UNIT 11. GLOBALISATION OF THE WORLD. INITIAL ACTIVITIES

Q1. Read the document and answer the questions: One frequently-quoted example of globalisation is McDonald’s. Some people say that McDonald’s restaurants are a bad thing because they mean that everybody will eat the same food; others say that they are a good thing because you are always able to eat something you recognise know and like.

a) What is your opinion about the document? b) Which countries do not have any McDonald's restaurants? Why? c) Make a brief summary (10 lines) of Super Size Me? Q2. What images spring to mind when you hear the word „globalisation‟? Q3. How has globalization affected your life? Q4. Has globalization improved people‟s lives? Q5. Do you think globalization will make us all the same in the future?

11.. G GL LO OB BA AL LIISSA AT TIIO ON N Globalisation has created a common market where people, goods, ideas, knowledge and information travel worldwide. This new model has the following characteristics:  Growth of international trade.  Production is manufactured worldwide by multinational companies, which have branches in many countries.  Increase of financial flow due to investment and speculation in order to get profits or funding.  Interrelation of the whole world, where a decision taken in a part of the world affects the entire planet. EXERCISES:

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Q6. What is globalisation? Q7. What are the ten biggest transnational companies? 

11..11.. IInnffoorrm maattiioonn ssoocciieettyy Thanks to media the whole world is interconnected, which has developed the information society, where people can obtain and pass on information easily and quickly. It helps to create a knowledge society where people receive information and are also educated. As a result there is exchange of customs, literature, music, art, science, technology... EXERCISES: Q8 What are the most influential mass media today?

11..22.. D Diivviiddiinngg tthhee w woorrlldd

Globalisation has extended the way of life of Western countries (mostly the USA and Europe’s countries) worldwide.  Some cultures and peoples have stimulated the defence of their own values and beliefs as a means to preserve their traditions against the West.  Some other people have even taken up radical positions. There are two major areas in the world nowadays: EXERCISES:  Central parts. These areas have large Q9. Colour the two major areas in the metropolises or global cities (New York, world today. Blue: Central parts Tokyo, London, Paris...) that have become Red: Peripheral parts the main decision-making centres and the main multinational companies are located. It is composed of the richest countries (USA, European Union, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan) as well as some emerging countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China).  They export high-value products and technology.  They make large investments and grant loans for development.  They offer advanced services and provide skilled workers.  Peripheral areas. They are less developed areas (mostly African, Asian, and Latin American) and they depend totally on central parts.  They export raw materials and cheap manufactured goods.  Their levels of external debts are quite high.  They offer tourism to rich tourists of developed countries.  They provide cheap labour force.

11..33.. C Coonnttrroovveerrssyy aabboouutt gglloobbaalliissaattiioonn 1.3.1. Support for globalisation There are international organisms that support globalisation, such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) or the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as well as the most industrialised countries that meet in the G8 (France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, USA, Canada, and Russia) and G20 (20 countries that represent 85% of the world’s economy).

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These organisations and states support globalisation basing on:  It extends market economy, where goods, services, capital, and people can freely exchange.  It benefits all countries and individuals since it increases the supply of goods and services, which involves lower prices.  People, cultures, and countries are brought together.  It leads to a greater cooperation between governments and institutions in order to solve global problems (poverty, environment, wars...).  Data, information, and knowledge are transmitted more easily and that enriches people. EXERCISES: Q10. What is the G8 and what does it do? Q11. What Are the G20 countries?  Q12. Search for information on this website and answer the questions. http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/10thi_e/10thi00_e.htm a) b)

What reasons explain we are better off with the system than without it? Who Benefits from the WTO?

1.3.2. Movement against globalisation There are many anti-globalisation movements made up of several social groups and NGOs (Nongovernmental organisations).  They use social networks to organise the actions and protests.  It is common that they protest when the main meetings take place (G8, G20, IMF, WTO...). These groups attack globalisation basing on:  Globalisation imposes capitalism, which benefits richest countries at the poorest countries’ expenses since conditions are not equal in a global market.  Economic decisions are not made up by national governments but by international organisms, multinational companies or supranational institutions.  Imposition of the culture, language and customs of the powerful countries on weaker ones. EXERCISES: Q13. What is anti-globalisation? What do anti-globalisation movements defend? 1.3.3. Positive and Negative aspects of Globalisation Positive aspects:  Opportunities for the most able people  Easier access to markets and new technologies  Health situation has improved  It has allowed the free diffusion of information  Greater international circulation of goods, services, capital, and knowledge Negative aspects:  Polarisation of the distribution of wealth  Irrational use of human and natural resources  Increase of emigration to rich countries to escape from the poverty in their countries of origin  Destruction of cultural plurality and of symbolic universes  Increase in job insecurity and social protection in the most industrialised countries, especially those with a lower qualification. EXERCISES: Q14. What are the positive and negative effects of globalisation? What do you think?

