P3 Summary + Syllabus

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1. Measuring Global Interactions

Global Participation

'Describe and evaluate the KOF index as a measure of global interaction. Describe how the globalization index may be represented spatially.'

KOF Index of globalization

→ 2002: Swiss Economic Institute

→ Combines Social, Economical and Political factors (SEP)

Top ranking:

1. Ireland

2. The Netherlands

3. Belgium

Social

→ Personal contacts; tourism, telecom traffic

→ Information flows

→ Number of internet users, households with TV

Economic

→ Long distance flow of goods and services

→ Trade, FDI, (%) GDP

→ Trade and investment restrictions

Political

→ Number of embassies and high commissions

→ Number of international organizations

→ Number of treaties signed

→ Participation in UN peace missions

Weaknesses

→ International organizations signed up to is not always a measure of participation

→ Tvs are being less and less used

→ Individual numbers might be high but others are not

→ Globalization is very complex

→ Regularly collected data?

→ 'Weakest data set'? (37% economic, 39% social, 25% politics)

Global Core and Periphery

'Discuss the spatial pattern of global interactions through the mapping of core

areas that are the focus of interaction (network hubs/nodes), the peripheries and

the areas relatively unaffected by these interactions.'

Core

→ Most MEDC countries; Europe, North America, East Asia

→ Australia and New Zealand also count as core but

have lower population

Periphery

→ LEDC countries; Africa, South America, Middle East

Semi-periphery

→ NICs, developing countries; China, India, Brazil

→ Not quite core, not quite periphery

The core-periphery structure resembles the colonization era

→ Core buys raw material in periphery

→ Give periphery ; waste, aid

→ Tries to make periphery wealthy to turn them into consumers

of core market products

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2. Changing space - the shrinking world

Time-space convergence and the reduction of friction of distance

'Explain how a reduction in the friction of distance results in time-space

convergence.'

→ Technology and transport have reduced the time it takes to cover

a distance.

'Examine the relative changes in the speed and capacity of two types

of transport (air, ocean, road, rail, pipeline) responsible for the flow

of goods, materials and people.'

History of container boats

History of aviation

→ 1903: The Wright Brothers developed first manned aircraft

→ 1928: First non-stop passenger flights across the Atlantic

Extension and density of networks

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3. Economic Interactions and flows

Financial flows

Capital - Financial and physical assets which can generate income, such as property

or investments

Importance of transfer of capital and financial flows between Core/Periphery

Examine the importance of loans, debt repayment, development aid, remittances,

FDI, and repatriation of profits in the transfer of capital

Remittances

- Transfers of money by a foreign worker to his or her home country

- "Africans helping themselves more than aid workers" / More money sent home

to families than aid donors

2010: $52 bn remittance vs $43 bn aid

- Weakness: may increase disparities

- World wide $350 bn for remittances exceeding aid

Loans

- Money borrowed from IMF or World Bank or other organizations with the aim of

aiding development

- eg. Ghana borrowing to host sporting events

- Attracts investment

- Weakness: debts, high interest rates

Debt repayment

- Paying back back money loaned

- eg. Haiti earthquake; $1.2 bn foreign debt forgiven

Development Aid

- ODA (official development aid) by governments and other agencies

- 0.7% of GNP to aid; agreement, but not all countries have met target

Denmark, Luxembourgh, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden

- 2008: $130 bn

- Germany, France and Japan biggest donors

- Weakness: corruption, tied aid

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

- Investing in other countries, major source of development

- eg. Fibre Optic Network Uganda

- eg. relation China and Guinea

Investment in oil and coal, securing rights to raw materials

Repatriation of profits

- To return something, especially money and profits, to the

country of its owner or origin

Influence of governments

2010: Obama visit to India

- Traveling with hundreds of investors and trade officials

- Set out to finalize deals around $10 bn

- Boeing aircraft commission

- General Electric CEO

2010: British delegation to China

- PM Cameron, business secretary, minister of Commerce meeting Wen Jiabo

- Largest British delegation in 200 years

- Shell, Barclays, 15 businesses, 50 business leaders present

- UK export to China is worth 8 billion pounds

WTO, IMF and World Bank

Examine the influence of governments, world trading organization and financial

institutions (such as the WTO, IMF and World Bank) in the transfer of capital.

World Trade Organization

- Liberalize world trade

- Create a forum for trade agreements and settle trade disputes

- Set of rules agreed by members

- set up in 1995

International Monetary Fund

- Employ experts to give advice to countries/goverments

- Lend money to countries (eg. Greece)

- 188 countries are member

- Management for economic activity

World Bank

- Large bank made up of 5 organizations

- Lends money to countries purposed for development and

environmental sustainability

- Eg loans to Brazilian government to protect Amazon

loans to African countries such as Ghana

Labour flows

Explain the causes and effect of one major flow of labour between two countries.

