Focus On The Trade-Offs Of A Connected World
Globalisation
The process by which the world becomes more interconnected through trade, communication, and cultural exchange.
- You're expected to discuss how globalisation creates opportunities (trade, technology, communication) but also ethical dilemmas (labour exploitation, consumerism, cultural loss).
- Essentially, proving you understand who benefits, who pays, and what the moral consequences are.
Exam Relevance
This theme shows up often in tasks that test your ability to weigh benefits against costs.
Paper 1 (Writing)
- The most common text types are opinion articles, speeches, and proposals.
- Tasks might ask you to write about fast fashion, consumer culture, or how your school can promote ethical consumption.
SL Example (Opinion Article extract, ~280 words)
Task: Write an opinion article for your school magazine about the ethics of fast fashion.
Solution
Title: The True Cost of Cheap Clothes
Every week, new styles appear on shop racks for the price of a coffee. For students, this feels like freedom: a chance to change our look without breaking the bank. But behind every $5 T-shirt is a chain of factories, workers, and consequences we rarely see.
The Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh in 2013 killed more than 1,100 garment workers. They were producing clothes for global brands, sold cheaply to consumers like us. Low prices depend on long hours, poor safety, and wages that barely cover food. When we buy fast fashion without thinking, we are part of that cycle.
Of course, not everyone can afford expensive sustainable brands. But there are practical steps: buy fewer items, swap clothes with friends, or support shops that commit to fair trade. These choices send a signal that students care about more than just price.
Globalisation has connected us, but it also demands responsibility. The question is not “Should I buy clothes?” but “At what cost?”
Note- Audience is peers → accessible but serious tone.
- Clear stance → acknowledges both benefits (cheap, accessible) and harms (exploitation).
- Real-world case study (Rana Plaza) shows awareness beyond the classroom.
- Solution-oriented → gives practical, realistic advice.
- Fully developed, coherent flow, ~280 words (fits SL).
HL Example (Opinion Article extract, ~420 words)
Task: Write an opinion article for an international youth blog about the ethical challenges of fast fashion.
Solution
Title: Fashion at Any Price?
Globalisation has put trends at our fingertips. From Madrid to Manila, a student can walk into a mall and buy the same shirt for the same low price. On the surface, this looks like equality. Everyone, no matter where they live, can access the same styles instantly. But the truth is more complex. While consumers enjoy cheap fashion, the workers who produce it often face unsafe conditions and wages that barely cover food.
The 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh is the clearest example. Over 1,100 people died making clothes for brands we recognise. Cracks were visible in the building walls, yet workers were forced inside to meet global demand. This was not a random accident; it was the logical outcome of a system built on pressure to produce more, faster, and cheaper.
Some argue that these jobs, even poorly paid, are better than no jobs at all. They say fast fashion factories offer income where there are few alternatives. That is partly true. Yet “some income” cannot justify the absence of safety or dignity. Globalisation has connected us through supply chains, so ethics must travel across borders too. The benefits of trade should never come at the cost of basic rights.
Fast fashion also raises another question: identity. Walk through any high street and you will find the same brands, the same slogans, the same cuts of clothing. Local textile traditions, once tied to culture and history, are being displaced by global logos. Globalisation is not just producing cheap clothes; it is producing a homogenised consumer culture, where individuality is reduced to a logo on a T-shirt.
Consumers, however, are not powerless. Fairtrade labels and campaigns such as Fashion Revolution demand transparency from brands. Social media allows students to share information about ethical alternatives and expose scandals quickly. Choosing fewer, longer-lasting items or buying second-hand are simple acts that reduce demand for disposable fashion. Governments also play a role. New European legislation now requires fashion companies to check factory standards across their supply chains. This proves accountability is possible when consumer pressure and policy combine.
The issue goes beyond clothing. It asks a larger question: what values are we willing to wear? Globalisation offers us convenience, variety, and low prices, but at a hidden human cost. Our generation has the chance to redefine what “fashionable” means — not just what looks good, but what is produced fairly. The challenge is whether we will keep buying without thought, or whether we will use the reach of globalisation to demand fairness across borders.
Note- Global scope (Madrid to Manila) → shows awareness beyond one culture.
- Balances perspectives (cheap access vs worker exploitation).
- Explicit case study (Rana Plaza) + specific initiatives (Fairtrade, Fashion Revolution, EU legislation).
- Sophisticated stance → acknowledges counterarguments, then rebuts.
- Range of structures (concessive “Some argue… That is true, but…”) and precise vocabulary (accountability, dignity, supply chain).
- ~420 words = full HL development.
Paper 2 (Listening & Reading)
- Expect editorials, interviews, or NGO reports on consumerism, cultural change, or ethics in business.
- Writers often frame globalisation as progress with hidden costs.
Identify how the text shifts tone (e.g. optimistic about tech → cautious about privacy).
ExampleIf the text says “Social media connects billions, but it also spreads misinformation at an unprecedented scale,” you must recognise that both ideas are central, not just the first.
Individual Oral
- Common image types you might be given:
- Factories or workers (labour conditions, exploitation).
- Shopping malls / advertisements (consumer culture, materialism).
- Social media screenshots (connection vs misinformation).
- Global brands/logos dominating local streets (loss of cultural identity).
- Fair trade or ethical labels (attempts at reform).
- Here, you should pay attention to symbols of cultural spread (English signs, Western products) and who gains versus loses.

- Useful phrases:
- “This image reflects the tension between global convenience and local impact.”
- “It raises the ethical question of…”
- “In [target culture], this debate is visible in…”
- “Globally, the consequence is…”
Language & Moves
- Core vocabulary: exploitation, transparency, consumerism, ethical sourcing, inequality, cultural homogenisation, accountability.
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