What is Globalization?

- Globalization is inherently multidisciplinary

and interdisciplinary ;
- World Shrinkage
- The contemporary world is seen and
- Growth & Development analyzed with a broad lens ;
There are 4 Perspectives - Various contemporary world affairs are
examined using different global processes ;
- Political - Consequently, the treatment should be on
- Economics the academic definition of globalization
- Culture instead of market
- Education
For a Political Scientist – Globalization might be
Globalization construed as a challenge to the nation state. There is
nothing wrong in this conception; however, the idea
- The process by which business or other
is to. To accept globalization, this would be to delve
organizations develop international
only on the:
influence or start operating in international
scale. - emergence of corporations (that could
- The worldwide movement toward economic, siphon all the bounties for themselves);
financial, trade and communications. - strength of regional blocks (that might
- Globalization implies the opening of local encourage separatism); and
and nationalistic perspectives to a broader - Emergence of global political norms (that
outlook of an interconnected and might motivate creation of a world order
interdependent world with free transfer of under a strong, powerful and influential
capital, goods, and services across national country, bloc or alliance).
frontiers.
- Is a process of interaction among the For the Economist - Globalization is:
people, companies and government of - simply increased in free trade (never mind
different nations driven by international tradeoffs – simply the speed in milliseconds
trade and investment. of trade shares);
Lee and Vevarelli (2006) contended that - the creation of more global economic
“Globalization” is currently a popular and organizations; and
controversial issue, though often remaining a loose - The establishment of regional economic
and poorly - defined concept. blocs.

its effects on economic growth, employment and For the Scholar of Culture and Communication
income distribution - often distinguishing between - Globalization may be seen as:
countries and within-country inequalities – and - a “global village”;
other social impacts such as opportunities for - a bedrock of communications technology
poverty alleviation, human and labor rights,
that is “shrinking” the world; and
environmental consequences and so on.
- A result of “cultural imperialism.”
- Globalization is a continual flux and
Characterization of Globalization
adjustment.
- Beginning in the 1990s, humans had a 1. Globalization as a Historical Epoch.
widespread usage as an international term Historians agreed that globalization can be
with many interpretations. defined as rather that a or
- Because of this, there is no universally - ONE GROUP stated that the demise of the
accepted definition of the term. Cold War coincided with the onset of
globalization, raising the question of
 whether there is a causal relationship radical, ideological response to what they
between the two. This period is a likely characterized as political paralysis and
candidate because: economic lethargy.
- it suggested that globalization began with Globalization as a confluence of economic
two simultaneous phenomena. The first was phenomena.
the introduction of détente between the
United States and Soviet Union. The second This characterization include the liberalization and
was the breakdown of the ‘Social Contract,’ deregulation of markets, privatization of assets,
initially in Britain but eventually spread retreat of state functions (particularly welfare ones),
throughout the advanced industrial diffusion of technology, cross-national distribution
countries; of manufacturing production (foreign direct
- During this period, there was greater investment), and the integration of capital markets.
linkage among labor representation, wage In its narrowest formulation, the term refers to:
restraint, social welfarism, full employment,
and the dominant mass production system. - The worldwide spread of sales, production
facilities, and manufacturing processes, all
It represented of which reconstitute the international
division of labor (Reich, 1998).
- Transition to a new formulation on the terms
and nature of work like a distribution of Globalization as the hegemony of western
labor between high and low value-added values.
