5.3. Local responses to global interactions Flashcards
What is the over arching exploration in this subunit?
In the view of many political and economic commentators, barriers to global interactions have risen, not fallen in recent years.
Why is the over-aching line of thinking that you are exploring in this sub-unit the way it is?
Because a series of geopolitical shocks have shaken the faith of hyperglobalisers.
It is becoming increasingly common place to read media reports declaring that globalisation is in ‘retreat’.
what is the nature of this line of thinking about how the world is becoming less globalised?
Through the exploration of power places and networks, we saw that trade flows have lessened in value in recent years. Yet we also know that global data flows continue to accelerate. Evidence of so-called de-globalisation is therefore highly contradictory and no clear case emerges.
what is a recent ‘shock’ to globalisation?
2016 UK vote to leave the EU. COuld ‘Brexit’ spark the eventual disintegration of the EU if other populations demand a referendum too?
who could be against globalisation?
The power to take action to resist any or all aspects of globalisation is invested in many different stakeholders at a range of geographic scales and positions of responsibility.
The heads of state in several countires, including Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea are vocal opponets of the ‘new world order’. So too are influentional non-govermental organisations (NGOs) such as Amnesty International, Greenpeace and Christan aid.
NGOs are part of civil socity, along with priate citizens, many of whom strongly belive that they porrly regulated actions of globalisations most powerful economic players – suc as international banks and food comanpies – shoud be opposed, or at least have their exesses curbed and damaging effects ameliorated.
introduce the role of local and civil society in resisting global interactions?
There are many instances of local and civil society resistance to globalization. Populist anti-globalisation and nationalist movements are found in every country in the world although their foci are highly variable.
how are different places affected differently by global interactions?
migration, cultural change, sovereignty loss, deindustrialisation, outscoring and environmental degradation are just some of the processes that can trigger resistance movements in certain place contexts.
Could you out line an example which shows to contrasting rationales for resistance drawn from opposing ends of the political spectrum? PART ONE
1) SUSTAINIBILITY AND JUSTICE
Some resistance movements are anchored in concerns with social, economic and environmental justice; unethical aspects of globalisation are a threat to sustainable development.
Demonstrators worry about the impact of global interactions on the lives of their own communities and people too. Issues include the exploitation of agribusiness labourers and ‘sweatshop’ workers, as well as the local and global environmental damage done by globalized economic activity, including global warming.
Could you out line an example which shows to contrasting rationales for resistance drawn from opposing ends of the political spectrum? PART TWO
NATIONALISM AND SOVEREIGNTY
Other resistance movements are anchored in renewed nationalism. This often powerful ‘grass roots’ force can be reinforced at an institutional level by the media and political parties.
In many places, nationalism is on the rise. The shrinking world, so the argument goes, has caused chaos for national life and culture due to new and sometimes flows of people, information and ideas. As a result, people’s own community identity is threatened and their own state sovereignty has been jepordised.
what is the paradox of globalisation?
There is a clear and increasing correlation between the growing interconnectedness of states and the desire of many citizens of those states to sever ties with other places.
The paradox of globalisation is that while it promotes a global way of living, it simultaneously ignites fears and concerns that local identities may be eroded and lost.
one of the ways globalisation is being resited in the rejection of globalised products, could you introduce this idea?
TNCs have often been the target of civil society sustainability and social justice campaigns. In recent years, many companies have attracted criticism for a range of reasons, however as the exploration of 4.2 and 5.2 demonstrated, TNCs may also bring benefits to places, especially when social responsibility frameworks are used.
This is why civil social movements targeted against TNCs do bot always gain a wide popular support.
what are the cases against some TNCs?
Growing global wealth divide
social harm
environmental degradation
tax avoidance
cultural imperialism.
expand on growing global wealth demand as a case againts some TNCS?
The actions of TNCs are building a widining global wealth gap between the very riches and most poor countires. By selectivly investing in certain regions while largesty passing by others. TNCs are active agents in creating in creating a new geography of ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’.
In some expetional cases, TNC controle and accountability is found tobe invested in. the hands of a few easily identified individuals.
Wal-mart famoulsy remains unde rth einfluence of the Walton family,w hose comabined inheitsnce wealth is estimated to bearound US$80 billion.
expand on social harm as a case against some TNCs?
The social harm of millions of thr world porrest people have become merged inot a hard-labouring global proletariat spanning all sectors of industry. FDI does not always result i a step-change for economic activitiy in developing countires.
