Variation in Globalisation
Uneven globalisation
- Globalisation has affected places differently, which is due to a variety of reasons, such as:
- Variations in poverty
- Physical factors such as resource availability and accessibility
- Government policies and attitudes for and against globalisation
Measuring globalisation
- Uneven levels of globalisation can be measured using a range of indicators and indices, which include:
- KOF Index (The Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research) produces an annual Index of Globalisation
- First published in 2002, it contains data from 1970
- Measures the social, economic and political aspects of globalisation
- Uses a wide range of data, such as participation in UN Peace-keeping missions to TV ownership
- Countries are scored out of 100 and the higher the number, the more globalised the country is
- Issues with KOF Index
- This information is only available for 122 countries (2023)
- Some of the indicators used are now outdated due to improvements in telecommunications
- There is cultural bias in some of the indicators for example, the number of McDonalds
- Trade indicators ignore the informal economy
- It does not take into account environmental factors
- AT Kearney World Cities Index
- First published in 2008
- It aims to look at how countries cope with population growth and a shrinking world
- Ranks cities according to their ‘business activity’, ‘cultural experience’ and ‘political engagement’
- Data for this includes the number of TNC headquarters, museums and foreign embassies
- It includes countries which account for 96% of the world's GDP and 84% of the population
- Issues with AT Kearney World Cities Index
- Only includes 156 countries (2023)
- Indicators include trade bloc membership, levels of migration or FDI
- KOF Index (The Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research) produces an annual Index of Globalisation
Exam Tip
Be careful not to confuse globalisation with development. They are not the same, so make sure you understand the difference.
Globalisation is the increasing connectedness of countries around the world through movement of goods, services, capital and ideas across borders
Development is progress a country makes to improving the standard of living for its population