The View that Anti-Globalisation Arguments Seriously Undervalue the Benefits that Globalisation Delivered for All Countries - Coursework Example

Critically discuss the view that anti-globalisation arguments seriously undervalue the benefits that globalisation has delivered for all countries Introduction The world as we have known it for long has been demarcated and restricted with geographic borders. These borders are defined into several sections and divisions of the world the most comprehensive ones being countries (quote). As a result of this, sovereignty has been a phenomenon that has been part of the global society for ages, advancing the need for each country to be independently run by its people and based on its ideas. With the advent of globalisation however, there has been a deeper penetration across national borders, particularly for the purpose of trade and commerce (quote). Even though cross-border trade and business has gone on for long, the levels of restrictions were higher than we see them now. This is something that the anti-globalisation movement argues against, claiming that globalisation has only become a means of selling out the world to a few multinational superpowers and thus turning the world into corporate capitalism (quote). This essay however debates the stand of the anti-globalisation movement, claiming that there are several benefits of globalisation to all countries of the world that have been undervalued by this social movement. Theories of globalisation and how they are used by pro and anti globalisation groups There are a number of theories on globalisation, which have been used by both those who support globalisation and those who are against it. The first of these is the world-system theory, which argues that globalisation is a process by which capitalist world-system spreads across the entire globe (quote). The major position taken by world-system theorists is that globalisation is an advantage that a few capitalists are using to gain global advantage for the creation of corporate capitalism. These theorists believe that globalisation was actually completed in the twentieth century but towards the twenty-first century, the capitalist world economy went into economic crisis, a situation of which it saw the need to breed into unharnessed zones of the world as a means to ending it (quote). The anti-globalisation group has therefore emphasised very deeply on the world-system theory to claim that globalisation is only a means by which the world has been sold out to a few capitalists who are eating beyond their borders only as means to taking undue advantage of others. It is not surprising that based on the world-system theory some have described globalisation as a new form of economic slavery (quote). There is counter theory to the world-system theory, which emphasises on the importance to allow globalisation to grow, given the numerous benefits and merits that come with it. A typical example of this is the world polity theory, which sees the world as having a common culture which has been grown and enacted since the nineteenth century in the form of globalisation (quote). World polity theorists therefore refuse to see globalisation as a mere economic phenomenon or principle but as a means by which the world is responding to its natural state of cultural unison. By cultural unison, claim is being made to the need for the world not to be split apart on the grounds of geographic demarcations and boundaries (quote). These theorists therefore see the world as a common place for all people, meaning that whatever types of resources that can be found in any part of the world beyond to all the people in it and so must be equally advantageous to all (quote). This means that instead of a world polity theorist to see the fact that some multinational companies are spreading fast to other parts of the world to do business as an undue advantage, it would rather see that as a far move that comes with an advantage to all, given the fact that any form of business or trade involves both a buyer and a seller, all of who benefit in one way or the other. Empirical evidence on the benefits of globalisation to countries Apart from the theoretical claims that have been made by the world polity theorists on the advantages of globalisation, there are several empirical facts and data that give evidence to support the benefits of globalisation. Some of these are emphasised in this section of the paper to outline the real need for anti-globalisation groups to appreciate the need to give globalisation a chance in the modern socioeconomic world. An example of empirical evidence that disputes the claim by anti-globalisation movements that globalisation is only the reserve of the rich to be richer is the data available to show that globalisation indeed creates opportunities for developing countries. Using the case of South Korea from 1962 to 1989, quote (year) found that through exports and international trade, the GDP growth for the country on a year-on-year rate was averaged at 8%. Meanwhile, the possibility of the country to indulge in exports and international trades was created largely due to the platform of globalisation, which made it possible for South Korea to penetrate other global markets where it could capture comparative advantages and grow more competitively in the global marketplace (quote). Conclusion From the discussions above, it can be concluded that globalisation is a phenomenon that has come to benefit the world immensely. This is because there are both theoretical and practical evidence to suggest that the advent of globalisation has made the world a better place to live in today than it was some decades back. Having said this, the disadvantages and risks that come with globalisation will not be entirely denied. For example the more corporate superpowers are developed, the more fragile the global political system becomes. This notwithstanding, it is important that the line of argument will be on how to curb some of these potential threats so that the benefits of globalisation can be better focused on and enhanced. Given the empirical evidence that support the benefits that various countries have derived from globalisation, it will only be suicidal for any moves against the expansion and growth of globalisation to be cut short. This is because once this happens it would mean that all the benefits touched on in the paper will be hindered for the sake of a few challenges that can easily be managed through the use of consented regulations and policies among countries and international bodies. Read More