Class 12 Political Science Chapter 7 Globalisation NCERT Solutions

Q. Which of the statements are TRUE about globalisation?
a. Globalisation is purely an economic phenomenon.
b. Globalisation began in 1991.
c. Globalisation is the same thing as westernisation.
d. Globalisation is a multi-dimensional phenomenon.

Answer: (d) Globalisation is a multi-dimensional phenomenon.

Why (d). The chapter states this directly: globalisation is a multi-dimensional concept,
it has political, economic and cultural manifestations, and these must be adequately distinguished.

Why not the others. Option (a) is refuted by the chapter’s own warning that 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. Option (b) confuses two different things: 1991 is
the year India embarked on its programme of economic reforms, while globalisation in terms of the
four flows has taken place through much of human history and has a strong historical basis. Option
(c) is refuted by the section on cultural consequences, which treats the imposition of Western
culture as one part of globalisation’s cultural effect and cultural heterogenisation as the
opposite effect the same process generates.

Q. Which of the statements are TRUE about the impact of globalisation?
a. Globalisation has been uneven in its impact on states and societies.
b. Globalisation has had a uniform impact on all states and societies.
c. The impact of globalisation has been confined to the political sphere.
d. Globalisation inevitably results in cultural homogeneity.

Answer: (a) Globalisation has been uneven in its impact on states and societies.

Why (a). The chapter says 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.

Why not the others. Option (b) states the exact opposite of that sentence. Option (c) is
refuted by the chapter’s structure itself, which devotes separate sections to political, economic
and cultural consequences. Option (d) fails on the word inevitably: while cultural
homogenisation is an aspect of globalisation, the chapter says the same process also generates
precisely the opposite effect, leading each culture to become more different and distinctive.

Q. Which of the statements are TRUE about the causes of globalisation?
a. Technology is an important cause of globalisation.
b. Globalisation is caused by a particular community of people.
c. Globalisation originated in the US.
d. Economic interdependence alone causes globalisation.

Answer: (a) Technology is an important cause of globalisation.

Why (a). The chapter’s formula is exact and worth quoting: while globalisation is not
caused by any single factor, technology remains a critical element. The invention of the telegraph,
the telephone and the microchip in more recent times has revolutionised communication between
different parts of the world, and 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. Note the word in the option: an important cause, not the only one.

Why not the others. Option (b) has no basis in the chapter, which never attributes
globalisation to any community of people. Option (c) is refuted by the chapter’s insistence that
globalisation has a strong historical basis and has taken place through much of human history; it
also notes that the direction of influence is not always from the rich to the poor countries.
Option (d) fails on the word alone, for the same reason (a) succeeds: globalisation is not
caused by any single factor, and technology and the recognition of interconnections both matter
alongside economic interdependence.

Q. Which of the statements are TRUE about globalisation?
a. Globalisation is only about movement of commodities
b. Globalisation does not involve a conflict of values.
c. Services are an insignificant part of globalisation.
d. Globalisation is about worldwide interconnectedness.

Answer: (d) Globalisation is about worldwide interconnectedness.

Why (d). After listing the four flows the chapter says the crucial element is the
‘worldwide interconnectedness’ that is created and sustained as a consequence of these constant
flows.

Why not the others. Each of the other three is knocked out by one of the three examples
the chapter opens with. Option (a) fails because commodities are only one of four flows; ideas,
capital and people are the others. Option (b) fails because Sarika, the first generation learner,
is described as faced with a conflict of values. Option (c) fails because Janardhan, working in the
call centre, was participating in the globalisation of services.

Q. Which of the statements are FALSE about globalisation?
a. Advocates of globalisation argue that it will result in greater economic growth.
b. Critics of globalisation argue that it will result in greater economic disparity.
c. Advocates of globalisation argue that it will result in cultural homogenisation.
d. Critics of globalisation argue that it will result in cultural homogenisation.

Answer: (c) Advocates of globalisation argue that it will result in cultural
homogenisation.

Why (c) is the false one. Cultural homogenisation is a fear, not a promise. The
chapter presents it as the worry that globalisation poses a threat to cultures in the world, and
says the argument is made by those who draw attention to the ‘McDonaldisation’ of the world and to
the shrinking of the rich cultural heritage of the entire globe. That is the case against
globalisation, so putting it in the mouths of its advocates reverses who says it.

