Dependence, proximity, and fragmentation in the age of globalization
An economic crisis in a distant country can affect a child’s breakfast on another continent. A war that begins in one region can erode the hope for peace in another. Nations that once were only neighbors on the map now connect with just one sentence on social media. It feels as if the world has been woven into a dense, fragile web: tight, sensitive, and prone to rupture. The threads of this web are invisible. Its name is globalization.
Once, people lived and died in the village where they were born. Now, a child’s clothes are sewn in China, their name is chosen in the United States, and their future is designed by artificial intelligence. But does this growing “connection” truly bring us closer together?
Globalization is not merely about the expansion of trade. It also includes the blending of cultures, the transformation of social life through technology, and the destabilization of local identities in the face of global values. What was once local language, tradition, markets: has now taken the global stage. This is both an opportunity and a risk.
Anthony Giddens defines globalization as “the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa.” In other words, space and time are compressed, and people begin to live in a world where physical distance has lost its meaning. Giddens also warns that globalization does not only bring proximity, it brings uncertainty, identity crises, and even psychological instability. As the world grows closer, people feel increasingly less “at home” in it. Continuity is shattered, and individuals often struggle to make sense of the rapid changes around them.
Through globalization, information, technology, and trade have tied us to one another. But these ties sometimes feel like ropes around our necks. We can follow global news in real time, yet remain unaware of our neighbor’s pain. This is the paradox of “virtual closeness” creating “real distance.” The effect is not just emotional or cultural: it’s economic. A decision made in one country can leave thousands jobless in another. For instance, many people in Azerbaijan work in or depend on the economies of Turkey, Russia, and European countries. A small policy shift abroad can deeply affect their livelihoods. Today’s labor market is global. A young person in Baku can work for a company based in Berlin from their bedroom. Yet this boundarylessness does not mean equality. Those with access to technology grow stronger; those without fall behind.
Globalization may have put us all in the same ocean, but we’re not all in the same boat. Some float on luxury yachts, while others barely hold on to driftwood. These global inequalities bring more than just economic divides, they fuel migration waves, political unrest, and cultural confrontations. Conflicts in Syria have pushed millions toward Europe. War in Ukraine has shaken the global energy market. Even in countries like Azerbaijan, globalization manifests in both economic ties and social shifts. But this integration often comes with dependency on energy prices, foreign investments, and imported technology.
Sometimes we call this invisible thread technology, sometimes capital, sometimes ideology. But in truth, we are all weaving itthrough the way we live, the products we consume, the ideas we spread. Whether this thread strengthens or suffocates us depends on how we choose to use it. Globalization is inevitable. But what binds us should not only be algorithms and markets: it should also be empathy, justice, and shared memory. Otherwise, the more connected we become, the more fragmented we may feel.
Nigar Shahverdiyeva
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