Globalization is a process that has occurred throughout time, ever since the first communities on Earth began interacting with one another. It is the process of integration and interdependencies among different nations, communities and civilizations. These days, it’s hard to imagine a world without globalization. Thanks to modern technology and transportation, the world is a global village.

What happens in the stock market in China can be felt the next day in the United States, and a new television hit in the United Kingdom can create hardcore fans in the Middle East. Similarly, the effects of forest fires on one end of the planet can affect air pollution on the opposite end, and war in one country can cause mass immigration to its neighbors. This shows that every country is connected to another one.

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Globalization can refer to a number of different areas of concentration. Globalization examples include political, economic, social and culture and technological interdependencies, in addition to informational and ecological.

About Political Globalization

Political cooperation between different countries is a form of globalization that is used to prevent and manage conflict. For example, global organizations such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization were created to diffuse political issues and maintain order on an international scale. Intergovernmental entities help nations to develop common laws and policies and discuss immigration issues. Political globalization is also a way for countries to work toward aspects that affect everyone, such as climate change.

About Economic Globalization

The economies of nations are interconnected through the exchange of resources, products and money. As a result, there isn’t a country today that operates on its own in isolation. Countries that are rich in natural resources, such as oil for example, sell it to other countries for money or in exchange for other materials, such as lumber. Similarly, countries across the globe sell crops and food to other nations that lack them, which helps their own economies in addition to those of other countries. As a result, when an economy crashes, it affects other economies around the globe because they are closely interconnected. The banking crisis in the United States in 2007 led to a global financial crisis that affected other countries including Canada and China.

About Social and Cultural Globalization

This kind of globalization includes the sharing of ideas, knowledge and cultural norms between nations. Examples include the popularization of books, movies and shows across the world, such as the "Harry Potter" or "Twilight" series, which were globally recognizable. Social and cultural globalization tends to flow in one direction, unlike other forms of globalization. Developed countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and Canada share cultural information with less-developed countries, rather than the other way around. As a result, this kind of globalization has been said to erode cultural differences that make nations unique.

About Technological Globalization

This kind of relationship between nations is as a result of the infrastructure in place for television, radio, telephones and the internet. Traditionally, technological globalization used to be only available to the upper classes that had access to them. Now, there are many people in developing countries who have access to cell phones and the internet, making it easier for them to connect to people in other countries around the world. Technological globalization makes it possible for countries to connect in other ways, such as financially through sending loved ones money across the globe or culturally by watching movies from other nations.

Other Forms of Globalization

There are other types of globalization, including the globalization of information. This is the concept that knowledge is shared among nations and groups of people for the betterment of the world. Ecological globalization is the idea that the Earth is a single ecosystem rather than a group of separate ecosystems. As a result, there are international organizations and agreements that deal with issues like climate change, biodiversity and wildlife preservation on a global scale, spanning several countries.