Name: Devine Grace Lequigan

Program/Yr./Sec: BSED-ENGLISH 2A
Course: Contemporary World

ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION AND TRADE

Economic Systems relate to the systems and procedures used in the creation,
distribution, and consumption of commodities and services within a society. It emerged
during the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries. New manufacturing
technologies affected the production and trade of commodities. Its three main categories
are Market Economies (demand and supply decide prices), Command Economies
(government regulates every area of the economy), and Mixed Economies (the first two
are present in here).
Skill specialization and the division of labor promoted economic prosperity (Hunt,
2017 as cited by Adam Smith). Circular Economy emphasizes sustainability and social
responsibility. Endorsed by the UN as a strategy in attaining sustainable development -
designing out waste and pollution, keeping goods and materials in use, and regenerating
natural systems.
Important Key Points of the Video:
Economic Growth. It is measured through the value of all products
manufactured and sold in a country of the course of one year, along with everything
that people do and get paid, amounts to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). When
people with money buy more products, the economy of the country grows.
Politicians works to achieve greater employment, stable prices, and balance
between imported and exported goods. Healthy people, nature, and opportunities
serves also the basis of economic prosperity because both has the same value.
Globalization and Free Trade foster economic growth and advancement by providing
businesses with greater prospects to expand and function globally.
Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are trade pacts.
• More than 300 regional trade agreements in place across the globe (World Trade
Organization). Trans-Pacific partnership (TPP), covering 11 nations in the Asia-
Pacific area, and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), involving the
US, Canada, and Mexico.
Important Key Points of the Videos:
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP). It is the world’s largest free trade area,
accounting 40% of the global economy. The agreement is expected to make a huge
difference to trade between its members with an estimation of $295 bn. within a
decade. Its goal is to support jobs, thrive sustainable growth, foster inclusive
development, and promote innovation across Asia-pacific region. Significantly, it sets
 to achieve an ambitious, comprehensive, high standard, and balance agreement that
will benefit all nation’s citizens.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It was signed in 1994. Its
goal is to make North America a highly competitive commercial block on the global
stage, abolish trade obstacles, and boost investment opportunities in small and
medium enterprises. Canada and Mexico accounts almost one fourth of all US imports
including processed foods, crude oil, livestock, machinery, and vehicles. The
provisions of the agreement are the following: 1.) removal of non-tariff barriers; 2.)
tariff reductions for qualifying products; 3.) resolving trade disputes; 4.)
establishment of standards; 5.) intellectual property rights protection for industries;
and 6.) supplemental agreements.
Salient points, pros and cons of FTAs:
1.) Eliminate trade restrictions, such as tariffs and quotas among nations;
2.) Promote economic integration and growth while giving consumers and businesses
additional opportunities;
3.) Cover a wide range of trade problems – labor standards and environmental protection
as well as specific industries or products;
4.) Harm local economies, communities, and income inequality as well as labor and
environmental norms; and
5.) Essential tool for fostering global economic growth and integration.
Important Key Points of the Video:
Free Trade vs. Protectionism. Increase in trade helps a society prosper. The
advantages of Free Trade are the following: 1.) consumer’s choice of goods &
services; and 2.) cooperative relationships among countries. On the other hand,
Protectionism is about restricting trade to shield domestic industries from foreign
competition. There are laws created by importing countries. First, tariff – a tax
on imported goods, making the product expensive, and pushing people to buy the
domestic ones instead. Second, import quota is a limit placed on the amount of
a good that can be imported. Another trade barriers that government may done is
safety regulations and the need for business license to acquire license fees
in return. If it is politically driven, a country may impose sanctions – an action
being took in order to punish/put pressure to another country such as Embargo
– an official ban on trade. The advantages of Protectionism are the following: 1.)
helps industries that are hurt by foreign competition; 2.) helps infant industries or
those in early stages of development; and 3.) necessary in national security crisis.
Globalization and Economic Expansion
a. Globalization can promote economic growth by opening up new opportunities for
commerce, investment, and technical advancement.
b. Expanding markets and encouraging competition can help increase productivity, lower
costs, and generate new industries and jobs.
c. Help nations focus on producing goods and services where they have a comparative
advantage, increasing productivity and efficiency.
d. Globalization can also harm economic progress, particularly in underdeveloped
nations.
e. Increased competition from foreign producers due to trade and investment
liberalization may harm native industries and cause job losses.
f. Globalization can also aggravate inequality and environmental deterioration, which can
impede social stability and economic growth.
Some studies related to Economic Globalization shows that nations with greater
trade openness typically gain economically more than nations with larger trade barriers.
While there may be some bad effects of globalization, there have also been some positive
effects, especially in reducing poverty.

