The Age of Rapid Globalization - Essay Example

The Age of Rapid GlobalizationIn the age of rapid globalization, the world is moving towards a multicultural society that is an amalgamation of people from different countries, races and religion. The social changes brought about by globalization, have changed the socio- cultural values of a country which are forcing them to formulate new strategies and policies to meet the challenges of the emerging pluralistic societies. In the transforming societies which have become pluralistic, the emerging differences in the socio-cultural and religious paradigms have emerged as major issues within and outside the emerging social framework.

Even now, despite laws of equality, in the developed countries like United States, United Kingdom and Europe, racial discrimination is still being practiced within the white population. While the world is becoming a global village, it is unfortunate that lack of interest and understanding seem to be creating greater divide among the people coming from different race, culture and nationality.In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, the color of the skin played a major role in the social status.

The whites maintained a racial divide within the society through deliberate use of powerful lobby of the whites and financial advantages that they enjoyed over their less privileged counterparts. The blacks were not allowed to participate in social activities and even education was denied to them so that they would remain unequal socially and economically. In the book ‘I know why the caged birds sing’, the author has given a new meaning to the finishing school and where, according to the protagonist, a young black girl ‘.. white girls learned to waltz….. During the tenth year, a white woman’s kitchen became my finishing school’ (Angelou, p101).

Maya Angelou has sensitively portrayed the social paradigm that the whites and the ethnic minority undergo within the same social structure. Richard Wright is yet another writer who has written about the plights of the blacks and ethnic minorities with great understanding mainly because he had undergone those harrowing experiences of being a black, especially in a society which was dominated by whites. In ‘The Ethics of Living Jim Crow: An Autobiographical Sketch’, he says that he was not even allowed to learn because he was told by his white colleagues at work ‘this is a white man's work around here, and you better watch yourself" (Wright, 291).

‘Jim Crow rules’ were associated with violence, intimidation and even lynching committed by whites against black people so that they do not try to become their equal. The scenario has not much changed. The blacks and ethnic minorities still have to fight for their rights in the twentieth century and struggle to avail privileges that are enjoyed by the white population in countries like America and England. Both the writers have written about their experiences of growing up as ‘black’ people in a country that is dominated by Whites.

In America, great leaders like Martin Luther King have fought for their rights that have resulted in reforms in the constitution, facilitating equal rights and equal opportunities in all areas. Americans now pride themselves as great democracy that has opened its heart and land for people coming from different cultures, race and religions. But the ground realities are entirely different and cases of racial discrimination are rampant. Racial profiling and policing are some of the prominent areas that deliberately target specific races.

While the earlier cases used to be blatant in their discriminatory behaviour, in the present times, they disguise their actions as legal compulsions for public security. There is singular lack of understanding and after 9/11, the hitherto subtle racial discrimination has come to the forefront with a bang. In the era of advancing technology and multi cultural society, it is important to spread and promote better understanding of the differences that exist among the people coming from different races and cultures and help evolve strategies and policies that would mitigate the problems that promote the use of racial discrimination and help inculcate amicable relationship of mutual cooperation and mutual respect.

Effective communication and leadership is needed to overcome the differences that are designed to increase the socio-cultural divide within the rapidly expanding pluralistic societies around the world. People should become more informed about the cross cultural values and develop better understanding and mutual respect so as to promote peaceful co-existence.ReferenceAngelou, Maya. (1969). Finishing School from ‘I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing’. Bantam Books.Wright, Richard. (1937). ‘The Ethics of Living Jim Crow: An Autobiographical Sketch’.

The Viking Press.