s, the prices of oil rose sharply
as a result of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OAPEC) imposition of an embargo in reponse of the decision of US and other
countries to resupply the Israeli military.
Oil Embargo- affected the Western economies that were reliant on oil. The
stock markets crashed in 1973-1974 after US stopped linking the dollar to
gold, effectively ending the Bretton Woods system. Stagflation- a
phenomenon in which a decline in economic growth and employment
(stagnation) takes place alongside a sharp increase in prices (inflation).
Economists such as Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedmen argued that
government intervention in economies distort the proper functioning of the
market. Neoliberalism- a new form of economic thinking and became the
codified strategy of US treasury department, world bank and IMF. World
Trade Organization (WTO)- a new organization founded in 1995 to continue
the tariff reduction under the GATT. Washington Consensus- dominated
global economic policies, it advocates pushed for minimal government
spending to reduce government debt. US Pres. Ronald Reagan and British
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher justified their reduction in government
spending by comparing national economies to households. Thatcher,
promoted an image of her mother. Who reined in overspending to reduce the
national debt. The problem with this analogy is that governments are not
households. Post-communist Russia – the IMF assumed that such a move
would free industries from corrupt bureaucrats. This practice has
entrenched an oligarchy that still dominates the Russian economy to this
very day. Lesson 3: A History of Global Politics: Creating an International
Order International Relations -scholars of politics study this, it is about
political, military, and other diplomatic engagements between two or more
countries. Internationalization -a phenomenon -deepening of interactions
between states – does not equal globalization, but a major part of
globalization. United Nations -most prominent example of this organization -
meeting ground of presidents Globalization -encompasses a multitude of
connections and interactions that cannot be reduced to the ties between
governments. The ttributes of Today’s Global System Four key attributes of
world politics 1. There are countries or states that are independent and
govern themselves. 2. These countries interact with each other through
diplomacy. 3. There are international organizations, like the United Nations
(UN), that facilitate these interactions. 4. Beyond simply facilitating meetings
between states, international organizations also take on loves of their own.
Nation-State -is a relatively modern phenomenon in human history, and
people did not always organize themselves as countries. The two
interchangeable terms of nation – state “Not all states are nations and not all
nations are states” Examples 1. The nation of Scotland has its own flag and
national culture but still belongs to a state called United Kingdom. 2. Many
believe that Bangsomoro is a separate nation withing Philippines but the
authority still recognizes it as a Philippine State. State -refers to a country
and its government. Four attributes of State 1. Citizen Bases in determining
principles Jus Sanguinis Jus Soli Naturalization Smallest State – Singapore
& Vatican Largest State -China & Russia 2. Territory 3. Government -agency
in which the will of the people are established, limited &defined. 3 structures
of government 1. Executive 2. Judiciary 3. Legistative Forms of government
1. Monorchial 2. Republican 3. Dictatorial 4. Democratic 5. Presidential 4.
Sovereignty -one of the fundamental principles of modern state politics.
Internal Sovereignty -no one can operate in a given national territory by
ignoring the state. External Sovereignty – a state’s policies and procedures
are independent of the interventions of other states. Nation – “imagined
community” – It is limited because it does not go beyond a given “official
boundary” The Interstate System -the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, France,
Sweden, and the Dutch Republic designed a system that would avert wars in
the future. Treaty of Westphalia -a set of agreements signed in 1648 to end
the Thirty Years War between the major continental powers of Europe.
Napoleon Bonaparte -believed in spreading the principles of the French
Revolution (liberty, equality and fraternity)
Napolenic Wars -1803-1815 Napoleonic Code -forbade birth privileges,
encouraged freedom or religion and promoted meritocracy in government
service. Concert of Europe - alliance of “great powers” -sought to restore the
world of monarchical, hereditary and religious privileges of the time before
the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. Internationalism -one
window into the broader phenomenon of globalization. Two categories 1.
