Globalisation Specialist Terminology Flashcards
(47 cards)
The shrinking relative distances between places, caused by advances in transport and communication
Time-space compression
The intense phase of globalisation where global economic and cultural systems override national ones
Hyper-globalisation
The movement of economic activity — particularly manufacturing — from developed economies (e.g., UK, USA) to emerging economies (e.g., China, Vietnam)
Global shift
Coined by geographer Peter Dicken; describes how some places are highly connected (switched-on) while others are marginalised and poorly connected (switched-off).
Switched-on and switched-off places
The process by which local cultures are eroded and replaced by a uniform global culture, often influenced by western media and corporations.
Cultural homogenisation
Describes how products are made through complex chains of production stages located in different countries, involving multiple firms.
Global production networks (GPNs)
The unequal distribution of wealth, resources, and opportunities across different places, exacerbated by globalisation processes
Uneven development
Contracting parts of the production process to another company.
Relocating business operations to another country to reduce costs
Outsourcing
Offshoring
A form of indirect control over developing countries, often through economic, political, or cultural pressures rather than direct military rule
Neo-colonialism
The full sequence of stages involved in the design, production, and delivery of a product, showing the global interconnectedness of economies.
Commodity chains
Sustaining connections across borders between home and host nations, forming complex identities
Transnationalism
The increasing dominance of financial motives, financial markets, financial actors, and financial institutions in the operation of economies — strongly tied to the globalisation of capital
Financialisation
A theory that success builds on success in a place, meaning that initial economic growth attracts further investment, creating a self-reinforcing cycle — opposite of the “spiral of decline”.
Cumulative causation
A concept (Manuel Castells) referring to the networked movement of people, capital, information, and culture enabled by globalisation — contrasting with the traditional idea of static “spaces of places”.
Space of flows
The adaptation of global products or services to suit local cultures and tastes (e.g., McDonald’s adapting its menu in India with McAloo Tikki burgers).
Glocalisation
A shift from mass production to more flexible, niche production and specialisation in the global economy, driven by innovation, technology, and consumer choice.
Post-Fordism
The decline of manufacturing industries in HICs, particularly since the 1970s, often linked to the global shift and rise of emerging economies
Deindustrialisation
Occurs when globalisation undermines traditional political boundaries and authorities, making it harder for states to control flows of information, people, and goods
Political dislocation
The mixing of cultures leading to the creation of new forms of cultural expression — a more nuanced way to discuss cultural change than simply “homogenisation” or “westernisation”
Cultural hybridisation
The gap between those with easy access to digital technologies and those without, often reinforcing inequalities
Digital divide
Economic policies designed to restrict imports and protect domestic industries, sometimes used as a response to globalisation
Protectionism
The weakening of state power and authority due to the influence of global corporations and supranational institutions
Sovereignty erosion
The idea of balancing the benefits of globalisation with the need to protect environments, cultures, and economic equity for future generations
Sustainable globalisation
Time-space compression - example
The spread of mobile internet across Africa illustrates time-space compression, reducing communication delays that once isolated remote regions
