How globalisation promotes cultural mixing

Globalisation involves the increasing interconnectedness of economies, cultures, and populations worldwide. This process often leads to societies becoming more culturally diverse through the movement of people and ideas.

Key processes driving cultural mixing

• Globalisation spreads cultures mainly through migration, which is the movement of people from one place to another, and economic policies that encourage international flows.
• These changes can benefit local economies by introducing new skills, labour, and consumer markets.

Key terms related to cultural mixing:

• Diaspora - The large-scale dispersal of people from their homeland.
• Ghettoisation - The clustering of migrant groups in specific areas.

Examples of cultural mixing effects:

• In the USA, approximately 32 million people claimed Irish ancestry in 2021, leading to widespread celebrations like St Patrick's Day in cities such as New York.
• In the UK, areas like Boston in Lincolnshire had around 13% of residents born in the EU according to the 2011 census, reflecting migrant clustering.
• Migrant groups can alter the built environment, such as British expats in Spain establishing English-style pubs and supermarkets to meet their needs.

Policies that accelerate cultural mixing

Certain government policies have sped up the blending of cultures by easing the movement of people and businesses across borders. These policies often aim to boost economic growth but can also intensify cultural changes.

Open borders agreements

• Open borders refer to policies that allow free movement between countries without strict checks.

• The European Union's Schengen Agreement enables EU citizens to travel and work freely across member states, increasing cultural exchange and job market competition.

• This was evident after 2004 when eight Eastern European countries (known as the Accession Eight), including Poland and Hungary, joined the EU, leading to increased migration to Western Europe for better job opportunities.

Deregulation of business operations

• Deregulation involves governments removing rules that restrict business activities.

• It encourages foreign direct investment (FDI) — money invested by companies from one country into another — by allowing easier setup of branch offices.

• Deregulation can help firms recruit from a global talent pool, increasing job competition in the workforce.

Tensions created by globalisation

Globalisation can generate conflicts as people perceive or experience negative impacts. These tensions arise from feelings of injustice and can manifest in social, political, or environmental forms.

Social and political tensions

• Concerns about migration often focus on pressures on housing, job competition, shortages of school places, and a perceived loss of national identity.
• This can lead to harassment or workplace discrimination against international migrants.
• Political responses include calls for stricter migration controls to address these issues.

Environmental tensions

• Debates arise over insufficient regulation of industries contributing to climate change.
• This has fuelled protests, such as the global Climate Strike in September 2019, where an estimated over 5 million people participated to coincide with the UN Climate Summit.

The rise of nationalism in Europe

Nationalism is a political ideology emphasising loyalty to one's nation over global interests. Its growth in Europe reflects resistance to globalisation's cultural and economic effects.

Key features of nationalist movements

• Parties like France's National Rally (formerly National Front) and Austria's Freedom Party have gained electoral support by promoting nationalism and reducing immigration.
• They reject multiculturalism, arguing it harms national unity.
• Support often comes from lower-income groups feeling marginalised by migration.

Extreme forms and consequences

• Some groups embrace neo-fascism, an authoritarian ideology promoting racial supremacy and xenophobia.
• Campaign messages from these parties may contribute to increased racial and religious hate crimes.

Transboundary water conflicts in Southeast Asia

Transboundary resources cross international borders, and conflicts can emerge when countries compete for limited supplies, especially water.

The Mekong River case study

The Mekong River flows through six countries: China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Viet Nam, and Cambodia, affecting more than 280 million people.

Key issues:

• Plans for more than 210 dams for irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectricity production could reduce water flow to downstream countries like Cambodia and Viet Nam.

Management approaches:

• The Helsinki Rules are international guidelines promoting equal sharing and protection of transboundary waters, requiring agreement on changes like dams.
• The 1995 Mekong Agreement, based on these rules, was signed by all countries except China and Myanmar.

Government methods to control globalisation

Some governments seek to limit globalisation's pace to retain national control, using strategies that restrict trade, resources, information, or migration.

Trade protectionism

• Trade protectionism limits international trade to protect domestic industries.

• Methods include tariffs, quotas, regulations on foreign companies, or subsidies for local producers.

• Examples include trade sanctions or penalties to restrict dealings with certain countries.

Resource nationalism

• Resource nationalism prioritises domestic access to a country's natural resources.

• It can involve restricting foreign companies, as in Peru where local industries have priority over copper reserves.

• Extreme cases lead to trade embargoes, often for political reasons, like Canada's 2017 sanctions on Venezuela due to human rights violations.

Censorship of information

• Censorship limits free speech and access to information to control global influences.

• Many countries restrict press freedom; the 2019 Press Freedom Index classified approximately 75 out of 180 countries as having 'difficult' or 'very serious' issues.

• In China, ranked 177th, strict media control promotes the Communist state and blocks Western content, including a 'firewall' that filters international internet access. Google withdrew services in 2010 over these restrictions.

Limiting migration flows

Migration policies regulate who can enter a country to manage population changes.

Common approaches:

• Quota systems, like in the USA, cap annual entry visas.
• Points-based systems, used in Australia and the UK, require minimum scores based on skills, language, or job offers.
• Open policies, as in Uruguay and Ecuador, have minimal requirements, such as a small bank balance.

Japan's migration policy case study:

• Until 2019, Japan had strict rules: no foreign manual labourers, high qualifications for professionals, and no foreign ownership of companies.
• Asylum approvals were low, with only around 30 out of over 10,500 applications accepted in 2016.
• Policies reflected the cultural concept of minzoku (one ethnicity), prioritising Japanese nationals.
• In 2019, reforms allowed limited entry for foreign workers for up to five years to address labour shortages from an ageing population.

Resistance to globalisation by groups

Some communities resist globalisation to protect their cultures, lands, and resources from transnational corporations (TNCs) — large companies operating in multiple countries — which often promote privatisation and expansion.

Anti-globalisation movements

These groups oppose TNC dominance, aiming to restore state control over economies and preserve local ways of life.

The Ogoni tribe in Nigeria

• The Ogoni people in the oil-rich Niger Delta formed MOSOP (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People) in 1990.

• They campaign against land dispossession and environmental damage from oil drilling.

• Goals include social justice and protection of the delta's habitats.

First Nations in Canada

First Nations are more than 600 indigenous groups in Canada seeking self-governance over ancestral lands threatened by TNC exploitation of oil, gas, and timber.

Key concerns:

• Resource extraction endangers traditional practices, like the Coast Salish people's salmon fishing, and harms natural reserves.
• The influx of workers may introduce harmful behaviours, such as alcohol use, into communities.

Actions taken:

• Protesting and raising awareness in public forums.
• Establishing companies for services like consultations to influence resource use sustainably.
• Creating schools and centres to preserve languages and skills.
• Hosting festivals and educating tourists about cultural connections to the land.