Globalization is the ongoing process of the intertwining and integration of economies and cultures around the world. While the history of globalization dates back at least several centuries to the “age of exploration” driven by European countries beginning in the 15th century, and could be considered to date back millennia to the continent-spanning migrations and wars of the great ancient civilizations, globalization typically refers to the rapidly accelerating interactions between countries spurred on by advances in communications and transportation technologies since the 18th century. After the fall of the Soviet Union and the advent of the internet, the 21st century has seen this process accelerate even further, and understanding globalization is of essential importance to understanding today’s world.
The impacts of globalization are as diverse and multifaceted as the countries that this process is steadily weaving together. We see it perhaps most obviously in the realm of culture, where American movies, Korean pop music, and Mexican cuisine have become incredibly popular around the world. The realities of globalization also increasingly drive the economy, with international businesses and supply chains connecting consumers with innovative products at low costs. Globalization is also impacting concerns around international security, with risks around issues like cyber-crime and terrorism as well as tensions around migration and trade becoming increasingly important as well as difficult to manage.
No matter what your interests are in the world of business, culture, or politics, the accelerating flows of globalization are creating new opportunities as well as new potential challenges to tackle. Learning about this far-reaching historical phenomenon is critical to understanding the lay of the land today - and where the world may be heading in the future.
