Globalization refers to the increasing integration and interdependence of economies, societies, and cultures around the world through cross-border movement of goods, services, technology, and ideas. While it leads to greater cultural integration and homogenization in some ways, geography remains important and different places experience globalization differently. Globalization is driven by factors like reduced transportation and communication costs but is uneven across countries and regions as local characteristics interact with broader global processes.

7. Globalisation and cultural integration It is true that globalisation has had an affect on culture. We will look at this in more detail later.

12. Globalisation is closely linked to the concept of the… The New International Division of Labour. The spatial decentralisation of many economic activities. Until recently the NIDL was seen as the spatial decentralisation of manufacturing away from the Core to Semi Peripheral areas. Now we can observe a NIDL in services and an increasing decentralisation of coordination and control operations.

15. Geographical theories of industrial location which affect globalisation New International Division of Labour – As transport and communication technologies have improved it is possible to decentralise primary industries, manufacturing and to an increasing extent service activities and yet still maintain a central control. For example TNCs locating production in least cost locations far from decision making HQ. Increasingly HQ activities are being decentralised into an integrated network of regional HQ. “ Just in Time” production – Started by Toyota to reduce costs of storing large volume of parts. Suppliers supply parts just in time to the assembly plant. Requires coordinated vertical integration. Product life cycle – As product goes through its life cycle from introduction into mass market consumption and decline its production changes from R+D to mass production to cost reduction.

19. Now we need to view globalisation in a wider sense and investigate the impact of globalisation on culture and the concept of cultural integration.