PSCI 2601 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Gerardus Mercator, Mercator Projection, International Financial Institutions
21 Feb 2017
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PSCI 6 – Tuesday, January 8th
Introduction
Globalization Defined
• Globalization: is the process of increasing interconnectedness between societies
such that events in one part of the world increasingly have effects on peoples and
societies far away
• Globalization is categorized into three types; though these categories bleed into
each other:
o Social/Cultural (ex. Gangnam Style)
o Economic (ex. International financial institutions)
o Political (ex. Rise of non-state actors)
Is Globalization Something New?
• On the one hand, some scholars suggest that yes, it is:
o New non-state actors are emerging
o Time and space is rapidly shrinking
o An emerging global polity is forming
• On the other hand, some scholars counter that no, it is not:
o Pirates, mercenaries and more
o An acceleration of old processes/forces
o A new form of imperialism
Why these Competing Perspectives?
• Explained through a story:
o In 94, Columbus sailed the ocean blue… and happened upon the island of
Hispaniola (today the Dominican Republic and Haiti)
o In addition to marking first contact between old and new world,
Columbus discovery would set off European colonialism in the centuries to
come
• European empires quickly recognized the potential value of the new world, setting
off competing claims to land and provoking intra-European tensions.
• From an International Relations (IR) perspective, the onset of colonialism is
important for a number of reasons, but especially for highlighting the fundamental
problem of international anarchy (Ex. The absence of government)
o How can order be established in an otherwise anarchical system composed of
self-interested actors?
• From a practical perspective, the onset of colonialism also meant a rejuvenation of
interest in cartography – a critical tool in the colonial project.
• Amongst the most important of these maps, was the Mercator projection, presented
in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator.
• During the 1970s – a period marked by decolonization and a change in the
international political climate – scholars, statesmen and UN agencies point out that
the Mercator projection skews the world because of its focus on Europe
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