POVERTY AND INEQUALITY

Important Key Points of the Videos:

Globalization & Trade and Poverty. Poverty across the world varies due to
different standards of living. Extreme/Absolute Poverty is a condition characterized
by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water,
sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information (UN). It is measured
when someone is living on less than $1.25 a day. Globalization have created an avenue
for people to be connected and gain access in the global market. Public awareness of
the regulations that protects the rights of the workers, generating greater work
opportunities, and enabling disadvantaged people to participate in the economy are
the steps to empower them. However, globalization is being criticized because of
lacking in sustainability – the ability to continue a defined behavior indefinitely. One
of its challenges is lifting people from poverty without compromising the gift of nature.

Income and Wealth Inequality. There are two types of Economic Inequality.
Wealth Inequality is the unequal distribution of accumulated assets minus liabilities
while Income Inequality is the extent which income is distributed in an uneven
manner. The Industrial Revolution have created a lot of inequality between countries
but Globalization and International Trade have accelerated it in the present.
Globalization helped the world’s poorest people and the rich ones even more. Skill-
biased Technological Change creates a gap between the poor and the working class
because people with low skills are being left behind. Income Inequality is associated
with other issues such as violence and gender discrimination. Some says that
accessible education, increase minimum wage, proper child care, social safety net
pushing more people to work, and adjust tax to redistribute income can help in
eliminating it.
 A WORLD OF REGIONS
Lesson 1: The Global Divides: The North and the South
The world is divided into North & South, and First, Second, & Third.
 Global South is a metaphor for interstate inequality and a product of Western
imagination (Claudio, 2014). Countries that were colonized by the Spaniards in the
southern part of the American continent are collectively called Latin America.
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), newly discovered lands outside Europe were divided
into two- the West belonging to the Crown of Castile (now part of Spain) and the
East belonging to the Portuguese Empire. There is also a split based on labor- the
core, semi-periphery, and the peripheries. It refers to the socio-economic and
political divide primarily focused on the southern hemisphere of the 1569-designed
Mercatorian map - Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Middle East. It connotes
developing countries as opposed to rich, industrialized, and wealthy nations.

 Global North is the home of Group of Eight (G8) - Canada, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States of America. It is the
abode of the four powerful permanent members of the United Nations Security
Council and the developed countries in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Economically poor families, under privileged individuals, unfair labor practices,
suppression of human rights, and other violations of basic rights in Europe, Australia, US,
and Canada are the pieces of evidence that people from developed countries also share
similar experiences with people from developing countries.
Global South and Third World are conceptually the same as they refer to
conditions usually found in developing countries. Third World is the antecedent of Global
South (Claudio, 2014) - ceased to exist when the Cold War ended.
The world was once categorized based on the economic ideology of Western
Capitalism against the Soviet Union’s Socialism. As formal economies, Capitalism
(First World) sustains consumer choice, private property, and economic freedom while
Socialism (Second World) is characterized by state control of the means of
production, distribution, and exchange. Third World - former colonies of European
countries (India as a colony of the United Kingdom and even the Philippines). It refers to
the countries that were neither Capitalists nor Socialists, the poor world (non-
industrialized and newly industrialized). They lacked the standards systems in banking,
finance, and trade.
Lesson 2: Asian Regionalism
 China (one of the economic super giants of the world), Japan (incorporated itself
to the global economy), and Singapore (one of the emerging centers of different
cultures and a great cosmopolitan city-state) belongs to the continent of Asia, a
term that originated from the West, particularly from Ancient Greece. It has the
biggest population of at least two-thirds of the world’s inhabitants and one-third
of the world’s land mass. Association of South East Asian Nations 5 or the ASEAN
 5 (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand) (Brunei, Singapore,
Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia).