processes focusing on subcontracting; it
made markets as institutions while Globalization represents the triumph of
encourages unionism and welfarism; it modernization theory according to its proponents; a
disowns fiscal policy as a useful instrument homogenization of values around the principles of
of policy; and, ultimately, it reasserts the capitalism and democracy. As expounded by
importance of individualism at work Fukuyama (1993), the engine of globalization is
expressed in diverse forms such as technology, which makes possible the limitless
“telecommuting and flextime” (Garrett & accumulation of wealth, and thus the satisfaction of
Lange, 1991) an ever-expanding set of human desires. This
process guarantees an increasing homogenization of
In contrast, the SECOND GROUP - alternative all human societies, regardless of their historical
historical interpretations date globalization from the origins or cultural inheritances. All countries
end (rather than middle) of the 1970s and the undergoing economic modernization have increased
beginning of the ensuing decade because of: their resemblance of one another, following
capitalistic and democratic ideologies
- a series of events that clustered within a
Globalization as a technological and social
limited time period: the cumulative impact
revolution. This characterization ultimately renders
on Western economies of the second oil
the globe as a single market. This is a
crisis;
comprehensive and complex vision: of globally
- a substantial corresponding decline in the integrated production; of specialized but
level of GNP in 1980 and rise in inflation interdependent labor markets; of the rapid
rates; privatization of state assets; and of the inextricable
linkage of technology across conventional national
- the traumatic (for the United States) episode
borders (The New Global Economy in the
of US hostages in Iran; and the elections of
Informational Age, 1993)
Margaret Thatcher in 1979 and Ronald
Reagan in 1980, both of whom offered a
: “Globalization refers to the expansion and - The raiders killed only those who were in
intensification of social relations and consciousness resistance.
across world-time and world-space.” - This unity grew by degrees from common
• Globalization is a complex web of social processes suffering and need, common victory and
that intensify and expand worldwide economic, defeat, common rejoicing and common
cultural, political, and technological exchanges and sorrow.
connections. - In this second stage of the formation of
states, the ground work, in its essentials, had
STRUCTURE OF GLOBALIZATION
been mapped out. A truce was achieved.
“Globalization refers to the expansion and - Peasants Vs. Raiders
intensification of social relations and consciousness - It developed a customary right Peasants
across world-time and world-space.” work for Raiders, Raiders protect them in
times of trouble.
THE GLOBAL INTERSTATE SYSTEM
STAGE 3 TRIBUTE
- Band
- Tribe - The third stage emerged when the “surplus”
- Chiefdom obtained by the peasantry was brought by
- Nation them regularly to the tents of the herdsmen
- State as tribute.
- Nation-state - In exchange for a tribute from the peasants,
the Raiders provided peace and security
GENESIS OF NATIONN STATES - Sometimes the character of the tribute paid
- Oppenheimer (2010) explored the rise of by the subjects to their master was more or
nation states from apparently six stages less blurred, and the act assumed the guise
using the sociological perspective. of payment for protection, or indeed, of a
- Should not be assumed as necessarily financial support
following each particular case, or climb the STAGE 4 OCCUPATION
entire scale step by step
- Historical foundations specifically in world - More powerful herdsmen arrived and
history and ethnology occupied the territories held by the previous
herdsmen. They created their centers of
• First= Herdsmen (Farmers/Members of the Tribe)/ power and from these centers, controlled
Peasants their "subjects," mainly for the purpose of
• Second= Raiders (Looters) gathering their tribute, paying no attention to
them in other respects.
STAGE 1 LOOTING
STAGE 5 MONOPOLY
- The first stage comprises robbery and killing in
border fights, endless combats broken neither - The logic: Quarrels arose> Peasants saw the
by peace nor by armistice. lord was no longer worthy to be fought out>
- Offenders lose, but they returned Feudal System.
- The first stage remained like this for centuries.
