Technological shifts, climate change, population ageing and struggling economies are changing the way we work. ILO researchers Sameer Khatiwada and Veronica Escudero lay out the future trends of 2016 and beyond.
world
The KOF Globalization Index 2016: Netherlands Beat Ireland and Belgium
The current KOF Globalization Index reflects the extent of economic, social and political globalization in 2013. According to the Index, the degree of globalization in 2013 increased very little compared to the preceding year. While the Index continued to stagnate in the industrialised countries, Eastern Europeand the Asian and Pacific regions recorded a rise. The Netherlands are at the top of the Index. Switzerland is occupying the fifth rank.
A number of key developments determined the trend in 2013: The gradual recovery of the global economy continued. In the USA, signs indicated an imminent normalisation of monetary policy. However, the Fed’s announcement
of reduced bond purchases led to major capital outflows and currency devaluations in the emerging markets. Although the Eurozone finally came out of recession, massive public debt continued to place a strain on the economies in the crisis countries. The Middle East was dominated by the aftermath of the Arab Spring.
Syria was wrecked by civil war and Egypt saw the military get back into power.
Small globalised countries
According to the KOF Globalization Index, the Netherlands were the most globalised country in the world in 2013, closely followed by Ireland in second and Belgium in third place. The same three countries occupied the first three places in the previous year’s globalization ranking. Austria remained in fourth place while Switzerland Continue reading
The world is becoming increasingly culturally homogenized due to the immense growth of the Internet and increase in globalisation
There has been many influences, most notably the advancement of the Internet and the increase in globalisation, which have made the world what it is today. The Internet and globalisation have shifted the dynamics of the world; in the way countries perceive and interact with each other. The cultural identities of so many countries, especially in the developed world have also been influenced. An example of this can be seen looking at the leader of the First World, the United States of America, who would have the most influence on the rest of the developed nations, on areas such as the entertainment industry as well as sport and news. Celebrity culture, including Americanization, is a prime example of the United States having such influential power in Europe and even us here in Australia through what we see on the Internet, on television and radio.
The advancement of the Internet can be seen as a fundamental reason for the change in cultural identity today. The growth of the Internet has allowed for greater communication between all people, from many different cultures all communicating far more often, and with much greater ease, being a “force for freedom and democracy” (Chalkey et al., 2012, p17). From this, common interests can be made and aspects of an individual’s daily life can be shared. This coupled with the increased exchange of music, film, television and literature can lead to cultural homogenization. Before the Internet, global communication was difficult relying on telephone calls to speak and the mailing post to send information. The Internet has completely revolutionized the way the world communicates Continue reading
GLOBALISATION 