 Most countries want to have collaborations with East Asian countries and the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members because economic and
political growth in these regions have started to shape up – collaborations and
cooperation based on respect. The United States strategically takes care of its allies
in Asia to maintain and further enhance its supply of raw materials, human
technological skills, and even its military force. Europe keeps its strong
relationship with Asian countries to expand its growing business in the field of
medical science and research.

 Globalization is the expansion and intensification of social relations and

consciousness across world-time and world-space. It is borderless.
Regionalization is “the growth of societal integration within a region and to the
often undirected processes of social and economic interaction’ (Hurrel, 1995). It is
only in a specific geographical region. Both are related to Integration. Social and
Economic diversity that comes in different levels of development (from the rich
Singapore to the poor Laos), politics (from democracy to dictatorship and
everything in between), economics (from free markets to capitalism and more),
and religion (Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Shintoism, and more) -
(Ritcher & West, 2014). Regionalism refers to regional concentration of
economic flows (Mansfield & Wilmer, 1993). Regionalism also pertains to the
process of intergovernmental collaborations between two or more states (Eliassen
& Arnadottir, 2012).
Asian Regionalism is a new concept among the continental communities. New to
cooperation and collaboration goals, it has the 50-year-old ASEAN group and the failed
East Asia Economic Group (EAEG).
Three pillars of ASEAN Community:
1. Political Security Community - gives importance to human rights, drugs,
foreign relations, defense, law and transnational crimes. It adheres to significant
roles of monitoring- economic ministers, finance ministers, central bank
governors, free trade area, investment area, agriculture and forestry, transport
ministers, telecommunications and information technology ministers, science and
technology, energy, minerals, tourism, free trade agreements with dialogue
partners, and sectorial bodies in the arena of economic community.
2. Economic Community
3. Socio-cultural Community – an avenue for cooperation among the ministers
responsible for culture and arts, sports, disaster management, education,
environment, health, information, labor, rural development and poverty
eradication, women, youth, and civil service matters.
ASEAN has also partnered with three East Asian Countries- China, Japan, and South
Korea (ASEAN +3) to address the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
Aspects that led to a greater Asian Integration:
1. Integration has been market-driven. There are a variety of systems,
institutions, procedures, social relations, and infrastructures in Asia to engage in
exchange.
2. Establishment of formal institutions such as the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) in 1960’s, with 67 members, 48 are from the Asia-Pacific region. It promotes
social and economic development in Asia, as it aids its members and partners by
providing loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity investments.
3. Economic grants and overseas development assistance are made
available. For example, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
aims to work on human security and quality growth. It targets to promote
international cooperation and development of the Japanese and global economy
by supporting the socio-economic development, recovery, or economic stability of
developing regions.
4. Production networks have expanded.
5. Cooperation among the ASEAN and East Asian countries ensued the
ASEAN +3 Financial Ministers’ Process that established two economic structures
- the Chiang Mai Initiative and the Asian Bond Markets Initiative to strengthen
policy dialogue, coordination, and collaboration on common financial, monetary,
and fiscal issues.
6. If EU is rules-based, ASEAN follows a consensus rule as an approach to
decision making to prevent collision of cultural beliefs & economic policies.
Asian countries have responded to globalization with regional alternatives as a big
group, small group, and local communities.
 As a big group, Asian countries established their own Asian Development
Bank (ADB) focusing on Asia and Pacific. Japan, as its forerunner, believes
that Investments can be a factor to social development. They work in the
form of loans, grants, and information sharing on topics such as terrorism
and regional security. ASEAN is another initial reaction to globalization,
fostering the spirit of regionalism and oneness of Asian nations.
As a group, it sets out in the ASEAN Declaration the following aims and purposes:
1.) to accelerate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the region;
2.) to promote regional peace and stability ; 3.) to promote active collaboration and
mutual assistance on matters of common interest; 4.) to provide assistance to each other
in the form of training and research facilities; 5.) to collaborate more effectively for the
greater utilization of their agriculture and industries; 6.) to expand trade, improve their
transportation and communication facilities, and raise the living standards of their
people; 7.) to promote Southeast Asian Studies; and 8.) to maintain close and beneficial
cooperation.
 As a small group, Asian Regionalism lacks institutions and bureaucratic
bodies to serve the region unlike the European Union model of single
market in goods and services so, individual countries do bilateral or
multilateral agreements. For example, the Philippines has standing
bilateral agreements with China - whose along with India and Japan initiate
 concrete dialogue in formulating visions, shared goals, and roadmaps for
regional cooperation in Asia. The rise to terror groups, like the Islamic State
of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) which has spread to the Muslim communities in
Southern Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia is addressed by a military
multilateral agreements. In 2017, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia
had a trilateral security meeting wherein they agreed that they need to
conduct joint navy patrols within their boundaries to prevent the entry and
exit of the terror group (Antiporta, 2017).