Liberal 2. Socialist Immanuel Kant - first major thinker of liberal
internationalism - “establish a continuously growing state consisting of
various nations which will ultimately include the nations of the world. - he
imagine a form of global government. Jeremy Bentham - coined the word
“international” - he believed that objective global legistators should aim to
propose legistation that would create “the greatest happi ness of all nations
taken together”. Giuseppe Mazzini - first thinker to reconcile nationalism with
liberal nationalism - an advocate of the unification of the various Italian-
speaking mini-states and a major critic of the Metternich system. - Believed
in Republican Government Woodrow Wilson - Influenced by Mazzini - US
president - 20 th century’s most prominent internationalist - he forwarded
the principle of self- determination (the belief that the world’s nations had a
right to a free and sovereign government. - Became the most notable
advocate for the creation of the League of Nations. Karl Marx - Also an
internationalist but who differed from the former because he did not believe
in nationalism. - He did not divide the world into countries, but into classes.
Capitalist Class -owners Proletariat Class -workers Friedrich Engels - Co-
author of Marx - Believed that in a socialist revoltution seeking to overthrow
the state and alter the economy. The Socialist International - Was a union of
European socialist and labor parties established on Paris in 1889. The
Communist International - Served as the central body for directing
Communist parties all over the world.
Lesson 4: The United Nations and Contemporary Global Governance
Regularities in the general behaviour of states 1. They more or less follow
global navigation routes and, more often than not, respect each other’s
territorial boundaries. 2. To adhere to certain global norms means that there
is a semblance of world order. Global Governance -refers to the various
intersecting processes that create this order. Sources of global governance 1.
States signs treaties and form organizations, in the process legistating public
international law. 2. Powerful transnational corporations can likewise have
tremendous effects on global labor laws, environmental legistation and trade
policy. International Organization refer to international intergovernmental
organizations or groups that are primarily made up of member-states. One
major fallacy about international organizations is that they are merely
amalgations of various state interest. IOs Power of Classification 1. They
create powerful global standards. 2. IOs have the power to fix meanings. 3.
IOs have the power to diffuse norms. United Nations -most prominent
intergovernmental organization today. Five Active Organs of UN 1. General
Assembly Main deliberative policymaking and representative organ
Annually, the General Assembly elect a GA President to serve one-year term
of office. 193 members Filipino Diplomat Carlos P. Romulo was elected GA
president. 2. Security Council Most powerful 15 members Two year term
of office Permanent 5(P5) – China, France, Russia, UK and US The SC takes
the lead in determining the existence of threat to the peace or an act or
aggression. 3. Economic and Social Council the principal body for
coordination, policy review, policy dialogue, and recommendations on social
and environmental issues, as well as the implementation of internationally
agreed development goals, 54 members Three years term of office 4.
International Court of Justice to settle, in accordance with international law,
legal disputes submitted to it by authorized United Nations organs and
specialized agencies. 5. Secretariat Secretary-General and tens of
thousands of international UN staff members who carry out the day-to day
work of the UN as mandated by the GA.
It Is the bureaucracy of the UN Members of the secretariat serve in their
capacity as UN employees and not a state representatives. Challenges of the
United Nations Chief among these are the limits placed upon its various
organs and programs by the need to respect state sovereignty. The biggest
challenge of UN is related to the issues of security.
WORLD OF REGIONS Regionalization Societal integration and often
indirected process of social and economic integration. End result of
regionalism Regionalism Emergent, socially constituted phenomenon. Set
of conscious activities Facets of regionalism – identities, ethics, religion,
ecological sustainability and health Regions are a group of countries located
in the same geographically specified area. China – offers its cheap and huge
workforce to attract foreign businesses. Singapore and Switzerland –
compensate for their lack of resources by turning themselves into financial
and banking hubs. Countries form regional associations for several reasons:
1. For military defense North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – most
widely known defense grouping -formed during the cold war when several
Western European countries plus the United States agreed to protect Europe
against the threat of the Soviet Union Warsaw Pact- Soviet Union’s regional
Alliance, consisting of Eastern European countries. 2. To pool their resources
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)- was established
in 1960 by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela to regulate the
production and sale of oil. Other members of OPEC include Quatar, UAE,
Algeria and Congo. 3. To protect their independence from the pressures of
superpower politics. Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)- created by the
presidents of Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia and Yugoslavia in 1961. -to
pursue world peace and equality. -had 120 member countries. 4. Economic
crisis compels countries to come together The Thai economy collapsed in
1996, a rapid withdrawal of foreign investments bankrupted the economy.
