Introduction to Globalisation [Head Start in A-Level Economics]

In this Head Start to A-Level Economics session we look at aspects of globalisation.

Measuring Globalisation

There are many ways in which the scale of globalisation can be measured including:

• The share of the value of trade to GDP for an individual country
• The levels of inflows and outflows of foreign direct investment
• The number of transnational or multinational businesses operating in a country
• The number of people entering or leaving a country (labour migration)

Trade openness is a standard measure of globalisation. The chart below comes from Our World in Data and shows the trade to GDP ratio for each country since 1960.

The next chart shows the value of exports (goods plus services) in dollars, country by country. All estimates are expressed in constant 2010 dollars (i.e. all values have been adjusted to correct for inflation).

Before the first of our three videos on globalisation - have a go at this true/false activity on the world economy.

What is Globalisation?

Which country is the leading exporter for particular products? Try our activity!

Some Factors Driving Globalisation

Threats to Globalisation

Suggestions for further reading and research

What are transnational corporations? (Tutor2u)

Topic revision on globalisation - this is a collection of all of the main tutor2u study resources on globalisation.

Will the coronavirus pandemic pose a major threat to globalisation? This article (April 2020) from Wired Magazine suggests that it might. Read: Jeff Williams, The coronavirus pandemic will break globalisation

Will Hutton is more optimistic writing in the Guardian: Coronavirus won’t end globalisation, but change it hugely for the better

BBC News: Jonty Bloom Will coronavirus reverse globalisation

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