A ship tracking interface gives you the impression that you could walk from Glasgow to New York on top of cargo ships. This is how dense and ingrained global trade networks have become to human societies. Maritime haulage is a component of globalisation which largely takes place unseen by customers and citizens.
Globalisation is a human process which has developed over millennia. It is the exchange and movement of goods, services, ideas and people between countries. This process shifted gears after the Second World War. With global trade and then gradually global finance becoming pervasive.
If that seems a bit dry the following things are a result of globalisation. Your smartphone contains components and labour from China, India and the Democratic Republic of Congo to name a few. Mangoes in Britain come from Peru, west Africa, Israel, Egypt and Brazil. The series and films you watch almost certainly come from an American company. The petrol used in your car is probably from Norway.
Globalisation and Scotland
Globalisation has meant that the exodus of factories and mines from Scotland has not coincided with a shortage of goods. Scotland has retained access to a global market with an expansive and growing stock of cars, electronic devices and most things you could wish for.
Ships from places you’ve never been before dock in the Forth every day – downstream from Stirling. They bring consumer goods and raw materials.
All day flights leave Scottish airports, delivering international post, people on business, people on holiday or people leaving forever. In the opposite direction come tourists, people beginning to call Scotland home, students and returning travellers with duty free bags.
Climate and human rights
Organisations such as Anti-Slavery campaign on the issue of forced labour or modern slavery, some of which is associated with commercial interests and global trade. The United Nations has also published a paper entitled, Globalisation and Human Trafficking.
Globalisation is also said to have exacerbated climate change and facilitated the excessive global consumption leading to unsustainable CO2 emissions. It is also argued that globalisation can be an opportunity to spread high environmental standards through discerning customers only willing to buy sustainable and Fair-Trade produce.
As with many human endeavours, the history of globalisation contains exploitation, prosperity and innovation. The developments and atrocities are hard to quantify and analyse, making it hard for people to agree on the success or failure of globalisation.
Featured Image Credit: Pexels
