Globalization. Globalization became the trendiest craze in international relations (IR) theory at the turn of the century

Globalization became the trendiest craze in international relations (IR) theory at the turn of the century. What is globalization? That’s a good question, and one that scholars in and out of IR have had difficulty grappling with. Globalization has been described as “a term which can refer to anything from the Internet to a hamburger”. That’s because theorists disagree on just about everything regarding “globalization”. They disagree about when “globalization” started. Some date its beginning after World War II, while others argue it is as old as capitalism itself. They disagree about what it expresses (economic, geographic, social, political, or cultural phenomena) and whether or not one or more of these phenomena should be emphasized over the others. And they disagree about whether “globalization” is a process, an ideology (“globalism”), or a “state of being” (“globality”). Given all these disagreements, it is not sur­prising that one theorist described “globalization” as simply “a floating sign of many different problematics”.

But what exactly are we talking about when we talk about globalization? “Globalization” is a relatively new term. Although it made its dictionary debut in 1961, it was rarely used until the 1980s, when it began appearing in academic literature with increasing frequency. Despite the pervasiveness of the term today, it remains ambiguous and contested, perhaps because it is used in many different ways to support a variety of competing interests. Some believe globalization is intrinsically “good, ” others believe it is inherently “bad, ” and still others assert that while it is intrinsically neither good nor bad, it can have both positive and negative effects. Some conflate globalization with internationalization, while others equate it with Westernization. Some view globalization as a new phenomenon driven primarily by new technologies, such as satellites, cell phones, and the Internet, while others see it as an extension of ongoing processes that encompass all of human history. Scholars from a variety of disciplines have weighed in on the term, developing their own definitions of, and theories about, globalization. Manfred B. Steger, a Professor of Global Studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, has developed a particularly useful definition that synthesizes the definitions of a number of prominent scholars. According to Steger: “Globalization refers to a multidimensional set of social processes that create, multiply, stretch, and intensify worldwide social interdependencies and exchanges while at the same time fostering in people a growing awareness of deepening connections between the local and the distant”.

Steger’s definition of globalization also highlights connections between the local and the global. In an interconnected world, distant events and forces can have a pro­found impact on local endeavours. Unexpected connections frequently emerge, some of which may be experienced positively by most who are affected by the connec­tion, and others of which have devastating consequences for one or more affected groups. The link between consumer demand for electronic devices and a bloody civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one such tragic example. This connection between war and electronics emerged because the DRC holds percent of the world’s coltan reserves. Though not a household word, coltan has become one of the world’s most valued materials. Refined coltan produces tantalum, a metal powder used in the production of capacitors, which are critical components in electronic devices like cell phones and laptop computers. One might think that the abundance of such a valuable mineral would benefit the DRC, but, unfortunately, coltan has been mined by warring rebel groups and used to finance a devastating civil war. The conflict, which started in 1998, has claimed more than 4 million lives.

Another common theme frequently discussed by globalization scholars is the compression of time. Globalization disrupts not only traditional spatial boundaries but also temporal ones, increasing the velocity of social activity. For example, high-speed communication and transportation technologies compress time, enabling “fast flows and movements of people, information, capital, and goods”.

Clearly, the accelerations discussed above were made possible by the development of new technologies. The Internet in particular has intensified and extended global connections and interdependencies since coming to prominence in the 1990s. Many scholars are quick to point out, however, that although the technologies that have accelerated globalization in recent years are new, the processes of globaliza­tion have a much longer history. How far back can we trace the processes of globalization? This remains an open question. The answer depends upon how far back one is interested in tracing the history of human migration, social networks, and technological innovation. One early globalization milestone was the settling of all five continents, a feat accomplished approximately 12, 000 years ago when hunter-gatherers first reached the tip of South America, thus accomplishing “the truly global dispersion of our species”. The invention of writing between 3500 and 2000 BC and the invention of the wheel around 3000 BC are also frequently cited as important moments in the history of globalization, as they were crucial developments that facilitated technological progress and social exchanges. Other significant globalization developments include the establishment of trading routes, such as the Silk Road, which linked the Chinese and Roman Empires, and the development of boats that could withstand long ocean voyages, establishing trade networks among some of the most populous regions of Europe, Asia, and Africa. These trade routes in turn triggered waves of migration, leading to population increases in urban centres.

Clearly, globalization processes can be traced back as far as one is willing to follow the migratory flows and technological inventions that have played a role in enhancing, multiplying, and extending social connections and compressing space and time. The perspective adopted by some scholars, then, that globalization is as old as human­ity, is important, because it acknowledges that globalization processes are gradual and that they have a long history.