- In the medieval feudal society, the villages
were … as a rule surrounded by a circle of
STAGE 2 TRUCE hamlets where their serfs lived
- In the early modern times, colonized
- The peasant, through thousands of
peoples in Asia and Africa saw monopoly in
unsuccessful attempts at revolt, had accepted all forms. In the Philippines for example, it
his fate and has ceased every resistance is a wellknown fact that the Spaniards
 governed almost all facets of Filipino life – - Stated that the Westphalian system of the
political, economic, social, cultural and even sovereign states had three apparent core
spiritual. points to the treaty namely:
- The principle of state sovereignty;
- The principle of legal equality of states and
- The principle of non-intervention of one
state in the international affairs of another
STAGE 6 STATE Global politics since Westphalia: responding to
- The need of keeping the constituents as well notions of sovereignty
as maintaining their labor capacity is the • This provided alternative loci of international
main reason for establishing a state. politics. Threshing out problems between nations
- The need of keeping the constituents as well that can escalate to war found a locus for
as maintaining their labor capacity is the international politics, the earliest challenge was
main reason for establishing a state. posed by Napoleon Bonaparte of France. The
- They intermingled, united, and Napoleonic code: forbade birth privileges, freedom
amalgamated, in customs and habits, in of religion, meritocracy in government service, and
speech and worship. brief hegemony over Europe.
ROOTS OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS - Then another historic movement called the
Concert of Europe (1815-1914), sought to
- Alliances- the state of being allied: the
restore Europe to the world after the French
action of allying nations in close alliance. b:
Revolution and Napoleon happened
a bond or connection between families,
- The Tenets of the Concert of Europe were:
states, parties, or individuals a closer
alliance between government and industry - the return of the monarchy;
- Armistice- temporary stopping of open - the return of Christian values in Europe;
acts of warfare by agreement between the - the repudiation of the Napoleonic Code; and
opponents: truce. - renewed peace in Europe through great
- Ceasefire- A ceasefire is an arrangement in power diplomacy
which countries or groups of people that The birth of international ideas
are fighting each other agree to stop
fighting. They have agreed to a ceasefire LIBERALISM
after three years of conflict - individual freedom; general prosperity
- greatest problem is inequality
Peace of Westphalia, 1648
INTERNATIONALISM
- Ended the 30 years war
- The peace of Westphalia is regarded as a - one people, one country
historic milestone in the development - The desire for greater cooperation among
towards tolerance and secularization states (countries) •Internationalism comes in
- Ended with the singing of treaties between two major forms:
new great powers- Sweden and France - • Liberal internationalism
- This is considered as the earliest attempt for
international accord
- • Socialist internationalism
- there should be no single nation
Safanova 2012
SOCIALISM
- social justice
 LIBERAL INTERNATIONALISM - Karl marx
- forwarded by Immanuel kant - True form of internationalism shall
- people must have a government to prevent reject nationalism
lawlessness - Economic equality
- this must apply to counties around the - The socialist international was a union
world; global government
of European socialist and labor
- Jeremy Bentham coined the word
international parties, collapsed during WWI
- Advocated international law - Vladimir Lenin
- “The greatest happiness of all nations taken - Established the communist
together” international comintern
LIBERALISM - Central body of communist parties
- Giuseppe Mazzini Globalization of economy
- Reconciled nations and liberal
internationalism
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY
- Believed in a republican government and - International economics deals with the
proposed international cooperation
economic activities of various
- Independent states are the basis of
international system
countries and consequences
- It studies economic and political
FASCISM MOVEMENT
issues related to international trade
- One of the major challenges to and finance
internationalism was the fascism movement. - International trade involves the
Adolph Hitler saw variants of exchange of goods and services and
internationalism as an attack to the nation. other factors of production, such as
The fascists believed in the primacy of
ethnic majorities and in establishing regional
labor and capital across international
spheres of influence. The creation of the borders
Rome-Berlin-Tokyo (axis power) aimed at - On the other hand, international
world domination by establishing a world finance studies the flow of financial
order governed by Italy, Germany and Japan assets or investment across borders.