 As a local community, they respond in the form of disengagement. Santi

Suk village in Thailand created its own currency, called the Bia, regulated
by a village central bank, cannot be exchanged for Thailand’s baht. Other
forms of disengagement appeared in the formation of self-sufficiency
groups, community-owned rice mills, and cooperative shops; the gathering
of traditional herbal practitioners; and the preference for local products
(Kimura, 2014).
Important Key Points of the Videos:
World of Regions. Region refers to a group of countries located in the same
geographical specified area / an amalgamation of two regions / a combination of
more than two regions, organized to regulate and oversee flows and policy choices.
Various Ways That Countries Respond To Globalization Economically and Politically:
1. Some are large enough and have a lot of resources to dictate on how they
participate in processes of global integration.

2. Other countries make up their small size by taking advantage of their strategic
location.
3. Countries form a regional alliance for there are strength in numbers. For
Military Defense – North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – Western
European countries & US and Warsaw Pact – Eastern European countries under
Soviet Domination. Pool Their Resources – better export returns and leverage
expansion against trading partners. Protect Their Independence – from
pressures of superpower politics. Economic Crisis – compels countries to come
together.
Some other regional organizations who dedicate themselves to specialized causes
includes:
 Rainforest Foundation – protects indigenous people and rainforests of Brazil,
Guyana, Panama, and Peru.
 Regional Interfaith Youth Networks – formed by young Christians from
Africa, Middle East, Americas, and Caribbean to promote conflict prevention,
conflict resolution, peace education, and sustainable development.
 Migrant Forum Asia – committed to protect and promote the welfare of
migrant workers.
Contemporary Challenges to Regionalism:
1. Militant Nationalism and Populism – Examples: relationship of US with NATO and
UK trying to leave the European Union
2. ASEAN members disagreeing with sacrificing sovereignty for regional stability.
3. Differing visions of what regionalism should be for the Western World (economic
formations & political democratization) and Eastern World (Singapore, China, &
Russia sees democracy as an obstacle to the implementation & deepening of economic
globalization).
The factors leading to greater Asian Integration of the Asian Region are trade,
similar culture, common goals, mutual belief, and similar security needs.
Asian Economies are connected through trade, financial transactions, direct
investment, economic relationship, labor and tourist flows, and
technology.

Its importance are the following: help sustain region growth, underpin regions
stability, reduce inequality, marshal common response to major challenges, and
sustain global economic progress.

