How History Can Define the Future: Understanding Globalization and its Interrelation with Past Events - Essay Example

How History Can Define the Future: Understanding Globalization and its Interrelation with Past Events Scholars around the world have been using the term globalization since the early part of 1960s but it was not until the 80s when this term became widely accepted in the academic, economic and political circles. Although globalization is a widely used term, debates on how globalization evolved and how it should be handled in the future still continue. Many pundits believe that globalization is a relatively new phenomenon but if we travel down to the history of humankind, we can see that globalization already happened to some extent even in the olden times.

In fact, it was Charles Taze Russell, an American entrepreneur who first coined the term “corporate giants” in 1897 to describe what we now call multi-national companies (A.G. Hopkins, ed. (2004) p. 4). My interest in US history and globalization started when I was still young. The US history itself is laced with so many interesting facts that could lead us to deeper understanding of globalization and how globalization has changed the lives of people in the country. We are shaped by our past experiences and it is my strong belief that understanding the past can help us build a better future.

In the recent years, I have been studying the impact of globalization among people of different races and how they interacted with each other in this complex world. As global barriers in communication and travel go down, we can expect a more active co-mingling of people of different races. The United States itself has become quite a melting pot of different races. Most of major global initiatives start in American soil and then radiate to different parts of the world. Many parts of the world have become “westernized” and the strong influence of the American way can be seen even in remote areas.

Yet, despite the breakdown in communication barriers due to globalization and the spread of western culture in many parts of the world, I observed that most people often define themselves by the history of their race. Technically, the slogan “think globally, act locally” still dominate the local scene. People understand that global issues need to be addressed locally. Climate change for instance is one global issue that needs to be solved at the local level. Throughout history, people appear to be more willing to do something about an issue when it has local impact.

This scenario gives us an idea that we can use history as basis for analyzing the response of people to certain global issues. By evaluating the past actions of people, we can predict to some certain degree the kind of response that these same groups of people will have on a given event. On the other hand, by evaluating past events, we can establish a trend in environment and be able to predict probably scenarios in the future. I believe that history repeats itself and unless we do something to understand our past, we will not be able to escape the cycle of tragedies that happened several times in last hundreds of years.

Armed with this strong belief that history can help us understand the future, I now apply for a graduate program in your prestigious institution. I believe that James University is one of the best places for learning in the country. Your institution provides a dynamic environment for social and academic growth. Moreover, your institution encourages free and innovative thinking which is very important in my quest for knowledge. With the kind of training that James University provides, I am sure that I can achieve my full potentials and become a more useful member of society.

Reference: A.G. Hopkins, ed. (2004) "Globalization in World History." Norton. (2004). p. 4)