SUMMARY International trade and finance
became possible across nations only
Kant due to the emergence of globalization
- Common international principles THE BRETTON WOODS SYSTEM 1944
Mazzini Was created after the two world wars to
- Principle of cooperation and respect ensure long lasting peace

Wilson Two financial institutions

- Democracy and self- determination - International bank for reconstruction

and development
SOCIAL INTERNATIONALISM - IBRD now world bank
 - International monetary fund (global - Freer market ideology; and
lender) - More liberal economic policies, laws,
- General agreements on tariffs and economies and social movements
trade
Immanuel Wallerstein
THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AND THE
- He explained how political and
DEVELOPMNET OF A MODERN
economic conditions after breakdown
WORLD SYSTEM
of feudalism transformed
Shanquan- economic globalization refers to northwestern
the increasing interdependence of world - Advent of capitalist world economy
economies as a result of the growing scale of - Larger disparities between various
cross borders trade of commodities and economies
services, flow of international capital and
wide and rapid spread of technologies Medieval Prelude

- But for billions of the worlds people. - Feudal system 1150-1130

Business-driven globalization means - Severe economic crisis 1300- 1450
and threatening livelihoods uprooting - Agricultural production fell or
old ways of life and culture remained stagnant
- The economic cycle of the feudal
International economics- international economy reached its optimum level;
economics refers to study if international afterwards the economy began to
forces that influences the domestic shrink
conditions of an economy and shape the - A shift in climatological conditions
economic interdependence between
decreased agricultural productivity
countries and its effect on economy
and contributed to an increase in
- The scope of international economics epidemics within the population
is wide as it includes various The new European division of labor
concepts, such as globalization, gains
from trade, patterns of trade, balance - Capitalist world economy
of payments, and FDI. Apart from - The new capitalist world system was
this, international economics describe based on an international division of
production, trade and investment labor that determined relationships
between countries between different regions as well as
the types of labor conditions within
Economic actors- discoveries and inventions
each region. In this model, the type of
(technology, equipment, travel,
political system was also directly
telecommunication, machinery)
related to each regions placement
- The creation of multi-nation within the world economy
corporation - Wallerstein proposed four different
- Circulation of finance, ideas, cultures; categories into which all regions of
the world can be place
THE CORE THE SEMI PERIPHERY

- Much of northwestern Europe (England, - Between the two extremes were the semi-
France, Holland) developed as the first core peripheries (Declining Core or Improving
region. Peryphery).
- Politically, the states within this part of - Served as buffers. As such, semi-peripheries
Europe developed strong central exhibited tensions between the central
governments, extensive bureaucracies, and government and a strong local landed class.
large mercenary armies. This permitted the - Declining Core: Portugal and Spain. Other
local bourgeoisie to obtain control over semi-peripheries at this time were Italy,
international commerce and extract capital southern Germany, and southern France.
surpluses from this trade for their own - Unlike the core, however, they failed to
benefit. predominate in international trade. With a
- As the rural population expanded, the small weak capitalist rural economy:
but increasing number of landless wage sharecropping. This lessened the risk of crop
earners provided labor for farms and failure
manufacturing activities. - According to Wallerstein, the semi-
- Independent farmers squeezed out many peripheries were exploited by the core but,
peasants off the land, soon after, they moved as in the case of the American empires of
to the cities for cheap labor. Spain and Portugal, often were exploiters of
- Agricultural productivity increased with the peripheries themselves. Spain, for example,
growing predominance of the commercially- imported silver and gold from its American
oriented independent farmer, the rise of colonies, obtained largely through coercive
pastoralism, and improved farm technology. labor practices, but most of this specie went
to paying for manufactured goods from core
THE PERIPHERY countries such as England and France rather
- colonized, exported raw materials to the than encouraging the formation of a
core, and relied on coercive labor practices. domestic manufacturing sector.
Generated through unequal trade relations. EXTERNAL AREAS
- Eastern Europe (especially Poland) and
Latin America. To gain sufficient cheap and - These areas maintained their own economic
easily controlled labor, landlords forced systems and, for the most part, managed to
rural workers into a "second serfdom" on remain outside the modern world economy.
their commercial estates. Russia fit this case well. Unlike Poland,
- Local government were replaced by weak Russia's wheat served primarily to supply its
bureaucracies under the control of these internal market. It traded with Asia as well
European states. Landlords became as Europe; internal commerce remained
aristocratic capitalist farmers. Enslavement more important than trade with outside
of the native; coercive labor practices; made regions. Also, the considerable power of the
possible the export of cheap raw materials to Russian state helped regulate the economy
Europe. and limited foreign commercial influence.
