Understanding Globalisation

Understanding Globalisation

What is in this guide?

This guide is meant to provide an understanding of globalisation. When people talk about “globalization” they are usually referring to technological, political, and economic changes which they believe make the world function in a different way from the way it did twenty or thirty years ago. Different opinions exist about origins, driving forces and implications of globalisation for the South African society. This guide looks at the following aspects of globalisation: 1. What evidence exists of globalisation? 2. Are all countries equal actors in a globalised world? 3. Do we have a choice about whether or not South Africa should participate in globalised world? 4. Creative responses to globalisation 4.1 Regional Economic and Political Formations 4.2 uilding South Relations 4.3 Reforming international agencies 4.4 Reforming international agencies 4.5 The Struggle for multilateralism

1. What evidence exists of globalisation?

There is a widely held view that we live today in a world in which economic, political and technological relations have changed substantially. The changes they are referring to are:  The emergence of giant corporations with branches in countries throughout the world. Such corporations dominate production of computers, cell phones, oil and petrol, food, tobacco, pharmaceutical and armaments. The annual budgets of many of these corporations are larger than those of small governments. As a result they are powerful players in the economic and political life of many countries Within the giant corporations, the production process of goods and services themselves have become globalised. For example, where once motor plants produced cars from start to finish at one site, today different component parts are manufactured in different parts of the world and assembled in yet another. This has created what is called the „new international division of labour‟. In many instances the result is that labour...