This crisis began to spread to other Asian Countries. ASEAN (Association of
South East Asian Nation) along with China, Japan and South Korea agreed to
establish an emergency fund to anticipate a crisis that the Asian economies
stabilized.
Non-state Regionalism tiny associations that focuses on a single issue.
People who share the same values, norms, institutions and system that exist
outside of the traditional North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
Rainforest Foundation protects indigenous people and the rainforest.
Contemporary Challenges to Regionalism 1. Resurgence of militant
nationalism and populism. Brexit- withdrawal of UK to European Union 2.
The extent to which member countries should sacrifice their sovereignty for
the sake of regional stability. 3. Differing visions of what regionalism should
be for. Media and Globalization Globalization set of multiple, uneven &
overlapping historical processes including eco, politics & culture, that have
combined with the evolution of media, technology to create the conditions
under which the globe itself can now be understood as “an imagin ed
community” (global village) relies on media as its main conduit for spread
of global culture and ideas. 5 periods of the evolution of media and
globalization 1. Oral Communication Language- avenue of people who
cooperate -allowed for the sharing of information. -important tool as human
being explored the world experience different cultures. 2. Script Papyrus it
allowed humans to communicate over longer space & much longer time
allowed for the written and permanent codification of economic, cultural &
political practices. 3. Printing Press information revolution transferred
social institutions according to Elizabeth Einstein (1979) the influences of
printing press It changed the nature of knowlwdge Preserved &
standardized knowledge Encouraged the challenge of political & religious
authority 4. Electronic Media Radio – global medium in reaching regions TV
– most persuasive & powerful mass medium Combi – visual & aural power
5. Digital Media rely on digital code
Media a means of conveying something, such as channel of communication
plural of medium Technologies of mass communication 1. Print Media
Books, magazines and newspapers 2. Broadcast Media Radio, film and
television 3. Digital Media Internet and mobile mass communication
Marshall McLuhan the medium is the message. He used his analysis of
technology to examine the impact of electronic media. He declared that the
television was turning the world into a “global village” Television shapes the
social behaviour of users and reorient family behaviour Papyrus started in
Egypt. Cellphones expand people’s senses The Global Village and Cultural
Imperialism Cultural Imperialism media globalization coupled with American
hegemony would create a form of this. American values and culture would
overwhelm all others Herbert Schiller argued that not only was the world
being Americanized, but that this process also led to the spread of
“American” capitalist values like consumerism John Tomlinson cultural
globalization is simply a euphemism for “western cultural imperialism” since
it promotes “homogenized, westernized, consumer culture” Critiques of
Cultural Imperialism Ien Ang studied the ways in which different viewers in
the Netherlands experienced watching the American soap opera “Dallas”
Elihu Katz and Tamar Liebes they decided to push Ang ’s analysis. They
argued that texts are received differently by varied interpretative
communites. Russians were suspicious of the show’s content Americans
believed that it was primarily about the lives of the rich. Japanese Brands
Hello Kitty, Mario Brothers and Pokemon Sushi globalized Asian Cuisine
Jollibee number one choice for fast food in Brunei
Social Media and the creation of Cyber Ghettoes Women’s march against
Donald Trump began with a tweet from a Hawaii lawyer and became a global
movement. Splinternet various bubbles people place themselves in when
they are online Cyberbalkanization the phenomenon Vladimir Putin a
Russian dictator who hired armies of social media to manipulate public
opinion through intimidation and the spreading of fake news Trolls paid
users who harass political opponents Global online propaganda will be the
biggest threat to face as the globalization of media deepens Global City
Globalization is spatial because: 1. It occurs in physical spaces 2. What
makes it move is the fact that it is based in places Saskia Sassen Her
criteria for what constitutes a global city were primarily economic. She
initially identified three global cities: New York, London, and Tokyo all of
which are hubs of global finance and capitalism. Multiple attributes of global
city 1. Economic power 2. To measure the economic competitiveness of a city
The economist Intelligence Unit criteria 1. Market size 2. Purchasing power of
citizens 3. Size of the middle class 4. Potential for growth 3. Global cities are
also centers of authority 4. The cities that house major international
organizations may also be considered centers of political influence 5. Global
Cities are center of higher learning and culture The challenges of global cities
1. Cities can be sustainable because of their density 2. The major terror
attacks of recent years have also targeted cities.