2.3: Theories - Motivations for Globalization

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Identify political motivations that lead societies to seek greater degrees of interconnectivity 
• Understand the importance of centripetal and centrifugal social forces in terms of their impact on the expansion of civilizations  
• Describe cultural elements and explain how they can be diffused  

Introduction and Motivations for Globalization 

Technologies and ideologies that promote time-space compression have been key factors in connecting different populations throughout history. In this section, we will consider three important types of motivation that have led to innovations and strategies that are significant in terms of their importance for contemporary efforts of globalization. While many motivations for expansion exist, we will focus on political, economic, and cultural factors. It is important to consider that increased connectivity among populations is not inevitable, and that these changes and projects are brought on by people who value the advantage they might bring. 

In Global Studies, the focus tends to be on viewing globalization and increased interconnectivity among people as an ongoing process, and as a process that is likely to continue. However, it is also important to recognize that the advances in globalization do not ascend upward without ever pulling back. There have been several attempts at what we now view as globalization in the past, and in every case, there are always challenges to the process. Just as we observe today, there are winners and losers in globalization, as some members of the populus will make gains and others will come out worse off economically, socially, or politically (Teney, et al., 2013).  

The positive aspects of globalization and increased connectivity have largely created advantages for those leading the efforts. For example, increased freedom of movement and exchange, more efficient production and transportation, and improvements in technology have worked to raise standards of living around the globe. Before discussing specific cases, it is important to remember that not all participants in the process of globalization are willing, nor do they have a particular say in the matter, at least at the individual level. Throughout history, the systems and actions that lead to increased connectivity have often been imposed on one group by another. The parties in control must have the desire and the organizational ability to act out an agenda to bring globalizing projects to bear. Therefore, to initiate time-space compression, and eventual globalization, three motivating factors become critically important: economics, culture, and political ideology.  

When it comes to analyzing key moments in globalization, time-space compression advances when a society is committed to policies, institutions, and goals that promote common identity and interdependence among populations. These social forces are called centripetal forces, coming from the idea that spinning toward the center will pull society together. Conversely, there are also centrifugal forces that have the potential to discourage interconnectivity, and thus promote isolation and division within the population. Therefore, time-space compression is advanced when centripetal forces outweigh centrifugal ones. 

Economic Motivations 

Civilizations advance via increased access to resources, capital, and labor, which provide the potential for economic growth. When considering whether a civilization will be able to thrive, its specific site factors and situation factors become important (Kaplan & Holloway, 2014). Site factors refer to the resources available to a civilization directly, along with its ability to work with the specific natural resources via labor and technology. For example, having a mild climate with fertile soil would be viewed as a positive site factor, as would having forests, abundant fresh water, or oil.

Trade becomes an attractive option when a civilization is limited by its site factors, so situation factors become increasingly important to its potential long-term success. Situation factors concern the relative location of a place in relation to other places in terms of potential accessibility and ability to connect. Being located near a major river would allow for easier transport than having to travel overland, or over a mountain range for example. When different civilizations trade with one another, they can focus on their own resources more efficiently, exchanging the value of those resources for others that are unavailable within their local site factors.  As more civilizations are connected, trade networks are created. The larger the trade network, the more diverse the assortment of goods and services available, thus creating motivation to expand markets and opportunities for exchange (Wright, 2010).  

Challenges related to limited site and situation factors can be overcome through improving the built environment, especially by focusing on developing infrastructure, which constitutes a critical precursor to enhancing interconnectivity (Fatiguso, et al., 2017). Paths and roads can be constructed to make overland travel quicker and easier to navigate and facilitate trade. Ship building technology makes faring the high seas an option. Therefore, understanding major improvements in the development of transport technologies and related infrastructure are critical when it comes to analyzing potential for exchange between and among civilizations.  

Political Motivations 

Throughout history, there have been cases in which people have become interconnected voluntarily. However, there are other times when interconnectivity and interdependence between and among civilizations have resulted in an imbalance in power relations, where one side forces the relationship on the other, as was the case with European colonialism (Lodigiani, 2020). In this process, European states obtained full or partial political control over other territories, occupying them with settlers, and exploiting their people and resources for the benefit of the colonizer. In terms of political ideology, leaders and regimes have often chosen to focus on strengthening their own situations, while bringing outsiders into their sphere of control. In many cases, populations become economically interdependent on one another. They might choose to enter collective security agreements, or they could agree to open borders and allow for the free exchange of movement through their own sovereign territories.
  
Political ideologies that favor standardization of legal and social norms have the potential to advance efforts at globalization. For example, insisting that all members of a polity speak, read, or understand the same language facilitates communication over vast distances and the building of common institutions. Using a common currency, typically one that is state-sanctioned, as an accepted means of exchange helps establish and maintain cohesion in an economy (Mundell, 1997). A common currency makes it easier to keep track of financial activity, and even facilitates taxation and collective efforts to fund a government. Finally, promoting a common measurement system also works to facilitate cohesion among people over long distances.  

Cultural Motivations 

Culture can be thought of as a set of recognizable elements that are shared or practiced by a group of people. Interconnectivity among populations involves the diffusion of cultural elements. As introduced in Section 2.2, these elements can be thought of in three basic categories, consisting of artifacts (physical objects), sociofacts (ways of behavior), and mentifacts (values and belief systems). The more cultural elements are shared between and among populations, the greater the potential for interconnectivity. Time-space compression allows for the diffusion of cultural elements to progress at an accelerated rate.  This process in turn leads to easier facilitation of globalization. As is the case with economic motivations and political ideology, cultural diffusion can be viewed in terms of centripetal and centrifugal forces.