Why the other three are true statements. Option (a) matches the chapter: advocates argue
that economic globalisation generates greater economic growth and well-being for larger sections of
the population when there is de-regulation. Option (b) matches the left critique, that contemporary
globalisation makes the rich richer and fewer and the poor poorer, and the social-justice critique
that it benefits only a small section while impoverishing those dependent on the government.
Option (d) is the fear described above, correctly attributed to the critics this time.

Q. What is worldwide interconnectedness? What are its components?

Answer:

1. What it is. Globalisation as a concept fundamentally deals with flows, and the crucial
element of globalisation is the ‘worldwide interconnectedness’ that is created and sustained as a
consequence of these constant flows. In other words, worldwide interconnectedness is the condition
in which different parts of the world are so linked to one another by continuous movement that
events in one part have an impact on another.

2. Its components: the four flows.

• Ideas moving from one part of the world to another. The chapter’s example is the spread
  of internet and computer related services.
• Capital shunted between two or more places. Restrictions on the movement of capital
  have been reduced, so investors in the rich countries can invest their money in countries other
  than their own, including developing countries, where they might get better returns.
• Commodities being traded across borders. Ramdhari’s cycle, manufactured in China and
  marketed in India, is the chapter’s own illustration.
• People moving in search of better livelihoods to different parts of the world. This is
  the flow that has increased least, because developed countries have carefully guarded their
  borders with visa policies.

3. What follows from it. Because of this interconnectedness, we are aware that events
taking place in one part of the world could have an impact on another part. The bird flu or tsunami
is not confined to any particular nation and does not respect national boundaries, and when major
economic events take place their impact is felt at the global level.

Q. How has technology contributed to globalisation?

Answer:

1. Technology is critical but not the only cause. While globalisation is not caused by any
single factor, technology remains a critical element. This is the sentence to open the answer with,
because it is also the sentence that makes option (a) of Question 3 correct and option (d)
wrong.

2. It revolutionised communication. 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.

3. It shapes how we think, not only how we talk. 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.

4. It made the four flows possible. 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.

5. It does not move everything at one speed. The pace of these flows may vary. The
movement of capital and commodities will most likely be quicker and wider than the movement of
peoples across different parts of the world.

6. Technology alone is not enough. Globalisation 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.

Q. Critically evaluate the impact of the changing role of the state in the developing
countries in the light of globalisation.

Answer: The chapter says there are at least three aspects to consider when asking how
globalisation affects traditional conceptions of state sovereignty. A critical evaluation means
setting all three out and then judging.

1. State capacity is eroded. 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, while withdrawing from
many of its earlier welfare functions directed at economic and social well-being.

2. The market takes the state’s place, and MNCs narrow its choices. 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.

3. Why this hurts developing countries most. Those who are concerned about social justice
are worried about the extent of state withdrawal caused by processes of economic globalisation.
They point out that it is likely to benefit only a small section of the population while
impoverishing those who were dependent on the government for jobs and welfare such as education,
health and sanitation. That is why they emphasise the need for institutional safeguards or ‘social
safety nets’. Many movements feel safety nets are insufficient or unworkable and have called for a
halt to forced economic globalisation, whose results would lead to economic ruin for the weaker
countries, especially for the poor within these countries. Some economists have described economic
globalisation as re-colonisation of the world.

4. But state capacity is not always reduced. The primacy of the state continues to be the
unchallenged basis of political community. The old jealousies and rivalries between countries have
not ceased to matter in world politics. The state continues to discharge its essential functions,
law and order and national security, and consciously withdraws from certain domains from which it
wishes to. States continue to be important.

5. In some respects the state has grown stronger. State capacity has received a boost as a
consequence of globalisation, with enhanced technologies available at the disposal of the state to
collect information about its citizens. With this information the state is better able to rule, not
less able. Thus states become more powerful than they were earlier as an outcome of the new
technology.

