Globalization in Action
Source: A Canadian buys a phone designed in the United States, assembled in China, and containing minerals mined in Africa.
Question: What major process is illustrated by this source?
What is Globalization?
Source:
People identify themselves through a shared language, traditions, beliefs, and history.
Question: What type of identity is being described?
What is Collective identity?
Source:
A company operates stores and factories in more than 30 countries.
Question: How would this company most accurately be classified?
Answer: A transnational corporation
Source:
A news company owns several newspapers, television stations, and radio stations.
Question: Which concept is illustrated?
Answer: Media concentration
Source:
A hurricane destroys orange crops in one country. Shortly afterward, consumers in several other countries pay more for orange juice.
Question: What concept best explains why an event in one place affects people elsewhere?
What is Interdependence?
Source:
Community elders create programs to teach a traditional language that fewer young people have been speaking.
Question: Which process is best illustrated?
Answer: Cultural revitalization
Source:
A large retailer buys one million shirts at once and therefore pays less per shirt than a small independent store.
Question: Which economic concept best explains the retailer's advantage?
Answer: Economies of scale
Source:
A news story appears on a company's television channel, website, mobile app, and social-media accounts.
Question: Which concept does this best demonstrate?
Answer: Media convergence
Speaker 1: “Businesses can now communicate instantly with offices around the world.”
Speaker 2: “International trade allows consumers to purchase products that aren't produced locally.”
Speaker 3: “Popular music and movies can spread around the world almost instantly.”
Speaker 4: “My community is teaching young people our traditional language.”
Question: Which speaker provides the weakest evidence of globalization?
Source:
Two cultural communities interact regularly. Each adopts some practices from the other while continuing to maintain its own important traditions.
Question: Which concept best describes this relationship?
Answer: Accommodation
Speaker 1: “I like shopping at large retailers because their prices are usually lower.”
Speaker 2: “My small business has difficulty matching the prices of huge retailers.”
Speaker 3: “Our large factory can produce each item more cheaply because we manufacture millions of them.”
Speaker 4: “Our community is trying to encourage people to purchase locally produced goods.”
Question: Which three speakers are commenting on the effects of economies of scale?
Answer: Speakers 1, 2, and 3
Source 1: One corporation purchases five newspapers and three television stations.
Source 2: One newspaper distributes its stories through print, an app, a website, and social media.
Question: Which source provides the strongest evidence of media concentration?
Answer: Source 1
Speaker 1: “A conflict overseas caused gasoline prices here to increase.”
Speaker 2: “When another country's economy entered a recession, our factory lost one of its largest customers.”
Speaker 3: “A drought overseas caused the price of imported coffee to increase.”
Speaker 4: “People in our community are relearning traditional songs and ceremonies.”
Question: Which three speakers are commenting on the effects of global interdependence?
Are they Speakers 1, 2 and 3?
Speaker 1: “The same clothing brands are appearing in cities around the world.”
Speaker 2: “Popular music sounds increasingly similar in many countries.”
Speaker 3: “The same restaurant chains can now be found around the world.”
Speaker 4: “Many communities are working to restore traditional languages.”
Question: Which three speakers provide evidence of cultural homogenization?
Answer: Speakers 1, 2, and 3
Source 1: A neighbourhood bakery produces 200 loaves of bread each day.
Source 2: An international food corporation produces millions of products in factories around the world.
Question: Which source would most likely benefit more from economies of scale?
Answer: Source 2
Speaker 1: “One company owns most of the newspapers in our city.”
Speaker 2: “I can watch the same news organization on television or through its app.”
Speaker 3: “A corporation recently purchased several competing radio stations.”
Speaker 4: “My newspaper posts its stories on its website and social-media accounts.”
Question: Which two speakers are describing media convergence?
Answer: Speakers 2 and 4
Speaker 1: “Depending on other countries gives us access to products we could not efficiently produce ourselves.”
Speaker 2: “Depending on other countries means that economic problems overseas can affect workers here.”
Speaker 3: “Countries can benefit when they specialize and trade with one another.”
Speaker 4: “An international crisis can disrupt the products and resources we depend upon.”
Question: Which two speakers would most likely agree that interdependence can create risks?
Speakers 2 and 4
Source 1:
“Young people are increasingly consuming the same entertainment and wearing the same international brands.”
Source 2:
“Our community has created a school program to encourage young people to speak our traditional language.”
Source 3:
“Two cultural groups have adopted some practices from one another while maintaining distinct identities.”
Question: Which source provides the strongest evidence of cultural revitalization?
Answer: Source 2
Speaker 1: “Large corporations can produce huge quantities at a low cost per unit.”
Speaker 2: “Consumers may benefit from the lower prices offered by large retailers.”
Speaker 3: “Small businesses may struggle to compete with corporations that purchase and produce enormous quantities.”
Speaker 4: “Large corporations often operate in multiple countries.”
Question: Which speaker is most directly describing why economies of scale give large corporations a competitive advantage?
Answer: Speaker 1
Speaker 1: “The internet allows information to move around the world almost instantly.”
Speaker 2: “International television allows people to encounter entertainment produced by other cultures.”
Speaker 3: “Social media allows people living thousands of kilometres apart to communicate.”
Speaker 4: “Transportation improvements have made shipping physical products faster and cheaper.”
Question: Which three speakers are commenting specifically on communication and mass media as forces of globalization?
Answer: Speakers 1, 2, and 3