Globalization

Globalization has become the buzzword for contemporary political and academic debate.  Globalization covers political, economic, and cultural trends. It is the pursuit of a free market in the world economy.  It is characterized by a growing dominance of western forms of political, economic, and cultural life.  These ideas have spread around the world because of the internet. 

 

Globalization is not new.  The Silk Road ran across Central Asia from China to Europe.  People have been trading for thousands of years at great distances.  The Age of Exploration continued this globalization.  Countries raced to explore and claim distance lands.  These countries invested in a global economy.  What has changed from centuries ago according to Thomas Friedman is that today globalization is "farther, faster, cheaper, and deeper." 

 

Globalization is controversial.  While some argue that it allows poorer countries and their citizens to develop economically, others argue that international free markets benefit corporation in the Western world at the expense of local enterprises, cultures, and people

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World Without Walls shows just exactly how far reaching a corporation can be.  Focusing on McDonalds it demonstrates just how global McDonalds has become.  It uses McDonalds as an example of how far reaching a corporation can expand.


Globalization has impacted most of us in some way or another.  Every time we go into a Wal Mart we can see evidence of a global economy.  All you have to do is look at where a product is made to realize that we are a world dependent upon others.  My parents have seen the effects of globalization in their poultry farming in the past two years.  The company they grew for was bought out by a Brazilian meat corporation and this has effected their business.    Social media has directly effected my life.  This is probably the best example of a world without walls.  You can almost instantly connect to anyone anywhere around the world.