The Impact of Globalisation

What Is Globalisation

The process by which people, their cultures, money, goods and information can be transferred between countries with few or no barriers.

Because of these breakdowns in barriers, many different places become interdependent on each other.

The UK’s economy has become increasingly globalised since the 1980s. This means it has gained more links to the rest of the world.

When TNCs are able invest anywhere without rules and restrictions to get in the way its called Free Trade.

Investing this money into another country is called Foreign Direct Investment.

The Impact of Globalisation, figure 1

Impacts of Globalisation

Globalisation is having a dramatic effect - for good or bad - on world economies and on people’s lives.

Some of the positive impacts are:

  • Inward investment brings new jobs and skills for local people.
  • TNCs bring wealth and foreign currency to local economies the extra money created by this investment can be spent on education, health and infrastructure.
  • Globalisation may help to make people more aware of global issues such as deforestation and global warming and alert them to the need for sustainable development.

Some of the negative impacts include:

  • There are no guarantees that the wealth from inward investment will benefit the local community.
  • An absence of strictly enforced international laws means that TNCs may may pollute the environment, run risks with safety or impose poor working conditions and low wages on local workers.

The Impact of Globalisation, figure 1

Flow of Trade

The Impact of Globalisation, figure 1

The Impact of Globalisation, figure 2

What is globalisation?
Which countries trade most with each other?
Your answer should include: USA / China