Unit 9: Globalization

Overview

• Focus on the impact of new technologies from the 20th and 21st centuries
• Globalization: Interconnectedness of the world politically, economically, and socially.
• Notable developments in technology have accelerated globalization.

Important Concepts

• Globalization: The integration of trade and technology creating interconnected systems worldwide.
  • Seen in history through trade routes, Imperialism, and World Wars.
• Technological Transformation: Changes in life expectancy, energy accessibility, and economic integration.

Communication Technologies

• Developed post-1900 to solve geographical distance issues.
• Radio:
  • Facilitated mass communication and direct speech from leaders (e.g., FDR during Great Depression).
• Television:
  • Became dominant by the 1960s, connecting people to global events.
• Cellular Technology:
  • Evolved from the 1980s, enabling mobile global communication.
• Internet:
  • Developed in the 1960s for data sharing; became widespread in the 1990s.
  • Enabled global communication and commerce.

Transportation Technologies

• Automobiles:
  • Changed urban landscapes, leading to suburb creation.
• Air Travel:
  • After WWII, more accessible for work and leisure, shrinking geographical distances.
• Shipping Containers:
  • Standardized transport, facilitating global trade and manufacturing relocation.

Energy Technologies

• Petroleum:
  • Replaced coal, fueling increased production and pollution.
• Nuclear Power:
  • Clean energy alternative with significant environmental impact in case of disasters.

Medical Technologies

• Antibiotics:
  • E.g., Penicillin (1928), revolutionized health by fighting infections.
• Vaccines:
  • Significant 20th-century advancements reduced diseases like measles and polio.
• Birth Control:
  • 1950s pill led to lower fertility rates globally, affecting population growth patterns.

Agricultural Technologies

• Commercial Farming:
  • Large-scale production for profit, relying on advanced equipment.
• Green Revolution:
  • Genetic modifications in the 1950s-60s increased crop yields in developing countries.
  • Environmental concerns about soil exhaustion and pollution.

Conclusion

• Each technological advancement has contributed to increasing global interconnectedness, impacting social, political, and economic landscapes.