Peril

I'm perhaps jumping ahead of myself here in terms of my postings and my research into refamiliarising myself with globalisation, but this online post came of particular interest when I stumbled across it. We all know that the global economy is in peril in 2011 (and I'm sure that no one wants to be in the position of Mr Cameron and Clegg or President Obama!) so it shouldn't be a shock that the phenomenon that is globalisation is itself in peril as a result. Afterall, in the few posts that I have made so far I have seen that globalisation is the integration of economies and socities on a global scale. So, if in times of recession countires tend towards a state of isolation, where does that leave globalisation? http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Globalisation-in-peril-20110812

BBC Bitesize

Step 2 - remembering exactly what globalisation means!

OK, I know that human geography has an important part to play in understanding the world around us, but for 4 years at university my studies became more and more focussed upon geomorphology, and more specifically, dryland studies (deserts!). Quite a world away from industrial change, cities and globalisation. So for starters I felt it best to go back to basics, so I googled the term 'globalisation'! In doing this it appears to me that the term is used much in the same way as 'global warming'. By this I mean that as a phenomenon it has been used to describe or explain so many aspects of what we know as human geography that average Joe can be forgiven for getting a little confused. It has become a buzzword synonymous with the urban world of industry, finance, populations, etc etc. Referring to the dictionary gives a rather ambiguous description from 'to put something into effect worldwide' (Collins) to 'the increase of trade around the world, especially by large companies producing and trading goods in many different countries' (Cambridge). I then stumbled across a rather interesting, if not a little crass, definition which the author states most people could relate to, the circumstances surrounding the death of Princess Diana 'An English princess with an Egyptian boyfriend crashes in a French tunnel, in a German car with a Dutch engine, driven by a Belgian, drunk on Scottish whisky, followed closely by Italian Paparazzi, on Japanese motorcycles; treated by a French doctor, using Brazilian medicines.' The description continues a little laboriously with numerous other countries referenced (http://www.businessandpolitics.org/?p=1139) but it helped confirm a few things in my head. Globalisation is the increasing integration of the world. As simple search has brought me to this and in the process a number of articles of interest have cropped up that should help me develop my understanding further!

Step 1 - understanding what blogging is!

Having never blogged in my life, I thought it best to get an understanding of what to do! This website http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Blog gave me a few ideas and pointers which I discovered by simply google-ing 'how do I blog'. The whole purpose of this blog is, as the title states, to develop a a subject area within geography that I feel least confident about in prepartion for my PGCE which I start in September. I studied geography at the University of Leicester between 2001 and 2004 and then followed this up with a MSc in 2004-2005. Apart from my first year as an undergraduate, I focussed solely on physical geography. The interactions between the environment and man was obviously touched upon, but this aside, the area of human geography has been largely neglected. So it comes as no surprise why I feel that I should brush up on my knowledge of human geography; in particular - GLOBALISATION!