MARKET INTEGRATION

 By reducing trade barriers and harmonizing trade rules and regulations, market
integration refers to the process of connecting national markets to create a larger
and more linked market.
 Trade agreements negotiations help to facilitate this process, which may take place
at the international or regional levels
Advantages of Market Integration include increased commerce, economic
growth, and competition, which forces businesses to innovate and improve their
efficiency to survive
Market Integration unites national markets to create a larger, more linked market
by reducing trade obstacles and harmonizing trade rules and regulations. However,
smaller or less established economies may run into trouble when some industries can’t
compete with more powerful corporations in other markets. It may lead to a race to
the bottom in terms of labor standards and environmental protections,
Regional Market Integration refers to the economic integration of countries
within a certain region. It can be achieved by a variety of arrangements, including free
trade agreements, customs unions, and common markets. Increased trade, economic
expansion, and the formation of larger, fiercer marketplaces are possible benefits of
this integration. Additionally, it can enhance social and political stability and increase
foreign investment but also presents challenges, particularly for underdeveloped or
smaller economies. The incapacity of some industries to compete in other markets
against larger and more powerful firms may have detrimental economic implications.
However, promoting more cooperation, stability, and growth among the participating
countries, the integration of regional markets might have a positive overall impact
 The European Union (EU), the African Continental Free Trade
Area (AfCTA), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), and the Mercado Comn del Sur (MERCOSUR) in South
America are examples of successful regional market integration. These
regional organizations have worked to promote commerce and economic
growth within their particular regions while addressing problems including
political turmoil, trade imbalances, and inequality.

 (NAFTA) North American Free Trade Agreement was replaced in

2020 by the (USMCA) United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a
new free trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
It aims to create a more equitable and reciprocal economic environment by
addressing concerns connected to intellectual property, digital trade, labor,
and the environment. It is expected to boost economic growth, generate
jobs, and offer up new business opportunities for the three countries.

 Six Countries from the Arabian Peninsula came together to form the
political and economic (GCC) Gulf Cooperation Council to promote
cooperation and integration. These advances, which include a customs
union and single market for goods, services, and capital, have the potential
to encourage economic growth and diversification.

 MERCOSUR, also known as the “Southern Common Market,” is a

South American Customs Union and Trade Bloc that was established in 1991
to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members,
which include Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia. In
addition to having an agreed-upon external tariff, it has made progress in
creating a single market for goods, services, and capital.

 Fifteen nations in the Asia-Pacific region joined the (RCEP) Regional

Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a free trade agreement, in
2020. It aims to create a regional market that is integrated by removing
trade barriers and harmonizing rules and regulations.
  The (EU) European Union was founded in 1993 and consists of 27 member
countries in Europe. It established a single market among its members by
removing trade restrictions, harmonizing legal systems, and creating a
single currency (the euro) in 19 of its member states. To ensure that market
integration is not pursued at the expense of employees or the environment,
the EU has adopted social and environmental rules. There has been a
significant increase in trade, foreign investment, and job creation.
 The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC),
in 1985 to develop better cooperation between member countries to
enhance social and economic development, is a regional organization made
up of eight South Asian Nations. It has made some progress in integrating
regional markets with the establishment of free trade area in 2006.
However, development has been slow due to its members’ political and
economic issues.

 The deepened economic cooperation and integration, the five (EAEU)

Eurasian Economic Union members came together in 2015. The union
has taken action to eliminate trade barriers, simplify laws, and create a
shared market for goods and services in addition to creating a customs
union.

 To establish a single market for goods and services in Africa, the (AfCFTA)
African Continental Free Trade Area is a regional market integration
organization. It aspires to enhance intra-African commerce and investment
by reducing trade barriers and serves a market of more than 1.2 billion
people with a combined GDP of over 3 trillion.

