Historical
History is full of stories of world-changing events, and one of the earliest examples is the ancient Roman Empire. Roman armies conquered various countries around the Mediterranean Sea and imposed their culture. They also improved communication and roads. The Romans also set up a trading zone that resembled a free-trade area today. Romans traded products and services across the Empire and also enslaved the people of the conquered nations.
This first wave of historical globalization lasted for more than a century, from the 16th century to 1914. During this time, the British and Dutch developed steam engines and industrial weaving machines, which helped them dominate global trade. As these technologies and economic growth advanced, the Dutch developed the Dutch East India Company and eventually established their own empires. Through their efforts, globalization was made possible. By the 19th century, Great Britain was the first global economic superpower. This was largely due to their superior manufacturing technology and the use of steamships.
Social
The third Committee of the UN General Assembly devoted its attention to social aspects of globalization, arguing that the current world economic system undermines the social policies of national governments. Developing countries should be allowed to participate more fully in the world economy and should not be left behind. Indonesia, for example, believes that developing countries should be allowed to participate more fully in the global economy. While a globalized world economy may seem attractive to some, it does not meet the needs of developing countries. Public authorities in developing countries are losing policy autonomy.
Globalization tends to impose a system of values that are shared by all nations. This process creates a universal culture that facilitates the effective functioning of the world economy, openness in information, and tolerance in intercultural communications. As a result, cultural changes are given more importance than economic ones. This phenomenon has important ramifications for globalization. Ultimately, cultural aspects of globalization affect the lives of individuals and societies.
Cultural
Although cultural globalization has broadened horizons for individuals and societies, it can also leave some behind. For example, while it has brought greater wealth creation to the western world, some of its effects have left others behind. For example, it is possible for businesses in the first world to offer jobs to English-speaking individuals from the third world, but only those who have the means to pay for expensive English-language skills. Furthermore, many third-world countries are only available for legal immigration to the first world because visas are expensive and entry barriers often depend on skill levels and education.
The spread of cultural ideas is a key aspect of cultural globalization. Ideologies such as capitalism and democracy have spread across the world, but some of these ideologies are suppressed by dictatorships. Similarly, authoritarianism has risen in the United States and Eastern Europe, and cultural globalization may have influenced these trends. In addition to this, there is a Davos culture that combines cultural globalization and cosmopolitanism. This culture is centered on the Davos summit and the global business and political elites who meet in Davos, Switzerland.
Political
Many have raised questions about the political implications of globalization. Many perceive globalization as a force that is threatening the nation state. Others see globalization as a force that promotes community, irrespective of national boundaries. In the debate, participants highlighted the inevitability of globalization, but were unsure of how to define it. However, key themes emerged in the discussion, including global balance of power, immigration, cultural exchange, and technological progress.
Rapid industrialization and economic growth may contribute to the spread of globalization. As a result, prominent forms of government may emerge. Among these are western liberal democracies, which can ensure stable trade relations with more powerful democracies. Similarly, a democratic society will allow citizens to have a say in their government, by electing officials, and empower the labor force and industry. But globalization and the influence of the West hasn’t prevented conflict.
Legal
The dominant version of globalization censors debate on other forms of globalization, and excludes debates about those that have helped reduce inequities and disparities. This dominant version of globalization often tells a story of winners and losers, rather than presenting itself as neutral. The feminist perspective warns against presenting something as neutral, even if that object is itself a product of globalization. The dominant version of globalization also fails to adequately address the rights of disadvantaged groups and the effects of globalization on them.
The Legal aspects of globalization include issues of international trade, Internet and capital markets, insolvency in the global economy, and conflict of laws. The editors of this volume, Jurgen Basedow and Toshiyuki Kono, have outlined the many issues associated with this globalization process. In addition to the economic and legal challenges presented by the growing global economy, the authors offer solutions to these problems. In the end, law is only part of the solution. In addition to articulating changing norms and accommodating changing structures in a globalized system, it makes sense to use law for capital gains.
Economic
Globalization has many benefits. For example, it has enabled economies of different regions and sizes to compete in the global economy. As a result, prices have fallen and jobs have increased. This means a higher standard of living for people around the world. However, economic globalization does not bring about every good thing. It can also lead to diseases and promote political economies that are unsustainable. This is something we can learn from the Roman Empire, which spread its economic system across the world.
Critics of globalization point to parts of the world that have seen few gains in this period. Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, has said that those who are left behind are the real losers of globalization. In fact, a BBC World Service poll revealed that a majority of respondents believed that economic developments in the past few years were fairly distributed. Despite the criticisms of globalization, the effects of globalization are not obvious.