NCERT Textbook - Globalisation | Political Science Class 12 - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

 Page 1


Overview In this final chapter of the book we 
look at globalisation, something 
that has been referred to in 
many chapters of this book and 
textbooks of many other subjects. 
We begin by analysing the concept 
of globalisation and then examine 
its causes. We then discuss at 
length the political, economic 
and cultural consequences of 
globalisation. Our interest is also in 
studying the impact of globalisation 
on India as well as how India is 
affecting globalisation. We finally 
draw attention to resistance to 
globalisation and how social 
movements in India also form part 
of this resistance.     
Chapter 7
Globalisation
Chapter 7.indd   99 14 September 2022   11:05:00
2024-25
Page 2


Overview In this final chapter of the book we 
look at globalisation, something 
that has been referred to in 
many chapters of this book and 
textbooks of many other subjects. 
We begin by analysing the concept 
of globalisation and then examine 
its causes. We then discuss at 
length the political, economic 
and cultural consequences of 
globalisation. Our interest is also in 
studying the impact of globalisation 
on India as well as how India is 
affecting globalisation. We finally 
draw attention to resistance to 
globalisation and how social 
movements in India also form part 
of this resistance.     
Chapter 7
Globalisation
Chapter 7.indd   99 14 September 2022   11:05:00
2024-25
Contemporary World Politics
100
The Con Cep T of 
Globalisa Tion Janardhan works in a call centre. 
He leaves late in the evening for 
work, becomes John when he 
enters his office, acquires a new 
accent and speaks a different 
language (than he does when he is 
at home) to communicate with his 
clients who are living thousands 
of miles away. He works all night, 
which is actually day time for his 
overseas customers. Janardhan is 
rendering a service to somebody 
who in all probability he is never 
likely to meet physically. This is 
his daily routine. His holidays 
also do not correspond to the 
Indian calendar but to those of 
his clients who happen to be from 
the US.
Ramdhari has gone shopping 
to buy a birthday gift for his 
nine-year old daughter. He has 
promised her a small cycle and 
decides to search the market for 
something he finds affordable as 
well as of reasonable quality. He 
finally does buy a cycle, which is 
actually manufactured in China 
but is being marketed in India. 
It meets his requirements of 
quality as well as affordability, 
and Ramdhari decides to go 
ahead with his purchase. Last 
year, Ramdhari on his daughter’s 
insistence had bought her a 
Barbie doll, which was originally 
manufactured in the US but was 
being sold in India. 
Sarika is a first generation 
learner who has done remarkably 
well throughout her school and 
college life by working very hard. 
She now has an opportunity 
to take on a job and begin an 
independent career, which the 
women of her family had never 
dreamt of earlier. While some 
of her relatives are opposed, 
she finally decides to go ahead 
because of the new opportunities 
that have been made available to 
her generation.  
All three examples illustrate 
an aspect each of what we call 
globalisation. In the first instance 
Janardhan was participating 
in the globalisation of services. 
Ramdhari’s birthday purchases 
tell us something about the 
movement of commodities from 
one part of the world to another. 
Sarika is faced with a conflict of 
values partly originating from 
a new opportunity that earlier 
was not available to the women 
in her family but today is part of 
a reality that has gained wider 
acceptability.
If we look for examples of the 
use of the term ‘globalisation’ in 
real life, we will realise that it is 
used in various contexts. Let us 
look at some examples, different 
from the ones that we have looked 
above:
 Some farmers committed 
suicide because their crops 
failed. They had bought very 
expensive seeds supplied 
by a multinational company 
(MNC).
 An Indian company bought 
a major rival company based 
in Europe, despite protests by 
some of the current owners.
So many Nepalese 
workers come to 
India to work. Is that 
globalisation?
Go through 
newspapers 
for a week 
and collect 
clippings 
on anything 
related to 
globalisation.
Chapter 7.indd   100 14 September 2022   11:05:00
2024-25
Page 3


Overview In this final chapter of the book we 
look at globalisation, something 
that has been referred to in 
many chapters of this book and 
textbooks of many other subjects. 