6. The evaluation. The changing role of the state therefore cuts both ways, and the honest
conclusion is the one the chapter itself insists on: the same set of policies do not lead to the
same results everywhere. While globalisation has led to similar economic policies being adopted by
governments in different parts of the world, this has generated vastly different outcomes in
different parts of the world, so it is crucial to pay attention to specific context rather than make
simple generalisations.

Q. What are the economic implications of globalisation? How has globalisation impacted on
India with regard to this particular dimension?

Answer: Part one, the economic implications.

1. What economic globalisation is, properly defined. The mention of economic globalisation
draws our attention immediately to the role of international institutions like the IMF and the WTO
and the role they play in determining economic policies across the world. Yet globalisation must not
be viewed in such narrow terms, because economic globalisation involves many actors other than these
international institutions. A much broader way of understanding it requires us to look at the
distribution of economic gains: who gets the most from globalisation, who gets less, and indeed who
loses from it.

2. Greater flows, some of them forced. Economic globalisation usually involves greater
economic flows among different countries of the world. Some of this is voluntary and some forced by
international institutions and powerful countries. The flow can take various forms: commodities,
capital, people and ideas.

3. What has increased. Trade in commodities across the globe has grown, because the
restrictions imposed by different countries on allowing the imports of other countries have been
reduced. Restrictions on the movement of capital have also been reduced, so investors in the rich
countries can invest their money in countries other than their own, including developing countries,
where they might get better returns. Globalisation has also led to the flow of ideas across national
boundaries, and the spread of internet and computer related services is an example of that.

4. What has not. Globalisation has not led to the same degree of increase in the movement
of people across the globe. Developed countries have carefully guarded their borders with visa
policies to ensure that citizens of other countries cannot take away the jobs of their own
citizens.

5. The division of opinion. Economic globalisation has created an intense division of
opinion all over the world. The critics point to state withdrawal, benefits reaching only a small
section, and the impoverishment of those dependent on the government for jobs and welfare; they ask
for ‘social safety nets’, and some economists have called economic globalisation a re-colonisation
of the world. The advocates argue that de-regulation generates greater economic growth and
well-being for larger sections of the population, that greater trade among countries allows each
economy to do what it does best, and that economic globalisation is inevitable and it is not wise to
resist the march of history. More moderate supporters say globalisation provides a challenge that can
be responded to intelligently without accepting it uncritically. What cannot be denied is the
increased momentum towards inter-dependence and integration between governments, businesses, and
ordinary people in different parts of the world.

Answer: Part two, the impact on India.

6. The colonial inheritance. Flows pertaining to the movement of capital, commodities,
ideas and people go back several centuries in Indian history. During the colonial period, as a
consequence of Britain’s imperial ambitions, India became an exporter of primary goods and raw
materials and a consumer of finished goods.

7. Protectionism and its cost. After independence, because of this experience with the
British, we decided to make things ourselves rather than relying on others, and also decided not to
allow others to export to us so that our own producers could learn to make things. This
‘protectionism’ generated its own problems. While some advances were made in certain arenas,
critical sectors such as health, housing and primary education did not receive the attention they
deserved, and India had a fairly sluggish rate of economic growth.

8. The reforms of 1991. In 1991, responding to a financial crisis and to the desire for
higher rates of economic growth, India embarked on a programme of economic reforms that has sought
increasingly to de-regulate various sectors including trade and foreign investment.

9. How to judge it. While it may be too early to say how good this has been for India, the
ultimate test is not high growth rates but making sure that the benefits of growth are shared so that
everyone is better off.

Q. Do you agree with the argument that globalisation leads to cultural heterogeneity?

Answer: Yes, in large part, provided we accept that homogenisation and heterogenisation
are two effects of the same process rather than rival descriptions of it. This is the position the
chapter itself takes.

1. The case on the other side must be stated first. The cultural effect of globalisation
leads to the fear that this process poses a threat to cultures in the world, because globalisation
leads to the rise of a uniform culture, or what is called cultural homogenisation. What we have in
the name of a global culture is the imposition of Western culture on the rest of the world, known as
the soft power of US hegemony. The popularity of a burger or blue jeans, some argue, has a lot to do
with the powerful influence of the American way of life; those who make this argument often draw
attention to the ‘McDonaldisation’ of the world. This is dangerous not only for the poor countries
but for the whole of humanity, because it leads to the shrinking of the rich cultural heritage of
the entire globe.