- Labor systems in both peripheral areas
differed from earlier forms in medieval
- Europe in that they were established to
produce goods for a capitalist world
economy and not merely for internal
consumption.
THE GLOBAL MARKET INTERGRATION - Multinational companies have centralized
management system
SHANQUAN
- Multinational companies will face a barrier
- Economic globalization refers to the in decision making due to its centralized
increasing interdependence of world management system
economics as a result of the growing scale of
TRANSNATIONAL
cross-border trade of commodities and
services, flow of international capital and - Transnational companies do not have
wide and rapid spread of technologies subsidiaries but just many companies
ECONOMIC INTERGRATION - Transnational companies dot not have
centralized management system
SHANQUAN (2002) - Transnational companies are able to gain
Two major driving forces of economic globalization more interest in the local markets since they
maintain their own system
- Rapid growth of significant information
INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
- Marketization
- Rapid development of science and WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO)
technology
- The World Trade Organization was founded in
THREE FUNDAMENTAL ACTORS OF 1995 to replace the General Agreement on Tariffs
ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION and Trade (GATT).
- First, improvements in the technology of ROLE
transportation and communication reduced
- The main role of WTO is to help the trading
the costs of transporting goods, services, and
industry to become smooth, fair and free and
factors of production and of communicating
predictable. It was organized to become the
economically useful knowledge and
administrator of multilateral trade and
technology (Technology of Transportation
business agreements between its member
and Communication);
nations. It supports all occurring negations
- Second, the tastes of individuals and
for latest agreements for trade. WTO also
societies have generally, but not universally
tries to resolve trade dispute between
favored taking advantage of the
member nation
opportunities provided by declining costs of
- Multi-lateral agreements are always made
transportation and communication through
between several countries in the past,
increasing economic integration (Tastes of
because of this, such agreements become
Individuals and Societies); and
very difficult to negotiate but are so
- Third, public policies have significantly
powerful and influential once all the parties
influenced the character and pace of
agree and sign the multi-lateral agreement.
economic integration, although not always
WTO acts as the administrator. If there are
in the direction of increasing economic
unfair trade practices or dumping and there
integration (Public Policies).
is complain field, the staff of WTO are
MAIN CARRIERS OF GLOBALIZATION expected to investigate and check if there are
MULTINATIONAL VS TRANSNATIONAL violation based on the multi-lateral
agreements.
MULTINATIONAL
WORLD BANK
- Multinational companies own a home
company and its subsidiaries - The World Bank, based in Washington, is a
multilateral institution that lends money to
 governments and government agencies for - Economic globalization has in fact expanded
development projects rather than reduced the gap between the rich
and poor countries.
5 priorities of the world bank
- Secondly, economic globalization causes
- World bank provides the largest external developing countries’ risks of being
funds for education concussed by unfavorable external factors.
- It is a big support in reducing poverty - Thirdly, the process of reforming the
- It provides fund for biodiversity projects economic system and readjusting economic
- It helps to bring clean water, electricity and structures should be quickened. International
transport to poor people competition in the era of economic
- It helps in controlling emerging conflicts globalization is competition on economic
systems and enterprise mechanisms.
INTERNATIONAL MONETERY FUND
Factors that promote and impede economic
- The Bretton Woods established the IMF and globalization
the International Bank which is now part of
the World Bank Neoliberalism
- Before the war ended, representatives from - This theory emphasizes the privatization and
Allied Nations began planning for peace at liberalization of the economy by for
Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. example, reducing trade barriers for the
- The primary objective was to rebuild rich economy to develop. The states should only
nations and developing countries were left provide enabling environment for the
upto their colonial powers. business to thrive. That is, multinational
- The goal and strategies of Bretton Woods enterprise should be given free access to
were macroeconomic stability, import investment and production without any
substitution, and governance reforms. governmental policies restriction.
