globalisation

   An umbrella term describing the way in which the constraints of geography are receding, so that cultural, economic, environmental and political issues are no longer decided within national boundaries but have become matters of global concern. The growing interdependencies and interconnectedness of the world are said to reduce the autonomy of individual states and the importance of borders.

   First coined in the 1980s, the term refers to the way in which the modern world is characterised by diminishing national borders, the fusing of individual national markets, the falling of protectionist barriers, the free movement of capital and the spread of companies around the world. The rise of the internet and recent advances in telecommunications have boosted the process of interconnectedness. For many people, avowed capitalists and consumers in advanced countries, this has brought the benefits of greater consumer choice, rising living standards, a growth in international travel and greater understanding of other cultures, as well as promoting the triumph of democracy over autocracy. However, anti-globalisation protesters see things differently, arguing that the West’s gains are being achieved at the expense of developing countries.