Global Reach Across Space and Time

Abstract

The last decade witnessed growth and expansion of human activities, coupled with transformation and change of unprecedented scale and scope – in more ways that can be readily counted and in more venues that we had anticipated or even imaged until now. We are constantly “pushing frontiers”, exploring the unknown and refining our understanding of the known. We can label such tendencies as forms of global reach.

The dynamics of global reach are not unique to our time nor to our space. The historical record shown ample evidence of “reach” with attendant trials and tribulations. Different labels have been given to different trends, too many to note except the most familiar. Among the oldest and most common forms of expansion are those based on expected mutual gains, such as bartering, trade and the like. So, too, prominent modes include explorations of the wilderness, the westward movement, the territorial expansion of imperial powers – all of a terrestrial nature. The landing on the moon opened non-terrestrial “space” and a whole new arena of reach – shaping new initiatives into unchartered domains. And with the human construction of virtual space, came a whole new form of global each into seemingly unlimited arena.

This paper seeks to provide an underlying logic and framework — guided by theory and illustrated with data – to assist our understanding of sources and destinations of human reach and as well as the intervening and connective “mechanisms”. Three foundational features serve as anchors for this essay, namely, (i) the definition of global reach and its properties, (ii) the elements of space, time, and levels of analysis as key parameters, and (iii) the use of mapping as a method to support the logic and the sequence of analysis. Each is important in its own right, jointly they are essential for the conduct of an integrated and coherent inquiry.