Explain what globalisation is and the main ways the world has become more connected, including trade, travel, technology and the movement of people and ideas

What this dot point is asking

This dot point asks you to explain what globalisation is and the main ways the world has become more connected. The examiner wants you to show that globalisation is the growing connection between countries and people, and that it happens through trade, travel, technology and the movement of people and ideas. A strong answer defines globalisation clearly, gives the main forms of connection with examples, and shows how these connections reach into everyday life, especially in a highly globalised country like Singapore.

The answer

What globalisation means

Globalisation is the process by which countries and people around the world become more connected and interdependent. It means that what happens in one part of the world increasingly affects others, and that goods, money, people, ideas and culture move more easily across borders. Globalisation is not new, but it has sped up greatly because of modern technology and transport. The result is a world where countries depend on one another more than ever.

Trade and the movement of money

A major form of globalisation is the growth of trade and business across borders. Goods, services and money flow between countries, and companies operate in many nations at once, so a product may be designed in one country, made in another, and sold worldwide. This connects economies tightly: a change in one country, such as a downturn, can affect jobs and prices in many others. Singapore, as a trading hub, is at the centre of these flows.

Travel and the movement of people

Globalisation also means people move across the world more than before, for work, study, tourism and migration. Fast, affordable air travel lets people visit and settle in other countries, and workers move to where jobs are. This movement of people brings different cultures into contact, supplies skills and labour, and links families and communities across borders. It is a visible, everyday face of globalisation.

Technology and the spread of ideas

Technology, especially the internet, smartphones and social media, connects the world by letting information, ideas and culture spread almost instantly. People can communicate across continents in seconds, watch the same shows, follow the same trends, and learn about events anywhere. Technology ties the other forms of globalisation together: it powers global trade, links people who move, and spreads ideas and culture worldwide. This is why globalisation has accelerated so quickly.

Examples in context

Example 1. Singapore as a trading hub. Singapore's port and airport handle huge flows of goods and people between Asia and the world, and many global companies base operations there. This makes Singapore one of the most globalised places on earth, a clear example of trade and the movement of people connecting a country to the world.

Example 2. Global media and trends. Singaporeans watch shows, follow trends and use apps from many countries, while sharing their own culture online. This everyday flow of ideas and culture through technology shows the cultural side of globalisation, and it links to how people experience globalisation in their lives.

Try this

Q1. Define globalisation in your own words. [2 marks]

• Cue. Globalisation is the process by which countries and people around the world become more connected and dependent on one another, as goods, money, people, ideas and culture move more easily across borders.

Q2. State two ways technology has increased global connection. [2 marks]

• Cue. The internet and smartphones let people communicate across the world instantly, and they let information, ideas, culture and media spread quickly between countries.

Q3. Explain why Singapore is considered a highly globalised country. [3 marks]

• Cue. As a major trading hub with a busy port and airport, many global companies, and a population connected to the world through trade, the movement of people, and technology, Singapore is tightly linked to other countries in business and daily life.