Essay
The term ‘globalization’ is widely used nowadays. However, not all of us have thought of or have asked what it means or how it came in our today consciousness. As we see it from the source under analysis, the origin of globalization processes can be traced back to centuries ago (Ballard 2010).
In spite of the fact that many believe that entrepreneurial adventurers’ navigational skills of Europeans undoubtedly resulted in world globalization, it is not exactly the way.
At the end of the fifteenth century, European seamen set off to apply their shipbuilding and navigational technologies in order to discover the Indo-Pacific navigational universe.
However, they were not the first to promote the idea of globalization. The author of the paper proves that the Chinese were.
Moreover, according to the information provided, the Chinese achievements were quite outstanding.
That is really amazing to learn that at the times of Zeng He, the majority of the important trading ports of the Indian Ocean basin and China seas were under Chinese authority and acknowledged the Dragon Throne suzerainty.
The Asiatic trading networks were eventually spread from all over ‘the Mediterranean around Europe’s many Atlantic peninsulas to the Baltic’ (Ballard 2010).
As it turned out later, in spite of the fact that most of the achievements were documented and later destroyed, Zeng He’s efforts had not been undertaken in vain. Perhaps, it happened for the reason that the emperor Zeng He intended not just to globalize his Empire but to undertake an attempt to make necessary astronomic observations in order to get the idea of accurate navigation in the southern hemisphere.
The importance of the vital information on navigation was obvious for all the seamen of his fleet. It basically helped to preserve the knowledge received. So, only at the times when China started looking inward rather than outward, Magellan’s discoveries laid the basis for the second phase of globalization.
However, at this point I cannot but agree with Ballard (2010) that European manufacturing technologies were really inferior in comparison with those of the Asia (Ballard 2010).
So far, to participate in the thriving markets the European needed to have a sufficient basis.
Little by little, European traders acquired more significance in terms of the global commerce.
In the beginning of the twentieth century the second phase of globalization, which is of Euro-American character, is said to have brought to a virtually unchallenged global hegemony.
The third globalization phase is characterized from the point of move of the distribution of wealth and power from west to east.
The quantities of oil beneath the waters of the Gulf and its hinterland made those able to use it get vast wealth into their hands. Under these circumstances, the UAE became a major beneficiary. Dubai became one of the most active trading hubs within the whole region. The city population grew up to 100 000.
The Indian sub-continent became the most significant trading partner of Dubai.
After India and Pakistan gained their independence, there was a huge demand for consumer goods. Those of South Asian origin facilitated trading traffic between Dubai and the subcontinent.
Under these circumstances, as Ballard (2010) sees it, Dubai has emerged as one of the world’s most significant hubs to be closely connected with:
the circulation of value,
the circulation of goods,
the circulation of people (Ballard 2010).
Though Dubai has little to do with the global manufacturing shift from Europe and America to South and East Asia, its becoming one of the trading hubs of importance may be seen as a sign of these developments.
In my opinion, the author has provided a vivid picture of the way he sees globalization and its three major phases.
It is of real importance that the author does not just enumerate or describe the events but discloses something new, something really thrilling and enlightening and supports it by strong arguments.
I agree with the author when he recognizes the achievements of the Chinese.
At the same time I believe that the relationship between Portugal and the British Empire could have been given at least a little more attention.
Though, in general the second phase of globalization can be described for a long time and be analyzed from various angles.
I do support his idea of globalization ‘from below’ and think that the author provides thorough and non-provocative evidences of it.
Globalization from below has emerged as a result of concerns and experiences of diverse character.
Able to move globally, the capital shift is usually referred to as the movement of the race from the bottom as common interests, goals and specific political and economic situations require.
Thus, from a global perspective nowadays Dubai owes its booming economy to the successful implementation of so called movement strategies.
‘The movement for an alternative globalization is sometimes also called ‘the movement of movements’ because the whole is a very complex conglomerate of targets, political currents, organizational structures and forms of action’ (Linden).
References
Ballard, R. (2010). Three Phases of Globalization: The Significance of Dubai’s Emergence as a Trading Hub. 21st Century Globalization: Perspectives from the Gulf. Encounters: an International Journal for the Study of Culture and Society. Number 2, Spring 2010, 41-71.
Linden, M. Globalization from below: A brief survey of the ‘movement of movements’. Retrieved from https://socialhistory.org/sites/default/files/docs/publications/movementofmovements.pdf