We begin by analysing the concept 
of globalisation and then examine 
its causes. We then discuss at 
length the political, economic 
and cultural consequences of 
globalisation. Our interest is also in 
studying the impact of globalisation 
on India as well as how India is 
affecting globalisation. We finally 
draw attention to resistance to 
globalisation and how social 
movements in India also form part 
of this resistance.     
Chapter 7
Globalisation
Chapter 7.indd   99 14 September 2022   11:05:00
2024-25
Contemporary World Politics
100
The Con Cep T of 
Globalisa Tion Janardhan works in a call centre. 
He leaves late in the evening for 
work, becomes John when he 
enters his office, acquires a new 
accent and speaks a different 
language (than he does when he is 
at home) to communicate with his 
clients who are living thousands 
of miles away. He works all night, 
which is actually day time for his 
overseas customers. Janardhan is 
rendering a service to somebody 
who in all probability he is never 
likely to meet physically. This is 
his daily routine. His holidays 
also do not correspond to the 
Indian calendar but to those of 
his clients who happen to be from 
the US.
Ramdhari has gone shopping 
to buy a birthday gift for his 
nine-year old daughter. He has 
promised her a small cycle and 
decides to search the market for 
something he finds affordable as 
well as of reasonable quality. He 
finally does buy a cycle, which is 
actually manufactured in China 
but is being marketed in India. 
It meets his requirements of 
quality as well as affordability, 
and Ramdhari decides to go 
ahead with his purchase. Last 
year, Ramdhari on his daughter’s 
insistence had bought her a 
Barbie doll, which was originally 
manufactured in the US but was 
being sold in India. 
Sarika is a first generation 
learner who has done remarkably 
well throughout her school and 
college life by working very hard. 
She now has an opportunity 
to take on a job and begin an 
independent career, which the 
women of her family had never 
dreamt of earlier. While some 
of her relatives are opposed, 
she finally decides to go ahead 
because of the new opportunities 
that have been made available to 
her generation.  
All three examples illustrate 
an aspect each of what we call 
globalisation. In the first instance 
Janardhan was participating 
in the globalisation of services. 
Ramdhari’s birthday purchases 
tell us something about the 
movement of commodities from 
one part of the world to another. 
Sarika is faced with a conflict of 
values partly originating from 
a new opportunity that earlier 
was not available to the women 
in her family but today is part of 
a reality that has gained wider 
acceptability.
If we look for examples of the 
use of the term ‘globalisation’ in 
real life, we will realise that it is 
used in various contexts. Let us 
look at some examples, different 
from the ones that we have looked 
above:
 Some farmers committed 
suicide because their crops 
failed. They had bought very 
expensive seeds supplied 
by a multinational company 
(MNC).
 An Indian company bought 
a major rival company based 
in Europe, despite protests by 
some of the current owners.
So many Nepalese 
workers come to 
India to work. Is that 
globalisation?
Go through 
newspapers 
for a week 
and collect 
clippings 
on anything 
related to 
globalisation.
Chapter 7.indd   100 14 September 2022   11:05:00
2024-25
Globalisation
101
 Many retail shopkeepers fear 
that they would lose their 
livelihoods if some major 
international companies open 
retail chains in the country.
 A film producer in Mumbai 
was accused of lifting the 
story of his film from another 
film made in Hollywood.
 A militant group issued a 
statement threatening college 
girls who wear western 
clothes.
These examples show us that 
globalisation need not always 
be positive; it can have negative 
consequences for the people. 
Indeed, there are many who 
believe that globalisation has 
more negative consequences than 
positive. These examples also 
show us that globalisation need 
not be only about the economic 
issues, nor is the direction of 
influence always from the rich to 
the poor countries.
