Analyse the causes and environmental consequences of the international relocation of polluting industries.

“Barriers to globalization are no longer falling but are rising instead.” Discuss this statement.

AO1/2 indicative content:

• The international relocation of polluting industries refers primarily to the global shift of manufacturing from the developed to the developing world; also credit the increased uptake of outsourcing contracts by manufacturers in lower-wage economies.
• The main cause is avoidance of high labour and land costs, and “red tape” in developed countries; but the movement may also be market-driven if new industries are being established in proximity to emerging markets. Another theme might be international movements of recycling industries (and linked flows of e-waste).
• The consequences for people and places vary according to context. They may include impacts on the atmosphere/hydrosphere/biosphere, and short- or long-term health costs for societies.

Good answers may make use of detailed exemplification and/or specialist terminology. Or they may analyse the varied types of cause and environmental consequence, perhaps for different categories of polluting industry, in a well-structured (AO4) way. Another approach might be to analyse some of the temporal (long-term) and spatial (pattern) dimensions of the consequences.

Band D credit may be given for the use of any case studies which illustrate changing global patterns of economic activity – including inward investment, outsourcing, and refuse flows – provided that the causes are relevant and the consequences are environmental (rather than social).

For band C (4–6 marks), expect some weakly evidenced outlining of a narrow range of causes and/or environmental consequences of changing global patterns of economic activity.

For band D (7–8 marks), expect a structured, well evidenced and balanced analysis which includes:

• either varied and detailed causes of changing global patterns of economic activity
• or detailed environmental consequences of international industrial relocation.

For band E (9–10 marks), expect both band D traits.

Credit all content in line with the markbands. Credit unexpected approaches wherever relevant.

Globalization is defined in the subject guide. Real barriers include border controls and walls (political barriers) and virtual firewalls (technological barriers). There are also the real or perceived cultural barriers of language and religion. The concept of a “barrier” is broad and may be interpreted in many ways and from different perspectives.

Possible AO1/2 indicative content:

• falling barriers for data: the shrinking world and time–space convergence [Guide 2]
• falling barriers due to cultural exchange, diaspora growth [Guide 5]
• falling barriers due to the global diffusion of branded commodities [Guide 5]
• increasing barriers for international migration (barriers and/or policies) [Guide 3, 5]
• increasing barriers as governments react to the real or perceived loss of sovereignty through retreat from multigovernmental organizations or increased protectionism [Guide 6, 3]
• isolated societies for whom barriers neither rise nor fall [Guide 7].

Answers scoring highly according to the AO3 criteria for evaluation:

• might offer a structured discussion of different categories of barrier
• might systematically discuss both sides of the argument before arriving at a judgement that progresses beyond simply concluding the statement is both true and false (one approach could be to argue that the statement is more true for some types of global interaction than it is for others)
• might address the truth of the statement on different timescales (eg taking a long view rather than focusing on more recent events only).

For band C (5–8 marks), expect weakly evidenced outlining of two or three relevant themes from the geography guide focused on whether or not there are barriers to globalization.

For band D (9–12 marks), expect:

• either a structured synthesis which links together several well evidenced and well focused themes from the geography guide
• or a critical conclusion (or ongoing evaluation).

For band E (13–15 marks), expect both of these traits.