In the contemporary society, globalization has emerged as a social aspect in which economic imperialism and physical encroachment is disguised and deeply rooted. However, it also emerges that for decades, there have been grave misconceptions on the definition of globalization and what it entails. However, regardless of the different dominant domains of globalization and visible links, the physical effects of globalization cannot be ignored (Scholte, 2004). In a bid to create a link between globalization and probably ultimately prove whether or not globalization can be referred to as imperialism, it is essential to understand the meaning of both terms (Kelly, 2010). It is equally importance to trace the history of globalization and imperialism, and how they have shaped society, perpetuated change and transformation to modern day, and how both have molded relationship between people nations, and other entities such as the environment, key components of globalization (Scholte, 2004). This then gives a better understanding of various physical aspects associated to globalization.
The Pacific Alliance is a trade bloc that has been recently established in regions of Latin America with the purpose of advancing globalization. Despite criticism and some skeptic’s stance against the alliance, most people seem to agree on one very important characteristic; that it is pivotal to conceptualizing and understanding continuity and change in contemporary society. The alliance aims at the spread of trans-planetary reforms – and in recent times also more particularly supra-territorial–connections between people (Scholte, 2004). From this perspective, the alliance had been involved in reductions in barriers to trans-world social contacts. Formed by key members such as Peru, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, the key objective of the alliance has been so that people become more able – physically, legally, linguistically, culturally, and psychologically free to engage with each other wherever they might be (Kelly, 2010). In this usage, the Pacific Alliance has been referred to a shift in the nature of social space.
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"Physical Effects of Globalization and the Pacific Alliance".
The alliance has led to some improvement in infrastructure among the member states. Through the alliance, state-imposed restrictions on movement of goods and services, especially across borders, have been abolished to facilitate free, open and ‘borderless’ global trade among its key members (Kelly, 2010). Trade routes have been developed to facilitate this and new roads leading to key markets have recently been constructed and launched. From this notion, we would be concluding that the Pacific Alliance has helped in the development of roads infrastructure and this was achieved when policy makers scrapped out regulatory mechanisms such as tariff, trade barriers, visa restrictions, capital controls, and others such as foreign-exchange restrictions.
Another result of the Pacific Alliance’s quest to being a tool for globalization is the increase in real-estate infrastructure in the member states. From this perspective the Alliance, has therefore become a tool for development of real estate in the member states as a result of neoliberal macroeconomic policies (Kelly, 2010). This was as a result of the Pacific alliance reducing labor laws that had crushed the real estate industry in the Latin America region where it is highly dominant. In Peru alone 200,000 new homes were put up and developed within the first three months after the alliance came into effects (Kelly, 2010).
In conclusion, if we survey trans-world activities, we can be able to gauge the character and scale of globalization achieved through the alliance, which we can refer to as the spread of trans-planetary communication (Kelly, 2010). It does follow that globalization touches on every aspect of our social lives and not necessarily biased towards the economic aspect alone (Scholte, 2004). The physical effects of globalization on infrastructure through road development and real-estate development cannot be ignored as clear indicators of the progress that globalization has made and the Pacific Alliance has helped in furthering this reality.
- Kelly, M. G. E. (2010). International Biopolitics Foucault, Globalization and Imperialism.
- Scholte, J. A. (2004). Defining Globalization. Venice Summer Institute 2004. Venice International University.