Since much of the usage 
tends to be imprecise, it becomes 
important to clarify what we mean 
by globalisation. Globalisation as 
a concept fundamentally deals 
with flows. These flows could be 
of various kinds — ideas moving 
from one part of the world to 
another, capital shunted between 
two or more places, commodities 
being traded across borders, and 
people moving in search of better 
livelihoods to different parts of the 
world. The crucial element is the 
‘worldwide interconnectedness’ 
that is created and sustained as 
a consequence of these constant 
flows.
Much of the Chinese 
stuff that comes to 
India is smuggled. 
Does globalisation 
lead to smuggling?
This chapter has  
a series of images 
about political, 
economic and 
cultural aspects of 
globalisation, taken 
from different parts  
of the world.
Chapter 7.indd   101 14 September 2022   11:05:01
2024-25
Page 4


Overview In this final chapter of the book we 
look at globalisation, something 
that has been referred to in 
many chapters of this book and 
textbooks of many other subjects. 
We begin by analysing the concept 
of globalisation and then examine 
its causes. We then discuss at 
length the political, economic 
and cultural consequences of 
globalisation. Our interest is also in 
studying the impact of globalisation 
on India as well as how India is 
affecting globalisation. We finally 
draw attention to resistance to 
globalisation and how social 
movements in India also form part 
of this resistance.     
Chapter 7
Globalisation
Chapter 7.indd   99 14 September 2022   11:05:00
2024-25
Contemporary World Politics
100
The Con Cep T of 
Globalisa Tion Janardhan works in a call centre. 
He leaves late in the evening for 
work, becomes John when he 
enters his office, acquires a new 
accent and speaks a different 
language (than he does when he is 
at home) to communicate with his 
clients who are living thousands 
of miles away. He works all night, 
which is actually day time for his 
overseas customers. Janardhan is 
rendering a service to somebody 
who in all probability he is never 
likely to meet physically. This is 
his daily routine. His holidays 
also do not correspond to the 
Indian calendar but to those of 
his clients who happen to be from 
the US.
Ramdhari has gone shopping 
to buy a birthday gift for his 
nine-year old daughter. He has 
promised her a small cycle and 
decides to search the market for 
something he finds affordable as 
well as of reasonable quality. He 
finally does buy a cycle, which is 
actually manufactured in China 
but is being marketed in India. 
It meets his requirements of 
quality as well as affordability, 
and Ramdhari decides to go 
ahead with his purchase. Last 
year, Ramdhari on his daughter’s 
insistence had bought her a 
Barbie doll, which was originally 
manufactured in the US but was 
being sold in India. 
Sarika is a first generation 
learner who has done remarkably 
well throughout her school and 
college life by working very hard. 
She now has an opportunity 
to take on a job and begin an 
independent career, which the 
women of her family had never 
dreamt of earlier. While some 
of her relatives are opposed, 
she finally decides to go ahead 
because of the new opportunities 
that have been made available to 
her generation.  
All three examples illustrate 
an aspect each of what we call 
globalisation. In the first instance 
Janardhan was participating 
in the globalisation of services. 
Ramdhari’s birthday purchases 
tell us something about the 
movement of commodities from 
one part of the world to another. 
Sarika is faced with a conflict of 
values partly originating from 
a new opportunity that earlier 
was not available to the women 
in her family but today is part of 
a reality that has gained wider 
acceptability.
If we look for examples of the 
use of the term ‘globalisation’ in 
real life, we will realise that it is 
used in various contexts. Let us 
look at some examples, different 
from the ones that we have looked 
above:
 Some farmers committed 
suicide because their crops 
failed. They had bought very 
expensive seeds supplied 
by a multinational company 
(MNC).
 An Indian company bought 
a major rival company based 
in Europe, despite protests by 
some of the current owners.
So many Nepalese 
workers come to 
India to work. Is that 
globalisation?
Go through 
newspapers 
for a week 
and collect 
clippings 
on anything 
related to 
globalisation.
Chapter 7.indd   100 14 September 2022   11:05:00
2024-25
Globalisation
101
 Many retail shopkeepers fear 
that they would lose their 
livelihoods if some major 
international companies open 
retail chains in the country.
