Source Analysis Essay

By Hanna Mughal
The following sources that are described are all representations of the social
studies concept of the forces of globalization. Although, they focus on two forces,
those forces being trade and transportation. Along with that concept, there are
other ideas that are related to it through the means of globalization and how it
affects individuals as well as communities or countries. One source focuses on trade
throughout the world and how that benefits and influences people. Source Two
addresses the issue of how globalization affects identity, the public, and the
negative and positive products of globalization. The third and finals source directly
shows the process of trade between two countries, and how each step along the
way benefits everyone, but with some losses. These three sources are all examples
of ways the world is connected and how the forces of globalization affect us in many
different aspects.

Source One contains a cartoon picture of a young girl wearing everyday

clothing, with arrows describing where her personal belongings came from, in
relation to places around the world. The social studies concept that is being
portrayed is the outsourcing of goods and services. This is shown by the locations of
where the girls items were produced. It can be inferred from her hat that she is
from Red Deer, Canada, so therefore, the company that sells her jeans practice
outsourcing by manufacturing the jeans in Korea, and then selling them in Canada.
Outsourcing is an effective technique for businesses when used on a global scale as

it makes producing and selling cheaper for businesses, and connects the world
through the need for easy resources, labour, and products.

The Second Source is a two-sentence statement by Kofi Annan (former

Secretary General of the UN), who describes the effects of globalization on the
surrounding world. Through this source, the concept of the challenges presented to
identity is represented. This thought deals with how certain forces of globalization
affect society on a larger scale, for example assimilation or exposure, and that
therefore affects identity because the society was changed by the reaching arms of
globalization. A great example of this concept is the assimilation of the First Nations
in Canada. Due to globalizing forces in the European world (transportation, trade,
communication, etc.), the gap between the two societies was closed and they both
benefited from the contact. Still, the First Nations lost much of their identity and are
now fighting to keep it alive. This idea of identity, prosperity, and uniformity is
connected to globalization directly through its influence into these three areas, and
how it determines how these areas will be affected.

Source Three is a picture of the Canadian flag and the Ecuador flag, with a
flow chart underneath showing the steps in the banana exportation process, all on
top of a background of bananas. The social studies concept shown in the source is
global trade, and all the steps that are needed to achieve a successful exchange
between two countries. Trade is utilized between countries around the world to
acquire good and services that are not available in their own country, for a cheaper
price, or just for variation in the product. Source Three clearly states this concept by
outlining the trade of bananas that takes place between Canada and Ecuador, which
later resulted in the banana wars that took place because of tariffs placed on

bananas that were being exported. Trading is a force of globalization, and it

encourages globalization in many ways such as connecting countries, creating
peace through agreements, removing barriers that separated countries, supporting
interdependence, and much more.

All three sources portray the common social studies concept of two forces of
globalization. This concept is all about how globalization is encouraged and
promoted throughout the world by the two forces of transportation and trade, and
how these allow countries to participate globally. Source One and Source Two are
tightly connected because they both show how trade between countries benefit the
individual and allow him/her to make choices about their identity because of the
variety of material available from around the world. However, they both differ from
Source Three in that they are more generalized about how the forces of
globalization are applied, where as Source Three isolates the banana trading
agreements as one force. Source Two is a great explanation of the other two sources
because it shows how globalization affects everyday life and our identities, as well
as how connected we are, removing any gaps in the global village. Still, Source One
and Three do not describe the ways that we can lose our diversity and integrity in
the process of globalization. Source Three can be related to the other two sources
through its example of trade and how the flow of goods from country to country
benefit most. All three of these sources demonstrate the affects that the forces of
globalization have on us, our community, and the rest of the world.