- is an organization of 189 countries, working - Applying this theory to economic
to foster global monetary cooperation, globalization means that, the unrestricted
secure financial stability, facilitate free movement of goods and services, and
international trade, promote high most importantly, in the present era of
employment and sustainable economic globalization, is the movement of capital,
growth, and reduce poverty around the which is believed to usher economic growth
world. and development.
PROS AND CONS OF ECONOMIC Factors that promote
GLOBALIZATION
- Regional integration
PROS - Trade liberalization
- The participation of developing countries in - Foreign direct investment
the globalization process can enable them to: - Privatization and deregulation
- better utilize their comparative advantages; Factors that Impede EG
- introduce advanced technologies; • enhance
foreign capital; - High Tax
- enrich management experience; - Extreme Regionalization
- eliminate monopolistic behaviors; and - Protectionism
- strengthen market competition. - Lack of Technological Sophistication.

CONS
 - The Global North: stable state organization,
an economy largely under (state) control and
GLOBAL DIVIDES: the global north and south
a dominant formal sector.
RIGG AND HIS “THE GLOBAL SOUTH” - The Global South: the recipients of foreign
aid.
- Classified counties as:
- UNDP’s HDI: GN= 64; GS=133
- Third world= non aligned
- GN has stronger public sector while GS has
- Second world- socialist/ communist
been subjected to the forces of global
- Fist world= capitalist
neoliberalism.
Classifying countries
The Brandt line 1980
- The 1980s, however, not only saw the
Inequalities
fragmentation of the First / Second World
dualism with the collapse of the former Soviet - Availability of natural resources;
Union at the end of the decade, but also – and - different levels of health and education;
perhaps more importantly – the embracing of - the nature of a country’s economy and its
market reforms by most command economies industrial sectors;
(China in 1978, Vietnam and Laos in 1986, and - international trading policies and access to
the Soviet Union in 1987). markets;
- “It doesn’t matter whether a cat is white or - how countries are governed and international
black, so long as it catches mice (Deng Xiao- relationships between countries;
ping).” - conflict within and between countries; and
- Tiger economies in Asia like Malaysia, - a country’s vulnerability to natural hazards and
Singapore, Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, climate change
and Thailand to name but a few, were labeled
as “developing countries” DEVELOPMENT GAP
ERIKSEN (A school boy in 1970) - A few decades ago, the South was associated
with:
- 2 kinds of countries (The industrialized and
- starvation;
the developing)
- malnutrition;
- Further classified countries:
- poverty; • epidemics;
- First World: Rich Western Countries
- low educational levels;
- Second World: Communist Block
- political authoritarianism; and
- Third World: Developing and
- dictatorships.
underdeveloped
- Fourth World: Stateless Indigenous Peoples/ MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
Struggled but had potential
- the advance of global capitalism through
- Fifth: Chanceless and mired in perennial
economic and financial globalization;
poverty
- the adoption of capitalism in part or full by
So, what can be argued?? almost all nations;
- financial markets and financialization have
- Any conceptual investigations/associations
linked countries and people in far deeper ways
may lead to ambivalence. than the globalization of production.
- Global diversity is simply such that it cannot
meaningfully be subsumed under a few, let MANIFESTATION OF INEQUALITIES
alone two, concepts.
- continued dominance of systems and
institutions of global economic and financial
 governance by the North despite attempts by - old pathogens and diseases making a
developing countries to secure greater comeback and new viruses multiplying in
power; overcrowded, polluted urban environments;
- inequality and inequity remain inherent and - millions of people being dislocated from
almost foundational characteristics of the traditional lands, environments and
North South divide. territories because of capitalist investment;
- Inequality is a deep structural defect that and
diminishes individual and collective - persistence of land and water grabbing,
potential for many, and shapes power natural disasters and wars.
relations within and among societies.
