Globalization: defined.

Before researching what will define the scope of these topics, I will define how I currently see the two main concepts that we're concerned with: globalization and technology. Globalization, to me, could best be defined as the evolution of societal patterns and philosophical thought as determined by the human population. Technology, on other hand, would be appropriately defined as systematic processes and objects being utilized by humans to make current processes more efficient. This is how I would define these two concepts without seeking any external sources. I am sure I have missed several components of these two terms; we'll find out shortly when I begin my research. We'll address globalization here and create a separate entry for that of the expansion/correction of my definition of technology. Then we can merge the ideas later for the rest of the entries.

Now, to get a more accurate idea of what these two concepts are referring to I will seek to find scholarly or seemingly credible evidence that will define them. According to Dr. Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan, Director of the Program on the Geopolitical Implications of Globalization and Transnational Security, I underestimated globalization and widely missed several aspects of the term. According to Dr. Nayef in his work intended solely and specifically to define globalization, "[g]lobalization involves economic integration; the transfer of policies across borders; the transmission of knowledge; cultural stability; the reproduction, relations, and discourses of power; it is a global process, a concept, a revolution, and “an establishment of the global market free from sociopolitical control.” This makes it quite evident that globalization is incredibly broad and encompasses so many components that it may be impossible to define holistically. Dr. Nayef makes reference to several definitions and discussions of globalization, and claims that the definition of globalization may be subjective in the sense that different people view it differently based on their geographic location, cultural values, political ideologies, etc. Dr. Nayef's conclusion is essentially that there are so many conflicting definitions of globalization that the Academy has made little progress in making a clear definition of the term that could be applicable to all purposes for which it is sought. Dr. Nayef, who I consider to be an expert on the subject based on his thorough research and demonstrated expertise, proposes that globalization be defined as: “Globalization is a process that encompasses the causes, course, and consequences of transnational and transcultural integration of human and non-human activities.”



So I was off. By a lot. But now that we have a definition, we can continue our discussion about how globalization has influenced technology and vice versa, and further explore the modern implications of these terms.