 A film producer in Mumbai 
was accused of lifting the 
story of his film from another 
film made in Hollywood.
 A militant group issued a 
statement threatening college 
girls who wear western 
clothes.
These examples show us that 
globalisation need not always 
be positive; it can have negative 
consequences for the people. 
Indeed, there are many who 
believe that globalisation has 
more negative consequences than 
positive. These examples also 
show us that globalisation need 
not be only about the economic 
issues, nor is the direction of 
influence always from the rich to 
the poor countries.
Since much of the usage 
tends to be imprecise, it becomes 
important to clarify what we mean 
by globalisation. Globalisation as 
a concept fundamentally deals 
with flows. These flows could be 
of various kinds — ideas moving 
from one part of the world to 
another, capital shunted between 
two or more places, commodities 
being traded across borders, and 
people moving in search of better 
livelihoods to different parts of the 
world. The crucial element is the 
‘worldwide interconnectedness’ 
that is created and sustained as 
a consequence of these constant 
flows.
Much of the Chinese 
stuff that comes to 
India is smuggled. 
Does globalisation 
lead to smuggling?
This chapter has  
a series of images 
about political, 
economic and 
cultural aspects of 
globalisation, taken 
from different parts  
of the world.
Chapter 7.indd   101 14 September 2022   11:05:01
2024-25
Contemporary World Politics
102
Globalisation is a multi-
dimensional concept. It has 
political, economic and cultural 
manifestations, and these must 
be adequately distinguished. It is 
wrong to assume that globalisation 
has purely economic dimensions, 
just as it would also be mistaken 
to assume that it is a purely 
cultural phenomenon. The impact 
of globalisation is vastly uneven — 
it affects some societies more than 
others and some parts of some 
societies more than others — and 
it is important to avoid drawing 
general conclusions about the 
impact of globalisation without 
paying sufficient attention to 
specific contexts.  
Causes of Globalisa Tion What accounts for globalisation? 
If globalisation is about the flows 
of ideas, capital, commodities, and 
people, it is perhaps logical to ask 
if there is anything novel 
about this phenomenon. 
Globalisation in terms of 
these four flows has taken 
place through much of 
human history. However, 
those who argue that there 
is something distinct about 
contemporary globalisation 
point out that it is the 
scale and speed of these 
flows that account for the 
uniqueness of globalisation 
in the contemporary era. 
Globalisation has a strong 
historical basis, and it is 
important to view contem-
porary flows against this 
backdrop.
While globalisation is not 
caused by any single factor, 
technology remains a critical 
element. There is no doubt that 
the invention of the telegraph, 
the telephone, and the microchip 
in more recent times has 
revolutionised communication 
between different parts of the 
world. When printing initially 
came into being it laid the basis 
for the creation of nationalism. 
So also today we should expect 
that technology will affect the 
way we think of our personal but 
also our collective lives.
The ability of ideas, capital, 
commodities and people to move 
more easily from one part of the 
world to another has been made 
possible largely by technological 
advances. The pace of these 
flows may vary. For instance, 
the movement of capital and 
commodities will most likely 
be quicker and wider than the 
movement of peoples across 
different parts of the world.
Globalisation, however, does 
not emerge merely because 
of the availability of improved 
communications. What is 
important is for people in different 
parts of the world to recognise 
these interconnections with the 
rest of the world. Currently, we 
are aware of the fact that events 
taking place in one part of the 
world could have an impact on 
another part of the world. The 
Bird flu or tsunami is not confined 
to any particular nation. It does 
not respect national boundaries. 
Isn’t globalisation 
a new name for 
imperialism? Why 
do we need a new 
name?
Digital Economy 
© Ares, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
Chapter 7.indd   102 14 September 2022   11:05:01
2024-25
Page 5


Overview In this final chapter of the book we 
look at globalisation, something 
that has been referred to in 
many chapters of this book and 
textbooks of many other subjects. 
