This presentation was made at the MPhil and PhD student at Kathmandu University in 2013

2. School of Education I Kathmandu University, Nepal
MPhil/PhD Program in Education (DevS)
Diversity Education
Globalization:
Effects on living environment & our lives
March 29, 2013
Rajendra P Sharma

3. Presentation Context
Globalization - a catchphrase for every walk of life
A key idea for business, theory, practice, and for an
academic debates
But what people mean by 'globalization' is often vague
and confusing
This presentation will focus on evolution and key aspect
of globalization and its effect on living environment and
our lives
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4. Living Environment
Word environment describes
total surroundings
includes the living and non living features
Environment is divided into:
Physical and human environment
(Smith, M. et al. 2002)
4

5. Living Environments
Social
Structure
Human Lives
Live together within a
relationship and
interaction
Economy
Bio-Physical
Environment
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6. SUN - Solar energy:
:
All life on earth depends on the
energy (light and heat)
produced by the sun.
ROCKS / SOIL
Lithosphere: The earths
solid outer shell.
Geographers study the
processes shaping the
earth’s crust and how
these processes affect
people.
Elements of Physical Environment
Physical environments are dominated by natural
features,
such as landforms and vegetation.
include the earth’s soil, water, air, sunlight and
all living things.
WATER - Hydrosphere:
The earth’s store of water and how it
circulates. People try to control and manage
water resources to meet their needs.
AIR- Atmosphere:
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The combination of gases that surround the
planet. Weather & climate determines where
plants and animals live. Climate affects the
activities of people and the activities of people
also affect the climate
PLANTS & ANIMALS
Biosphere:
Biosphere The surface of the
earth in which all life exists.
Living things interact with each
other and the non living parts
of the environment

7. -Elements of Human Environments.
Human environments are best defined as all the elements of
Elements
environments created people.
of the
Social:
Economic:
Theywhich people social, cultural, economic and political systems created
include the
Human
The way in
by humans
The production,
organize themselves to live in
distribution and
Environment
a community
consumption of goods and
They also include those features normally associated with settlements,
services.
industries and agriculture.
It is important to note that the physical and human environments always
Political:
Cultural:
interact.
The manner in
The beliefs,
which a country,
traditions and
Physical environments are always affected bysociety
and the activities of people; and
practices affected by events within physical
built environments are always
generally, is
environments. characteristic of a
governed.
group or people.

8. Sustaining development
Natural
resources
Balancing Globalization
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9. What is globalisation?

10. Visible globalization?
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11. Defining Globalization
Three Phenomena
◦ An economic
◦ A social
◦ A cultural
The movement towards the expansion of economic and
social ties between countries through the spread of
corporate institutions and the capitalist philosophy that
leads to the shrinking of the world in economic terms
(Beck, 1999) .
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12. Globalization is a process
of interaction and integration among the people,
companies, and governments of different nations,
driven by international trade, investment aided
by information technology.
effects on the environment, culture, political systems,
economic development and on human physical wellbeing in societies around the world (Giddens, 2002).
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13. Globalization is a result of evolution
Globalization is not new, for thousands of years, people—
and, later, corporations—have been buying from and
selling to each other in lands at great distances, (Silk Road
across Central Asia that connected China and Europe
during the Middle Ages).
For centuries, people and corporations have invested in
enterprises in other countries.
Many features of the current globalization are similar to
those prevailing before the First World War.
Modern form of globalization started after 1960s.
Facilitated more after the establishment of World Bank,
IMF, WTO, GATT, EU and even SAARC and BRICS
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(Delors, J. et al. 1996)

14. Globalization is a cross border integration of
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(Biz/ad, 2007)

15. Brighter and darker side of the globalization
Brighter side
Industrial: worldwide access to
products, low marketing cost
Financial: external financing
Economic: market interconnect,
easy transport, travel, free trade
Political: regulation of relationships
among government
(World Bank Research, 2002)
(World Bank, 1999)
Informational: information flows
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Ecological: cooperation against
environmental challenges (Kyoto)
Social : cultural diffusion
minimizing differences, peaceful
relations, international justice,
media coverage draws the
attention of the world
Darker side
Exploitation of labor
Decision making power go away
Changed education system
caused brain drain
Health risks – rise on epidemics
Environment degradation
Conflicts /Monopoly
Disparity - major share of the
profits goes to foreign company
Cut-throat competition - local
suffer huge losses as they lack
potential to advertise /export on
large scale
Sophisticated weapons/terrorism
Loss of culture

16. Globalization and Nepal
Before 1955
Trade and
cultural
exchange was
limited to India
and Tibet
From 1955 to 1990
Become UN member
Development assistances were limited to trade and
development works
Few students used to go abroad
Few people used go abroad for employment (mainly
professionals and educated one
After 1985 - active support from World Bank & IMF
Gained momentum since 1991. Government introduced policy for
liberalization, privatization and globalization.
Open for privatization, private educational institutions flourished,
many youths going abroad as labors, privately funded students started
going abroad
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Global trade and transit was facilitated after Nepal became member of
WTO in 2005

17. Effects of Globalization in Nepal
Threats to manufacturing industries/risk in employment
New middle class - rich-poor divide widened - inequality
Environment threat - change in weather & temperature
Inflationary risks - takeover of businesses from overseas
A new consumer base has developed
Hard to survive local business, industry and agriculture
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18. Conclusion
Globalization has been quite a debatable subject. Some
opine it has a lot of ill-effects, others feel exactly the
opposite.
Benefits of globalization would be achieved, only if the
negative impacts are neutralized, looking at the positive
effects.
If do so, Nepal can march strongly on its path of
development
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19. Reflection
Globalization is inevitable, we can not stop or oppose.
We should take it as a tool that should benefit all sections
of humankind, but one cannot ignore its negative effects.
Country like Nepal, may have adverse effect, if it is not
discussed and taken appropriate measures for
maximization of benefit created by globalization.
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20. Reflection
cont.
Finally, to address the effects of globalization on our lives
-
local initiatives with global cooperation is must,
-
because every single local actions have some global
effects and every global decision and action also have
some effects on the other part of the world.
Saying all this, I conclude with an unanswered question
Whether it is important to us to humanization of globe or
globalization of human activities?
Let’s think over it ..... ..... !
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21. References
Beck, U. (1999). What is globalization? Cambridge: Polity Press.
Biz/ad, (2007). Presentation on globalization. Retrieved on 20 March 2013
from www.bized.co.uk
Giddens A. (2002). Runaway world. How globalization is reshaping our lives.
London, UK: Profile Books
Delors, J. et al. (1996). Learning: the treasure within. Paris, UNESCO. Retrieved
from http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/ib/2000/041200.htm#II
Masand, D. (n.d). Impact of globalization in India. Presentation . Date and
place NA.
Smith, M. K. and Doyle M. (2002). Globalization the encyclopedia of informal
education. Retrieved from www.infed.org/biblio/globalization.htm
World Bank Research (2002). Globalization, growth and poverty: Building an
inclusive world economy. The World Bank Group. Retrieved from
http://econ.worldbank.org/prr/subpage.php?sp=2477
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World Bank. (1999) World Development Report 1998/99: Knowledge for
development. Washington: World Bank. [1999, 9 August]. Retrieved
from http://www.worldbank.org/wdr/wdr98/contents.htm

22. Thank you so much
Now, please contribute through
Questions and Comments
how we can best fit globalization
into our ground reality
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