Important Key Points of the Videos:

Market Integration refers to the process of creating a unified marketplace where
goods, services, and capital can flow freely between countries and regions. It is a
central aspect of economic globalization. It can take many forms including the
reduction of trade barriers such as tariffs, adoption of a common currency,
harmonization of regulatory standards, and development of infrastructure to
facilitate transportation and communication. Its main benefits is allowing firms to
access a larger pool of customers and suppliers, increased profit and lead to higher
level of economic growth. It can create winners and losers with some industries
and regions benefiting more than others.
 High Integration – low trade barriers (low prices)
Low Integration – high trade barriers (high prices)

Horizontal Integration – a particular company acquires another (PLDT and

Globe merging)
Vertical Integration – acquiring a particular company related to your
production (Netflix when you are into media business)
Conglomeration – different products and manufacturers but they all come from
one company (Johnson, Facebook)
Forms:
 Referential Arguments – Regional Trade Agreements
 Free Trade Area – NAFTA
 Customs Union – European Union
 Common Markets
 Economic Union – European Union

Primary Sector – fishing, mining, farming

Secondary Sector – manufacturers, factories
Tertiary Sector – services rather than goods

THE GLOBAL INTERSTATE SYSTEM

Weber (1997) describes the state as a compulsory political organization with a
centralized government that maintains the legitimate use of force within a certain
territory. The concept of nation emphasizes the organic ties that hold groups of people
together and inspire a sense of loyalty and belonging – i.e., ethnicity, language, religion,
and others (Schattle, 2014). A nation-state is a political community that
emanates from civic society to legitimately execute peace. Thus, the civic
society is the basis of the people’s oneness. Though some scholars like Appadurai
and Ohmae claim that globalization has superseded the individual function and
jurisdiction of nation-states, this is still arguable. In fact, they still play vital roles in the
way globalization establishes a borderless world. Nation-states can manipulate
competitive advantages with international and political issues, transnational civil society
organizations, and multinational companies. They are also accountable for a host of
international norms and standards, find themselves in subordinate positions to protect
their economy, and face new kinds of pressures of supranational integration and focus of
local fragmentation (Schattle, 2014). The 194 member states of UN prove that
globalization has affected the dynamics of nation-states in the context of their agency as
legitimate holders of force in their jurisdiction. It reshaped the role and functions of
nation-states as governing bodies in their particular territories.
 First, globalization is seen to impose a forced choice upon nation states.
Either they conform to the neo-liberal ideas and free-market principles of deregulation,
privatization, and free trade or run the risk of being left behind in terms of development.
Of course, the nation-states, in this contemporary age, are forced to submit themselves to
the demands of globally accepted free-market principles. Friedman in Steger (2005)
claims that nation-states are in danger of losing important element of economic
sovereignty because of the notion that neo-liberalism is beyond contestation as an aspect
of globalization. In other words, nation-states still exist but lose a part integral to their
economic development and let global corporations control their economic movement.
Though government policies can be put in place, nation-states are forced to realign their
policies to be congruent with the principles of free trade because of the pressures from
global corporations. To illustrate, the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), including the Philippines, established the ASEAN Free Trade Area
(AFTA) in 1999. Its goal is to encourage the member-states to deepen their commitments
in investment, trade, and industrial collaboration to brace them for the increase in the
region’s economic activity.
The second effect of globalization on nation-states is the establishment of
economic and political integrations. One good example is the European Union
(EU) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). EU has become a
supranational body with 28 members. It has a single currency and monetary system
among 17 states, parliament with legislative powers, with common citizens’ rights to live,
work, vote, and run for office, with developed collective mechanism to resolve crises and
assist those in need, and with intercontinental jurisprudence in the case of the European
Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights.
The third effect of globalization is the establishment of international laws
and principles. This is observable in the establishment of the UN that operates as a
forum for nation-states to air their differences and try to resolve them. The UN Security
Council has powers that include the creation of peacekeeping operations and
international sanctions and the authorization of military action. Also, UN’s International
Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutes individuals accused of crimes against humanity such as
genocide. The founding of ICC based on the adoption of the Rome Statue of International
Criminal Court in 1998. It began functioning in 2002 when the statute officially came into
force. Moreover, there are also universal principles that are adopted by nation-states in
relation to the dynamism of globalization. Two of them are the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights that affirms an individual’s rights and the other is the United Nations
Convention of the Law of the Sea that defines the rights of nation-states on the use of the
world's oceans.
The fourth effect of globalization is the rise of Transnational Activism (TNA).
Such happens when activist groups of nation-states connect with their counterparts in
other states. For example, an advocacy-based organization in the Philippines may connect
itself with and get support from other human rights groups in Europe to pressure the
Philippine government to realign its stance and actions in upholding human rights. When
a nation-state recognizes international interventions and changes its behavior in response
to international pressure, it reconstitutes the relationship among the nation-state, its
citizens, and international actors (Keck & Sikkink, 1998).
The fifth and last effect of globalization is the creation of new
communications network. Globalization binds communities through digital media.