We begin by analysing the concept 
of globalisation and then examine 
its causes. We then discuss at 
length the political, economic 
and cultural consequences of 
globalisation. Our interest is also in 
studying the impact of globalisation 
on India as well as how India is 
affecting globalisation. We finally 
draw attention to resistance to 
globalisation and how social 
movements in India also form part 
of this resistance.     
Chapter 7
Globalisation
Chapter 7.indd   99 14 September 2022   11:05:00
2024-25
Contemporary World Politics
100
The Con Cep T of 
Globalisa Tion Janardhan works in a call centre. 
He leaves late in the evening for 
work, becomes John when he 
enters his office, acquires a new 
accent and speaks a different 
language (than he does when he is 
at home) to communicate with his 
clients who are living thousands 
of miles away. He works all night, 
which is actually day time for his 
overseas customers. Janardhan is 
rendering a service to somebody 
who in all probability he is never 
likely to meet physically. This is 
his daily routine. His holidays 
also do not correspond to the 
Indian calendar but to those of 
his clients who happen to be from 
the US.
Ramdhari has gone shopping 
to buy a birthday gift for his 
nine-year old daughter. He has 
promised her a small cycle and 
decides to search the market for 
something he finds affordable as 
well as of reasonable quality. He 
finally does buy a cycle, which is 
actually manufactured in China 
but is being marketed in India. 
It meets his requirements of 
quality as well as affordability, 
and Ramdhari decides to go 
ahead with his purchase. Last 
year, Ramdhari on his daughter’s 
insistence had bought her a 
Barbie doll, which was originally 
manufactured in the US but was 
being sold in India. 
Sarika is a first generation 
learner who has done remarkably 
well throughout her school and 
college life by working very hard. 
She now has an opportunity 
to take on a job and begin an 
independent career, which the 
women of her family had never 
dreamt of earlier. While some 
of her relatives are opposed, 
she finally decides to go ahead 
because of the new opportunities 
that have been made available to 
her generation.  
All three examples illustrate 
an aspect each of what we call 
globalisation. In the first instance 
Janardhan was participating 
in the globalisation of services. 
Ramdhari’s birthday purchases 
tell us something about the 
movement of commodities from 
one part of the world to another. 
Sarika is faced with a conflict of 
values partly originating from 
a new opportunity that earlier 
was not available to the women 
in her family but today is part of 
a reality that has gained wider 
acceptability.
If we look for examples of the 
use of the term ‘globalisation’ in 
real life, we will realise that it is 
used in various contexts. Let us 
look at some examples, different 
from the ones that we have looked 
above:
 Some farmers committed 
suicide because their crops 
failed. They had bought very 
expensive seeds supplied 
by a multinational company 
(MNC).
 An Indian company bought 
a major rival company based 
in Europe, despite protests by 
some of the current owners.
So many Nepalese 
workers come to 
India to work. Is that 
globalisation?
Go through 
newspapers 
for a week 
and collect 
clippings 
on anything 
related to 
globalisation.
Chapter 7.indd   100 14 September 2022   11:05:00
2024-25
Globalisation
101
 Many retail shopkeepers fear 
that they would lose their 
livelihoods if some major 
international companies open 
retail chains in the country.
 A film producer in Mumbai 
was accused of lifting the 
story of his film from another 
film made in Hollywood.
 A militant group issued a 
statement threatening college 
girls who wear western 
clothes.
These examples show us that 
globalisation need not always 
be positive; it can have negative 
consequences for the people. 
Indeed, there are many who 
believe that globalisation has 
more negative consequences than 
positive. These examples also 
show us that globalisation need 
not be only about the economic 
issues, nor is the direction of 
influence always from the rich to 
the poor countries.
Since much of the usage 
tends to be imprecise, it becomes 
important to clarify what we mean 
by globalisation. Globalisation as 
a concept fundamentally deals 
with flows. These flows could be 
of various kinds — ideas moving 
from one part of the world to 
another, capital shunted between 
two or more places, commodities 
being traded across borders, and 
people moving in search of better 
livelihoods to different parts of the 
world. The crucial element is the 
‘worldwide interconnectedness’ 
that is created and sustained as 
a consequence of these constant 
flows.
