GE113 Module 1
GE113 Module 1
Preliminary Period
2nd Semester A.Y. 2021-2022
(Week 1)
MODULE in
CONTEMPORARY WORLD
(GE 113)
Prepared by:
I. INTRODUCTION
Much has changed since time immemorial. Human beings have encountered many changes
over the last century especially in their social relationships and social structures. Of these
changes, one can say that globalization is a very important change, if not, the “most important”
(Bauman, 2003). The reality and omnipresence of globalization makes us see ourselves as part
of what we refer to as the “global age” (Albow, 1996).
So what is globalization? This question is probably an easy one to answer. However,
many scholars gave and tried to formulate its definitions. This resulted in different, sometimes
contradicting views about the concept. It cannot be contained within a specific time frame, all
people and all situations (Al-Rhodan, 2006). Aside from this, globalization encompasses a
multitude of process that involves the economy, political systems, and culture. Social
structures, therefore, are directly affected by globalization.
Over the years, globalization has gained many connotations pertaining to progress,
development, and integration. On the one hand, some view globalization as a positive
phenomenon. For instance, Swedish journalist Thomas Larsson (2001) saw globalization as “the
process of world shrinkage, of distances getting shorter, things moving closer. It pertains to the
increasing ease with which somebody on one side of the world can interact, to mutual benefit
with somebody on the other side of the world”.
In this chapter, different definitions of globalization will be discussed. The task of
conceptualizing it reveals a variety of perspectives. To understand further the concept, different
metaphors will be used. These metaphors will also allow an appreciation of earlier epochs
before globalization and the present globalized words.
METAPHORS OF GLOBALIZATION
In order for us to better understand the concept of globalization, we will utilize
metaphors. Metaphors make use of one term to help us better understand another term.
SOLID AND LIQUID
The epochs that preceded today’s globalization paved way for people, things,
information, and places to harden over time. Solidity also refers to barriers that prevent or
make difficult the movement of things. Furthermore, solids can either be natural or man-made.
Examples of natural solids are landforms and bodies of water. Man-made barriers include the
Great Wall of China and the Berlin Wall. An imaginary line such as the nine-dash line used by
the People’s Republic of China in their claim to the South China Sea is an example of modern
man-made solid.
Liquid, as a state of matter, takes a shape of its container. Moreover, liquid are not
fixed. Liquidity, therefore, refers to the increasing ease movement of people, things,
information, and places in the contemporary world. Zygmunt Bauman’s ideas were the ones
that have much to say about the characteristic of liquidity. First, today’s liquid phenomena
change quickly and their aspects, spatial and temporal, are in continuous fluctuation. Another
characteristic of liquid phenomena is that their movement is difficult to stop. For example,
videos uploaded on Youtube or Facebook are unstoppable once they become viral. Finally, the
forces (the liquid ones) made political boundaries more permeable to the flow of people and
things (Cartier, 2001).
Liquidity and solidity are in constant interaction. However, liquidity is the one increasing
and proliferating today. Therefore the metaphor that could best describe globalization is
liquidity. Liquids do flow and this idea of flow (Appadurai, 1996; Rey and Ritzer, 2010) will be
the focus of the next discussion. Also it should be expected that this concept will appear in the
succeeding lessons. The literature on globalization makes use of the concept of flows.
FLOWS
The previous section described the melting process of solid phenomena followed by the
increase in liquidity. Flows are the movement of people, things, places, and information
brought by the growing “porosity” of global limitations (Ritzer, 2015). Think of the different
foreign cuisines being patronized and consumed by the Filipinos. Aside from the local dishes,
many of us are fond of eating sushi, ramen, hamburger, and French fries - foods introduced to
us by foreign cultures. Another example of flows is global financial crises. As Lander (2008, p.
C1) put it: “In global financial system, national borders are porous.” This means that a financial
crisis in a given country can bring ramifications to other regions of the world. An example of
which is the spread of the effects of American financial crisis on Europe 2008. The following are
other kinds of flows that can be observed today: poor illegal migrants flooding many parts of
the world (Moses, 2006), the virtual flow of legal and illegal information such as blogs and child
pornography, respectively, and immigrants recreating ethnic enclaves in host countries. A
concrete example is the Filipino communities abroad and the Chinese communities in the
Philippines.
Process Questions
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using (a) broad and inclusive definitions and
(b) narrow and exclusive definitions of globalization?
2. What do you think is the importance of defining globalization?
3. Do you agree with the idea that the contemporary world is characterized by high liquidity?
Why or why not?
Activity: The World Made Closer
In this activity, you are to see the actual application on the different aspects of daily life
such as politics, music, sports, film, celebrity, and disaster.
1. Answer the following questions:
a. Enumerate at least three of the most recent songs you have listened. Where did they
originate? Identify the nationality of the writer and/or artist for each music.
b. What gadgets or devices do you usually use to listen to music?
c. Where were these gadgets or devices made? Where is the company based?
d. How did you access these music? Did you purchase them online or listen to them
through YouTube, Spotify, and other music, channels?
2. Using a visual representation, create your generalizations and discuss: What is globalization?
How would you define globalization?
3. What metaphors are you going to use in order to improve your own definition of
globalization? Enumerate at least three and explain one of them.