If the TNC employes local firms to help it carry out its work, for exmaple, in the sourve of raw materials - then more wealth may be generate , but this does not always happen.
expand tax avoidance as a case aginst some TNCs?
TNCs including Starbucks and Google have been acused of not paying full coporate taxes in the counties where they operate, through transfer pricing and tax concessions. This means that goverments find it harder to raise revenues, privide services and respond to the demands of lcoal people. Citizens have protested against this with signed stating ‘dont let the rich dodge their taxes’.
expand on cultural imperialism as a case aginst some TNCs?
Threats to cultural diversity inckude the loss of world languages. Critics of TNCs say they have established a hegemony that encurages greater cultural conformity between diffrent localities through mass consumption of branded products.
what was the effct of the introduction of social media on protsts aginst globalisation and give an example?
Political demonstrations and protests against globalisation became more comonplace during the late 1990s and ‘noughties’ often orchestrated by privet citizens interfacting with new technology such as facebook or twitter.
A key oppositional moment in recent time icludes the 2015 Paris climate change conftrence. MAny hundreds of campaigners werw detained by police after activites, some dressed as polar bears and penguins, took to the streets of Paris while the world political leaders attempted to create more binding agreements to tacklr global climate change.
can you give a case study for civil socity protests against energy TNCs in canda?
Canda is home to six groups of indigenous people known as the first nations. Their ocupation of the land long pre-dates the arrival of Europeans.
Some first nation people of the Mackenzie and Yukon River Basin oppose the atempts of global oil companies – including Shell, ExxonMobil and Imperial oil– to exploit the natural reoaces of their region.
The Dene residents of the Sahtu Region have already expeiranced negative impacts of globalisation and petroleum development near the settlemtn of Norman Wells.
Patricular concerns include:
The death of trout and other fish in oil-pollutted lakes (a lifesyle based around subsistence fishing, hunting and trapping in fundimental to the Denes cultural idenity).
Te effects of alcholand drugs (bought by oil workers) on the behavirour of young Dene people
Oil TNCs are now exploring the surrounding Canol shale and assesing its potentional for share oil. Shale ‘Fracking’ in other places has been lined with water pollution.
talk about local sourcing of food and goods as a act aginst globalisation?
The ‘local sourcing’ movement describes the practice of buying goods and services solely from local area suppliers, thereby boycotting the use of extended global supply networks such as those favoured by supermarkets.
what are the benefits of local sourcing of food and goods as a act against globalisation?
The clearest environmental benefit is believed to be a markedly reduced number of food miles for agricultural products. Providing stimulus for local production has other merits too. Greater regionalised agricultural activity can improve national food security in an ear when climate change and growing global demand put mounting pressure on the world’s food supplies. In developing nations, greater local sourcing of food can also boost employment in depopulated areas.
can you talk about the viability of local sourcing of food and goods as an act against globalisation?
Local sourcing wins plaudits from governments and is promoted enthusiastically by those businesses who have declared their commitment to carbon footprint reduction.
However, some foreign agricultural imports into the UK – notably Spanish and North African tomatoes and flowers – may actually do less environmental harm than some local agricultural systems that are reliant on energy-hungry heated greenhouses.
Blaming globalisation for increased carbon emissions can sometimes be a misreading of a more fundamental issue. After all, globalisation is not directly responsible for British people wanting to buy large amounts of flowers in the month of February. The root cause instead is commercialization of the Valentine’s Day festival.
what is an even better way of decreasing global warming than sourcing locally?
Opting to buy fewer non-essential goods such as flowers in the first place – irrespective of their local or global origin – would be an even more effective way for wealthy societies to mitigate climate change ( but would also be enormously damaging for global trade and the livelihoods of thousands of people in poor countries like Kenya.
Introduce the rise of anti-immigration movements as an act aginst globalisation?
The rationale for retreating from globalisation is rooted, for some people, in the valid concern that national cultural identity is being changed by global interactions. Migration in particular creates political tension due to differing perceptions and view points on the cultural change it brings.
what is the role of EU nations in relation to the rise of anti-immigration movements as an act aginst globalisation?
For EU nations, the renewal of nationalism is lined with a broader debate about the’ loss of sovereignty’. A large proportion of citizens in each EU country would like to end the freedom of movement brought by the Schengen Agreement. They believe too much immigration has been allowed to take place.
