The impacts of globalisation to consider the benefits of growth,…

The idea

Evaluating globalisation requires weighing its significant benefits against its profound costs. Benefits include rapid economic growth and development, often driven by transnational corporations (TNCs) creating jobs and infrastructure in emerging economies. Global integration fosters cultural exchange and geopolitical stability through interdependence. However, these must be balanced against severe costs: widening inequalities between and within nations, social injustice such as exploitative labour conditions, and conflicts arising from resource competition or cultural erosion. Furthermore, the environmental impact is substantial, with increased global trade driving carbon emissions, deforestation, and biodiversity loss, necessitating a critical assessment of globalisation's sustainability.

What earns the marks

• Examine how globalisation stimulates economic growth and development through foreign direct investment and global supply chains.
• Assess the role of global integration in promoting geopolitical stability and reducing the likelihood of conflict between interdependent nations.
• Analyse the costs of globalisation, specifically how it exacerbates spatial and social inequalities both within and between countries.
• Evaluate the environmental impacts of a globalised economy, including increased carbon footprints from global transport and resource depletion.
• Discuss instances of injustice and conflict resulting from globalisation, such as poor working conditions in sweatshops or cultural homogenisation.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Providing a one-sided argument that only highlights the economic benefits of globalisation.

  Put it right: Ensure a balanced critique that equally weighs benefits against costs like inequality and environmental degradation.

• Confusing economic growth with holistic development.

  Put it right: Distinguish between rising GDP (growth) and improvements in quality of life or human rights (development).

• Treating environmental impacts as a minor side-effect rather than a core cost.

  Put it right: Integrate environmental costs, such as climate change driven by global shipping, as a major structural flaw of unchecked globalisation.

Exam tips

• Use specific case studies of TNCs (e.g., Apple or Nike) to illustrate both the developmental benefits and the social injustices of global supply chains.
• Structure evaluative essays by directly contrasting a specific benefit (e.g., economic growth) with its corresponding cost (e.g., widening inequality).
• Reference specific environmental metrics or agreements (like the Paris Agreement) when discussing the environmental impacts of global trade.