Much of the Chinese 
stuff that comes to 
India is smuggled. 
Does globalisation 
lead to smuggling?
This chapter has  
a series of images 
about political, 
economic and 
cultural aspects of 
globalisation, taken 
from different parts  
of the world.
Chapter 7.indd   101 14 September 2022   11:05:01
2024-25
Contemporary World Politics
102
Globalisation is a multi-
dimensional concept. It has 
political, economic and cultural 
manifestations, and these must 
be adequately distinguished. It is 
wrong to assume that globalisation 
has purely economic dimensions, 
just as it would also be mistaken 
to assume that it is a purely 
cultural phenomenon. The impact 
of globalisation is vastly uneven — 
it affects some societies more than 
others and some parts of some 
societies more than others — and 
it is important to avoid drawing 
general conclusions about the 
impact of globalisation without 
paying sufficient attention to 
specific contexts.  
Causes of Globalisa Tion What accounts for globalisation? 
If globalisation is about the flows 
of ideas, capital, commodities, and 
people, it is perhaps logical to ask 
if there is anything novel 
about this phenomenon. 
Globalisation in terms of 
these four flows has taken 
place through much of 
human history. However, 
those who argue that there 
is something distinct about 
contemporary globalisation 
point out that it is the 
scale and speed of these 
flows that account for the 
uniqueness of globalisation 
in the contemporary era. 
Globalisation has a strong 
historical basis, and it is 
important to view contem-
porary flows against this 
backdrop.
While globalisation is not 
caused by any single factor, 
technology remains a critical 
element. There is no doubt that 
the invention of the telegraph, 
the telephone, and the microchip 
in more recent times has 
revolutionised communication 
between different parts of the 
world. When printing initially 
came into being it laid the basis 
for the creation of nationalism. 
So also today we should expect 
that technology will affect the 
way we think of our personal but 
also our collective lives.
The ability of ideas, capital, 
commodities and people to move 
more easily from one part of the 
world to another has been made 
possible largely by technological 
advances. The pace of these 
flows may vary. For instance, 
the movement of capital and 
commodities will most likely 
be quicker and wider than the 
movement of peoples across 
different parts of the world.
Globalisation, however, does 
not emerge merely because 
of the availability of improved 
communications. What is 
important is for people in different 
parts of the world to recognise 
these interconnections with the 
rest of the world. Currently, we 
are aware of the fact that events 
taking place in one part of the 
world could have an impact on 
another part of the world. The 
Bird flu or tsunami is not confined 
to any particular nation. It does 
not respect national boundaries. 
Isn’t globalisation 
a new name for 
imperialism? Why 
do we need a new 
name?
Digital Economy 
© Ares, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
Chapter 7.indd   102 14 September 2022   11:05:01
2024-25
Globalisation
103
Similarly, when major economic 
events take place, their impact is 
felt outside their immediate local, 
national or regional environment 
at the global level.
p oli Ti Cal Consequen Ces 
One of the debates that has been 
generated as a consequence 
of contemporary processes of 
globalisation relates to its ongoing 
political impact. How does 
globalisation affect traditional 
conceptions of state sovereignty? 
There are at least three aspects 
that we need to consider when 
answering this question. 
At the most simple level, 
globalisation results in an erosion 
of state capacity, that is, the 
ability of government to do what 
they do. All over the world, the old 
‘welfare state’ is now giving way 
to a more minimalist state that 
performs certain core functions 
such as the maintenance of law 
and order and the security of its 
citizens. However, it withdraws 
from many of its earlier welfare 
functions directed at economic 
and social well-being. In place 
of the welfare state, it is the 
market that becomes the prime 
determinant of economic and 
social priorities. The entry and the 
increased role of multinational 
companies all over the world leads 
to a reduction in the capacity of 
governments to take decisions on 
their own.
At the same time, globalisation 
does not always reduce state 
capacity. The primacy of the state 
Chapter 7.indd   103 14 September 2022   11:05:01
2024-25