With new technologies in communication, political interaction can happen in a virtual
sphere. People can exchange political perspectives through the internet, therefore stirring
political discourse on an online platform. Because of the so-called network society
(Castells, 2009), nation-states must reshape themselves to become part of global
networks in the arena of finance, education, science, technology, arts, and sports. This
can be seen in the proliferation of online education from universities outside the
Philippines. Conversely, Philippine universities offer online courses to non-Filipinos.
Thus, digital media has become the platform for strategic communications at home and
abroad wherein the nation-states can utilize the internet to gather feedback from the
citizens. Social media gives people the power to air their sentiments, and also, serves as
an avenue to discuss issues. Government websites can also be avenues to formally forward
concerns to particular government offices. Many nation-states also establish their own
state-funded television networks for information dissemination as alternative to the well-
established privately-funded news networks. In the case of authoritarian and repressive
states like China, Russia, and North Korea, the governments make use of media
technologies to filter content that can be viewed by their citizens. On the other hand,
digital media can also be used by governments to gain public support in their campaigns.
Thus, social media, in particular, can become an alternative to mainstream media that
advances its biased perspective.
In order to facilitate connections among nation-states, Intergovernmental
Organizations (IGOs) were established. Their aim is to foster strong economic,
political, cultural, educational, and technical intergovernmental relationships. The
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), European Union (EU), and World
Trade Organization (WTO) are examples.
Established in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) now has 10 member states. Its aims are 1.) to accelerate economic growth,
social progress, and cultural development in the region; 2.) promote regional progression;
3.) advance peace and sustainability; 4.) promote active and beneficial cooperation and
mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, technical, cultural,
administrative, and scientific fields; 5.) provide assistance to each other in the framework
of training and research installations in the educational, professional, technical, and
administrative spheres; 6.) work hand in hand for more effective and greater use of
agriculture and industries; 7.) advance Southeast Asian research; and 8.) preserve close
and beneficial collaboration with current international and regional institutions with
similar aims and purposes (asean.org).
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar,
and Cambodia are the members of ASEAN. The European Union (EU), an IGO with 28-
state members, was established in November 1993. Its goals are 1.) to promote peace, its
values, and the well-being of its citizens; 2.) offer freedom, security, and justice without
internal borders; 3.) uphold sustainable development based on balanced economic
growth and price stability; 4.) combat social exclusion and discrimination; 5.) promote
scientific and technological progress; 6.) enhance economic, social, and territorial
cohesion and solidarity among member countries; 7.) respect cultural and linguistic
diversity; and 8.) establish an economic and monetary union (europa.eu).
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has 164 member-states. It is the
sole IGO that caters to rules of trade on a global scale. Its objective is to ensure that trade
runs as smoothly, predictably, and freely as possible. It also encourages trade by lowering
trade barriers that may hinder how products and services flow from nation to nation.
Some other examples of IGOs are the International Criminal Court (ICC), North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC). All IGOs serve purposes based on the common interest
of their member-states that is deemed beneficial to all parties involved. The
intensification of relations among nation-states gave birth to the idea of Internationalism
and Globalism. The former is the theory and practice of interdependent collaboration
while the latter is an attitude. Internationalism is basically anchored on the
opinion that nationalism should be outrun because links that bind people of
different countries are more powerful than those that disconnect them
(Anora, 2014).
Moreover, in order to avert wars, Immanuel Kant (1795) stated that agreements
among nations must be reached. He conceptualized the idea of Liberal
Internationalism which proposes that nations must give up their freedom
and submit to a larger system of laws that is embodied by common
international principles. He believed that a form of global government is needed to
create and enforce these laws. On the other hand, Giuseppe Mazzini (1805- 1872)
assumed that nationalism and international cooperation complemented each other. He
believed that cooperation among nation-states is essential. Equally, US President
Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) thought that nations were subject to the universal laws of
God that could be discovered through reason. He adopted the principles of self-
determination, democratic government, collective security, international law, and a
league of nations in his concept of internationalism. Socialist Internationalism
contradicts liberal internationalism as it is based on the view that capitalism
is a global system and that the working class must unite as a global class to
forward the struggle against capitalism. The notion of socialist
internationalism is linked to the goal of a world revolution-to end class
struggle globally. The Second International (1889-1916), the original socialist
international, was an organization of labor and social parties established in Paris in 1889.
It is best known for declaring the International Worker’s Day (May 1) and International
Women’s Day (March 8) and for initiating the campaign for the eight-hour work day.
Globalism emerged as an attitude that seeks to understand all the
interconnections of the modern world and to highlight patterns that underlie
them. It pursues to describe and explain a world that is characterized by a
network of connections that span multi- continental distances.
Overall, the global interstate system is a facet of contemporary political
globalization that seeks to form collaboration among nation-states through the
establishment of intergovernmental organizations. It is rooted on the idea of
internationalism. Experts on interstate relations cannot discount the numerous effect of
neoliberalism on the rise of new communication networks utilized by governments.

