From about the 1960s globalisation began to change all of this for Ireland – and also globally – as you have no doubt noticed. But how? Here are some reasons that globalisation has become such a powerful force for change:
• Improvements in transport, such as air travel and faster cargo ships, made the movement of people and goods much easier and cheaper. People could now travel quickly and easily to work in big cities around the world and companies could sell their products to international customers.
• Improvements in
communications technology, such as the telephone, radio, television and later the internet and social media, allowed people to learn more about the world and to take on or adapt ideas from abroad. Demand grew for products and culture from abroad.
• Governments signed free trade agreements to trade more easily with each other. This boosted profits because there were more people to buy goods, but it also meant a lot of control over trade was lost.
• Big companies began to move around the world to save on costs such as wages and transportation, as well as to take advantage of raw materials in poorer parts of the world.