2. Why that is not the whole picture. It would be a mistake to assume that the cultural
consequences of globalisation are only negative. Cultures are not static things. All cultures accept
outside influences all the time.

3. External influence works in three different ways. Some external influences are negative
because they reduce our choices. But sometimes external influences simply enlarge our choices, and
sometimes they modify our culture without overwhelming the traditional.

4. The book’s two examples. The burger is no substitute for a masala dosa and, therefore,
does not pose any real challenge; it is simply added on to our food choices. Blue jeans, on the
other hand, can go well with a homespun khadi kurta, and here the outcome of outside influence is a
new combination that is unique, a khadi kurta worn over jeans. Interestingly, this clothing
combination has been exported back to the country that gave us blue jeans, so it is possible to see
young Americans wearing a kurta and jeans.

5. The conclusion, in the chapter’s words. While cultural homogenisation is an aspect of
globalisation, the same process also generates precisely the opposite effect. It leads to each
culture becoming more different and distinctive, and this phenomenon is called cultural
heterogenisation. This is not to deny that there remain differences in power when cultures interact,
but instead to suggest more fundamentally that cultural exchange is rarely one way.

Q. How has globalisation impacted on India and how is India in turn impacting on
globalisation?

Answer: Part one, how globalisation has impacted on India.

1. Economically. India’s engagement runs from the colonial period, when as a consequence
of Britain’s imperial ambitions it became an exporter of primary goods and raw materials and a
consumer of finished goods, through the protectionism adopted after independence, whose problems
included the neglect of health, housing and primary education and a fairly sluggish rate of economic
growth, to the programme of economic reforms begun in 1991 in response to a financial crisis and the
desire for higher rates of economic growth, which has sought increasingly to de-regulate various
sectors including trade and foreign investment.

2. On work and services. Janardhan’s call centre job is the chapter’s own picture of the
impact: he becomes John when he enters his office, acquires a new accent, speaks a different
language from the one he uses at home, works all night because that is day time for his overseas
customers, and takes his holidays according to his American clients’ calendar.

3. On what Indians buy. A cycle manufactured in China is marketed in India and a Barbie
doll originally manufactured in the US is sold here, both bought because they meet the buyer’s
requirements of quality as well as affordability.

4. On values and opportunity. Sarika, a first generation learner, has an opportunity to
take on a job and begin an independent career, which the women of her family had never dreamt of
earlier, and goes ahead despite some relatives being opposed. The chapter presents this as a conflict
of values opened up by globalisation.

5. The costs. Some farmers committed suicide because their crops failed after they bought
very expensive seeds supplied by a multinational company. Many retail shopkeepers fear that they
would lose their livelihoods if some major international companies open retail chains in the
country.

Answer: Part two, how India is impacting on globalisation.

6. Indian firms buying abroad. The chapter’s own example is an Indian company that bought
a major rival company based in Europe, despite protests by some of the current owners. This is the
chapter’s evidence that the direction of influence is not always from the rich to the poor
countries.

7. India supplies the services the world consumes. The globalisation of services runs
through India: a worker in an Indian call centre renders a service to somebody who in all
probability he is never likely to meet physically, thousands of miles away.

8. Indian culture travels outward. The khadi kurta worn over jeans is a new and unique
combination, and this clothing combination has been exported back to the country that gave us blue
jeans, so that it is possible to see young Americans wearing a kurta and jeans. Cultural exchange,
as the chapter puts it, is rarely one way.

9. India shapes the resistance too. Social movements play a role in helping people make
sense of the world around them. In India there have been left wing protests to economic
liberalisation voiced through political parties as well as through forums like the Indian Social
Forum; trade unions of the industrial workforce and those representing farmer interests have
organised protests against the entry of multinationals; and the patenting of certain plants like
Neem by American and European firms has generated considerable opposition. Resistance has also come
from the political right, objecting to cultural influences ranging from the availability of foreign
T.V. channels provided by cable networks, to the celebration of Valentine’s Day, to the
westernisation of the dress tastes of girl students in schools and colleges. India also hosted the
fourth World Social Forum meeting in Mumbai in 2004.