Globalisation and Sovereignty - Essay Example

116188 Is Globalisation a threat to sovereignty According to IMF website 'Economic "globalisation" is a historical process, the result of human innovation and technological progress'. It has led to integration of various economies and the term also means the mobility of people and knowledge across the international borders. Globalisation has brought economic, environmental, cultural, political and social dimensions into the forefront. Mainly it refers to an extended village, urban, national economies and across the border movements. Still it can create a threat to the already diminishing sovereignty of nation states, who had always thrived on their territoriality and freedom inside that territory. "Political life is impossible, it seems without some kind of bordering, some distinction between 'insiders' and 'outsiders'. All political entities whether formal (cities, states, empires) or informal (tribes, guilds, universities) find it necessary to distinguish between members and non-members," (Brown, 2002, p.19). It is interesting to see the amount of political changes globalisation has affected in the last one and half decades. Countries with suspiciously Communist colours are trying hard to become socialists. Hardliner Communists like Cuba are posing as progressively Communist. Uncompromisingly Communist China is unwillingly opening the economic doors and making a noise about liberalising communist institutions. Countries with dictator rulers like Pakistan, Myanmar, are trying hard to look more and more democratic. Communist parties in countries of erstwhile Soviet Union are becoming raving socialists overnight. Hence, political affect of globalisation had been immense. At the same time, it also posed a threat to the independence and absolute sovereignty of nation states. Across-the-nation multi nationals, international standards of quality adherence, international demands on time, production, and supply etc. are unnerving the smaller countries who feel that their domain is systematically being encroached. "But time brings changes. Not only have market systems penetrated all countries - and not just industrialized ones - but international globalisation of economic relations has placed many economic functions beyond the control of nations, even rich and powerful ones like the United States or Japan," (Elkins, 1995, p.15). International Relations theories apply to the concept of sovereignty and the threat implied by the globalisation. Realism is one theory, which had been adopted by Bismarck and had been gaining fresh grounds in International Relationship of recent years, and has taken a new look after globalisation. Even though the theory is based on international anarchy and how to control it, and how the States become the main actors in world politics, how the States, through self helping system avoid conflicts, the main instruments of success remains the army and military might. Globalisation does not agree with armed conflicts and as the world economy has global connections, if armed conflict happens in one place, rest of the world economy will be hit and so armed conflict will definitely be discouraged during globalisation. But the economic might of globalisation will definitely be encouraged and the States will compete and negotiate with their own interest in hearts. Founded by Thucidydes, encouraged by Michiavelli, Realism is accepted as one of the pragmatic theories of international relations. Liberalism, another important theory states that States and other international institutions are very important players in the International Relations and have to co-operate, bargain with one another and States are considered to be one player in the world politics and not many players like in Realism. Here states are not independent, but interdependent, and other key actors are the most important international organisations who have a clout all over the world. This theory agrees with glabalisation and a certain loss of sovereignty in place of absolute freedom. The interdependence of the States due to the globalisation onslaught has reduced the States to dependency. "This is already taking place in the trade realm. Governments agree to accept the rulings of the World Trade Organisation because on balance they benefit from an international trading order, even if a particular decision requires that they alter a practice that is their sovereign right to carry out," http://www.cfr.org/publication/9903/sovereignty_and_globalisation.html Marxism, on the other hand a rather disgraced theory today, after the fall of Soviet Union. Once perhaps the most powerful theory, today, it has become a negative theory, as the criticiser of capitalism, without much effect. Unless the world again goes back to days of pluralism, Marxism will not be respected in near future. Functionalism theory came into being after the formation and as the result of the formation of European Union. The amazed world looked at the European nations, who had been warmongering with one another for centuries, coming together in obvious mutual respect and contrary to all forecasts and gloomy predictions, the Union survived. Theory relates to interdependence of States, partially or fully integrated, with common goals, aspirations and similar interests. It may not be possible to see the success of European Union in future Unions too. But regional and continental unions are not ruled out and globalisation might thrive under such circumstances. Constructivism argues that cultural identities, peculiarities, diversities and differenceness exist in the world and has to be acknowledged in the field of international politics as well. This is an absolutely pertinent theory as the globalisation has brought out the differences and diversities in the world to the forefront and due to the mass media these diversities are being recognised. Western world, which always thought that it could erode through the rest of the cultures, is being aware that other cultures cannot be wished away, and the world has to find a unity in many diversities. Theory of Feminism had been gaining grounds for a long time now and today's World politics has imbibed many of the principles connected to feminism. Feminist approach is more compassionate, understanding and cooperative and the recent incidents like helping the Tsunami victims, hunger and poverty eradication in African countries, and the help poured for the earthquake victims showed that the days of compassion and global help have initiated. Attributed to the administration of US President Woodrow Wilson, theory of idealism states that foreign policy should be guided by a country's internal political philosophy. Its respect for international institutions and international law cannot be out of place today. Even though League of Nations failed in those days of vibrant independence of Nation States, it is difficult to imagine the failure of United Nations today. International politics has become the main player in the globalised world because it has entered every sphere of human life. There is a certain sovereignty loss from every Nation state, even from United State of America. Countries are not absolutely independent and omnipotent any more. They have to care about their neighbours, business partners, they have to depend on raw materials and energy on some other country, they have to in turn, supply many goods demanded by the needy country and every region of its economic, social, political and cultural welbeing depends on another country's cooperation, however big or might it could be. "Although the nation-state as an institution will not die out in the foreseeable future, its monopoly of power has been considerably weakened, and its hold on populations has been greatly reduced. The nation-state has become just one of several world organisational structures. Sovereignty - presuming such a thing ever really existed - may well be consigned to the history of the late Industrial Age, a mere picturesque oddity on the pathway of humanity's journey" http://www.okusi.net/garydean/works/Globalisation.html There is no doubt that sovereignty and independence and sense of absolute freedom is fast diminishing in all the nation states, which looks like a threat right now. "The effect is far more pervasive; even established nation-states, who have long cherished and fought for their sovereign powers, which might be considered part of the world elite, are caught in this world-wide web" http://www.uwichill.edu.bb/bnccde/cayman/conference/papers/carter.html Environmental policies are global and States do not have much individual say about them. There is another opinion that West is spreading another kind of imperialism through globalisation. "The collapse of their common enemy the Soviet Union opened up new opportunities to exploit the resources of the former socialist countries, but also to intensify exploitation in the Third World and in the imperialist countries themselves" http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/view/343/1/66/ But then, it might lead the way to a more prosperous world community eventually that would bring peace and happiness to all parts of the world with total fair distribution of resources. BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. Brown, Chris (2002), Sovereignty, Rights and Justice, International Political Theory today, Polity Press, Cambridge. 2. Forsyth, M.G., Keens-Soper, H.M.A., Savigear, P. (1970), The Theory of International Relations, George Allen and Unwin Ltd., London. 3. Jones, Charles (1998), E.H. Carr and International Relations, Cambridge University Press. 4. Knutsen, Torbjorn L. (1997), A History of International Relations Theory, 2nd edn., Manchester University Press, Manchester. 5. Weber, Cynthia (2001), International Relations Theory, 2nd edn., Routledge, London. ONLINE SOURCES: 1. http://www.okusi.net/garydean/works/Globalisation.html 2. http://www.cfr.org/publication/9903/sovereignty_and_globalisation.html 3. http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/view/343/1/66/ 4. http://www.uwichill.edu.bb/bnccde/cayman/conference/papers/carter.html Read More