THE UNCTAD WORL INVESTMENT REPORT
DIFFERENCES AND COMMONALITIES 2015
THE NORTH AND SOUTH DIVIDE “Investments by developing-country multinational
enterprises (MNEs) also reached a record level with
- the development gap between wealthy and
developing Asia investing abroad more than any
poor nations that could be closed through the
other region. Nine of the 20 largest investor
transfer of capital, technology and know-
countries were from developing or transition
how to build modern systems and
economies. These MNEs continued to acquire
institutions for material advancement
developed-country foreign affiliates in the
- Development interventions have touched all
developing world (World Investment Report, 2015).
aspects of SOCIAL, CULTURAL
ECONMIC AND POLITICAL LIFE, and TODAY
have been instrumental in the integration of
- development is described and planned in the
local and national economies into the global
language of free markets, free trade
economy.
agreements, private (often corporate)
ADVANCES IN investment, private sector expansion and
business plans.
- medical and other sciences;
- Asia, development is characterized by an
- public health;
obsession with economic growth,
- education; operationalized through privatization, trade
- industry; and investment liberalization, and market
- communication and digital technologies; and and corporate friendly regulation.
- information and knowledge systems, etc. - cause of inequality/poverty: capture of land,
HOWEVER water and natural wealth by rich elites,
politically powerful actors, businesses and
- concentration of the world’s wealth and corporations for speculation, real
assets in the hands of wealthy elites and estate/property development, industrial
Transnational Corporations (TNCs); agriculture, energy, extractive industry, etc.
- Low workers’ wages and persistence of - These result dispossession and
unemployment in most countries; • environmental destruction on a massive
imminent runway climate change; scale, thereby concentrating wealth,
- accelerating environmental pollution and resources and power in the hands of an elite
destruction; minority.
- recurring economic and financial crises seen
INEQUALITY
as the “new normal;”
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
• despite increasing economic growth (GDP) and these constructs rather fussing about the
reductions in overall poverty over the past 25 years, overall conceptualization.
inequality in a large part of the Asia Pacific region
CONCLUSION
has increased tremendously. Inequality is
manifested in several ways, including in incomes, Tackling global capitalism, the power of TNCs,
ownership of property and economic assets, persisting /entrenched inequality, climate change
opportunity and access to services essential to and migration are absolute priorities for global
human wellbeing. The report’s editors argued that peace and justice. In so doing, Northern domination
while addressing inequality should be a priority in will have to be checked, as will the refusal of North
and of itself (from the perspective of values and countries to act on their historical responsibilities
justice), inequality also undermined economic have to be challenged. But equally important is
growth and poverty reduction (Global Wealth critically monitoring and challenging the expansion,
Report, 2015). use and abuse of power and privilege in, among and
by South countries (Guttal, 2016)
WEALTH?
- The creation of wealth will create poverty It
is not an equalizer…. It needs the
redistributive measures.
- Those most negatively affected by the
above are workers, peasants, fisherfolk and
other subsistence producers in both rural and
urban areas in that:
- their wages, earnings and savings do not
increase, nor does their access to goods and
services improve;
- they often end up paying more for food,
energy, water, rent and daily life compared
to middle and upper classes;
- women, children and youth are particularly
affected. Harder lives translate to heavier
workloads for women, less time and fewer
resources to transform their lives;
- children and youth are unable to access
opportunities that would contribute to
significant changes in their futures.
- Guttal (2016) concluded that until the
hegemonic structures and systems that
enabled the North to build their economic
and political power are not dismantled, the
North-South divide will continue to exist.
- Structural differences in living conditions,
human and societal capabilities and
economic and political power, are still
prevalent between the North and South.
- At the same time, North and South are
constructs and it is probably more strategic
to focus attention on some actors within