CS: Mexico USA migration

Information flows

Explain the role of ICT in the growth of international outsourcing.

Need for fibre optic network / good internet connection

India

- Radiologist rontghen scans analysis

- Restoration of old photos

- Accountancy

- Bangalore

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4. Environmental Change

Degradation through raw material production

Agro-Industrialization

Identify the effects of agro-industrialization and changes in international production and

consumption on the physical environment

- Clearing land for agricultural purposes

- Irrigation of arid areas leads to depletion of water supplies

eg. Asparagus in Peru

eg. Flower growth in Kenya

eg. Quatar growing crops in climate-controlled greenhouses

requires extensive irrigation

- Farming practices have become part of large international organizations;

Unilever, Nestlé, Monsanto

Environmental impacts

- Deforestation

- Soil degradation due to intense use, growing population and chemical pollution

- Stress on freshwater resources; aquifers run out

- Food security

Environmental impacts of increased demand for oil

Discuss the environmental consequences of increasing international demand for one

raw material.

- BP Deep Water Horizon - 2010 Oil spill

- Transalaskan Pipeline - Multiple oil spills

Food miles and Air freight

Examine the concept of food miles and the environmental consequences

of increasing volumes of air freight

Carbon cost of local production vs transported goods;

- Greenhouse controlled climates and irrigation as opposed to

natural sunlight and right climate

- Pollution at farms due to farm animals

Annual growth of air fright by 5.2% in next 20 years

Increased demand for global goods

The effects of transnational manufacturing services

Discus the reasons and consequences of the relocation of polluting industries and waste disposal

to countries with weaker environmental controls and safety regulations.

CS: Ghana E-waste

- Sent under 'second hand goods' to avoid Basel Convention

- Not green, burning the waste produces toxic emissions and has severe health impacts

- Particularly vulnerable group are street children that burn the waste in search of valuable

scraps of metal and pregnant women exposed to smoke in town

- Abogbloshie - Accra; 500 containerloads per month

Core produces waste, which is sent of to periphery

Norway: each in habitant produces 28 kg e-waste per year

Africa: inhabitants produce 2 kg / year

CS: Apple / Foxconn production

- Repetitive jobs and poor living conditions lead to increase in number of suicides

- Small dormitories, 93/223 factories working more than 60 hrs a week

- Unpaid overtime, child labour

Trans-boundary pollution

Describe one major pollution event affecting more than one country and examine the

consequences of and responses to this event.

CS: Chernobyl

Examine the growth of environmental awareness as a consequence of these global

interactions.

Examine the role of one international civil society organization in fostering improved

environmental management

Greenpeace

Documentary about Chernobyl and the consequences 20 yrs after

- Raising environmental awareness, so that people do not forget

Reaction to major environmental degradation events

- BP Deepwater Horizon spill

Independent research, awareness of dependence on fossil fuels

Raising awareness through social media

- Guide to Green Electronics

Ranking of companies, encouraging them to become more

environmentally friendly

- Save The Artic

Grand Prix banner hijack

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5. Sociocultural exchanges

Cultural diffusion: the process

Describe cultural traits in terms of language, customs, beliefs, dress, images, music, food and technology.

Examine the diffusion of cultural traits resulting from the international movement of workers, tourists

and commodities.

Consumerism and culture

Describe the role of TNCs and the media in spreading consumer culture.

Advertising / Glocalization

- McDonalds India

- Goodlooking, modern, young, happy, western dress, luxury, health

- International sporting events

- Poor people more affected by transnational adds

- Use of holidays for advertising;

Valentines, Christmas, etc.

Select two different branded commodities and examine the spatial and

temporal pattern of adoption on a global scale.

CS: Coca Cola

- Only countries that do not sell are Myanmar/Burma, North Korea

- 1.8 bn servings per day

- Highest consumption in western MEDCs and Latin America

- No 1 soft drink in most countries

CS: McDonalds

- McDonalds India

Has to have vegetarian options/chicken based menu

- McArabia in Morocco

- McFalafel in Israel; not succesful

- McDonalds in Bolivia; against cultural value of 'fast food'

Sociocultural integration

Diaspora culture

Examine the role of diasporas in preserving culture in one country and the adoption of minority

traits by host societies.

CS: San Francisco, Chinatown

Indigenous and remote societies

Examine the impact of cultural diffusion on one indigenous and remote society through the

influence of international interactions

CS: Amazonian tribes

- Face multiple threats

Death from diseases/epidemies; depopulation by 50%

Deforestation by loggers, mining companies and drug plantations

Religious people attempt to convert

Examine the ways in which international interactions may result in the homogenization and

dilution of culture. Define and exemplify the concept of cultural imperialism

CS: The British Council in Rwanda

CS: Coca-Colonization

- Mecca Cola as alternative to spread of Western culture and in particular US culture

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6. Political outcomes

Loss of sovereignty