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22.. U UN NE EQ QU UA AL LH HU UM MA AN ND DE EV VE EL LO OP PM ME EN NT T There is a huge difference between developed and underdeveloped countries, between industrialised north and underdeveloped south, the Third World. The means that are used to measure those differences are:  GDP per capita. It expresses how much money would receive a person from the national GDP.  In developed countries GDP per capita is over $ 10,000.  On the contrary, in underdeveloped countries GDP per capita is less than $ 1,000.  Literacy rate. It expresses how many people can read and write.  Developed countries have a very high literacy rate (over 90%).  Instead in less developed countries that rate is lower than 50 or even 40% (it increases among women) since many children leave schools to work.  Consumption of calories (per person and day). Underfeeding has been fixed when people do not reach 2,500 daily calories (as advised by the WHO).  Consumption of energy. It is considerably higher in the developed countries, whereas in the underdeveloped there is very little consumption by their inhabirants.  Human Development Index (HDI). It is an index used by the UN and it does not use only economic date but other information about health, education... So, they pay attention to life expectancy at birth and years of schooling. The result is expressed between 0 and 1 (the closer to 1 the more developed): EXERCISES: Q15. Compare the Human Development Index of these countries: Look at this website: http://hdr.undp.org/en/data

Spain

Argentina

United States

France

Morocco

Uganda

Life Expectancy at Birth Mean Years of Schooling Expected Years of Schooling Gross National Income (GNI) per capita HDI Value

Most of Europe, North America, many Central and South American countries, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand have high or medium level of development. Instead, most of Africa and most of Asia have a low level of development.

Top 10 Human Development Index Country Norway Australia

Index 0.943 0.929

Bottom 10 Human Development Index Country D. R. of the Congo Niger

Index 0.286 0.295

Netherlands USA New Zealand Canada Ireland Liechtenstein Germany Sweden

0.910 0.910 0.908 0.908 0.908 0.905 0.905 0.904

Burundi Mozambique Chad Liberia Burkina Faso Sierra Leone Central African Republic

Guinea

0.316 0.322 0.328 0.329 0.331 0.336 0.343 0.344

EXERCISES: Q16. Locate these countries: a) Blue: Top 10 b) Red: Bottom 10

FINAL ACTIVITIES Q17.- Read the document and answer the questions:

Emo, ergo sum! (I shop, therefore I am!) A phenomenon that comes with Americanization is the construction and valorization of identity as a consumer. An important dimension of Americanization is the consumer culture that “originated in the United States” and has been exported around the world through the process of globalisation. “A major function of consumerism is to produce consumers – to recast individuals as consumers, to reforge them into consumers.” The key here is not that there are similarities in the particular products consumed, but rather, the function of consumption, its role, in different cultures. “Under a consumer culture, consumption becomes the main form of self-expression and the chief source of identity.” Consider, consumer culture erodes a fixed sense of identity (or, it dominates, supplants, marginalizes other identities). This can be both liberating and debilitating.

a) What aspects of such a culture are liberating for you? b) Which are debilitating, or negative?

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Q18. Make a brief summary (10 lines) of The Great Match (La gran final)?

Q19. Search for information on these websites and answer the questions.  http://www.cleanclothes.org/ http://en.maquilasolidarity.org/ https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-sweatshops

a) What is a sweatshop? b) Which products are made in sweatshops? c) Are sweatshops a necessary step on the road to economic development? What do you think?

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d) According the picture, what should be able to afford the workers? e) How do you think we can end sweatshops?

Q20.These drawings represent features related to the development and underdevelopment. Write under each one if it is associated with the development or underdevelopment and what feature alludes.

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Q21. Comment the cartoons:

FINAL TASK A century ago, UK, France, Germany, United States and Russian were the great powers. In the 60's, Japan became the third most industrialized country in the world. Currently, there are emerging economic and political powers: China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa ... Make a presentation (at least 10 slides) on these emerging countries:  Population growth.  Natural resources.  Industries.  Economic growth (GDP growth) since the 60‟s.

Submit answers before June 13th.

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