THE SEVEN CONTINENTS OF THE WORLD

Important Key Points of the Video:

 Asia – Largest continent in our plant with more than 17 million square miles.
Some notable countries includes China, Russia, India, Japan, South and North
Korea, Middle East, Pakistan, and Vietnam. (The Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal,
Mount Everest).

 Africa – Second largest continent with 11.7 million square miles. It has 54 counties
such as Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, and Tanzania. Northern part has big sprawling
deserts, Middle has rain forests and variety of animal life – giraffes, zebra, lions,
hippos, cheetahs, gazelles, wild beasts, and Southern part is pretty cold in winter.
(Sahara Desert, Nile River, Mount Kilimanjaro, Egyptian Pyramids, Serengeti,
Victorian Falls).

 North America – It is made up of 23 countries including United States, Canada,

Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Caribbean Islands and Panama. It is bordered by
the Atlantic Ocean on the East and the Pacific Ocean on the West. 9,500 million
 square miles and a home to almost 600 million people. It is the third largest
continent in the world.

 South America – Fourth largest continent. Amazon Rainforest which produces

20 percent of the world’s oxygen and a home to amazing 10 percent animal species.
It is 7 million square miles and has 14 countries including Brazil, Peru, Argentina,
Venezuela, and Equador. It is composed of 423 million people. (Andes Mountains
as the largest mountain range, Mount Akinkagua stood by the edge of Iguazo falls,
Machu Picchu).

 Antartica – Fifth largest continent with 5.4 million square miles. Windiest and
coldest place on Earth. Estimated 12 million of Penguins lives here. One giant
continent with no countries. South Pole or “Bottom of the Earth” can be found in
here.

 Europe – Sixth largest continent with 4 million square miles and 740 million
residents. It has 44 countries including France, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy,
and Spain. The smallest country is the Vatican City located in the heart of Rome
with a size of a small suburban neighborhood. (Eiffel Tower, Roman Coliseum,
Parthenon.

 Australia – Only continent that is also a country with approximately 25 million

people, speaking English as their primary language and has large population of
native people called Aborigines. (Boomerang, Koala, Kangaroo, Sydney Opera
House).