The Role of Globalization in Supporting Poor Countries - Essay Example

Globalization August 20, The role of globalization in supporting poor countries and in cultural shift Introduction Globalization defines integration of resources, both economic and cultural, across worldwide networks. It can be conceived as a process or set of processes that embodies a transformation in the spatial organization of social relations and transactions that lead to flows and networks of activity, interaction, and power across international borders. Many changes in political, economic, and social aspects have been realized along the globalization process and have led to diversified impacts on the society. This essay argues for the economic role of globalization in supporting poor countries by rich countries and organizations, effects of globalization on cultural convergence, and effects of globalization on individualism and employer movement. Economic role of globalization in supporting poor countries by rich countries and organizations Globalization defines extensive networks across national borders for transfer resources and finished products. This has had significant economic impacts on developing countries because of derived benefits from rich countries and rich organizations. One of the major economic benefits of globalization on poor countries is the exploitation of the countries resources. The poor countries are rich in primary raw materials such as agricultural products and minerals but they lack the potentials to exploit the resources. The developed countries, having been industrialized and having exploited most if their resources are in dire need of the resources in the developing countries for sustainability and for economic reasons. The developed countries therefore invest in the poor countries by sending technologies and machineries to aid exploitation of the raw materials. This leads to generation of income for the poor countries and promotes the countries role in global trade towards generation of foreign exchange and achievement of favourable balance of trade and balance of payment. The flow of investment resources into poor countries and the demand of the poor countries’ raw materials also create employment opportunities for the countries citizens with effects of improved per capita income and living standards (Holton, 2005; Mooney and Evans, 2007). Globalization also promotes the supportive role of developed countries in supporting poor countries through aiding movement of workers across borders. Even though developing countries are rich in human resource, the countries suffer from low employment opportunities and developed countries, which lack human resource, offer employment opportunities for the poor countries’ citizens. This is because of the facilitated communication and employee mobility across borders and allows immigrant workers in developed countries to generate income that they send to their countries for domestic and investment purposes. Global trade has also promoted foreign direct investments in developing countries, an aspect that promotes infrastructural developments, employment opportunities, and technological developments in the developing countries. The investments also have advantages of attracting further investments and earn the recipient countries economic benefits such as production efficiency and income in taxes. Foreign direct investments also promote production quantities of the recipient developing countries and promote economic growth and exports towards foreign exchange. Like in developed countries, globalization promotes prices competitiveness and ensures fair prices for consumers. Globalization has also empowered citizens from poor countries through better wages by foreign investing firms and better production conditions in Export Processing Zones. Wages that foreign firms offer are reflective of rates in their domestic countries that are relatively higher that wage rates in poor countries, though not necessarily equal to offered rates in the firms’ domestic countries. Better operational conditions in Export processing zones such as lower taxes and better work environment also allow for lower production costs as developing countries seek to promote export specific productions. This widens profit margins and allows for better conditions to employees in wage rates (Mooney and Evans, 2007). The tutor asks me from where? Return to files that I send yesterday to see (source? P.2) Effects of globalization on convergence of cultures between people Besides the economic effects of globalization in which poor countries benefit from developed countries, globalization has also had significant effect on culture and scholars argue that it is promoting cultural homogeneity. Steger argues that globalization has unified culture through establishing prominence of major cultures, such as western cultures, and diminishing other culture. This contrary to expectations of ‘cultural mix’ in which all cultures would be represented across the globe. The media, through televisions, movies, and novels, which depict artistic western culture, has had great impacts on other society and influenced people towards western styles. The author explains that “western industry’s base in New York, Hollywood, London, and Milan” has “homogenized popular culture” that global consumptions such as clothing and eating habits demonstrate (Steger, 2013, p. 76). Attempts by some countries to resist cultural influences from other societies support significance of globalization in converging cultures to a single one. Immense spread of the western culture has for example led to actions by some nations to restrict their citizens’ access to the western culture. A good example is Iran banned satellite-aided communication to restrict infiltration of the American culture into the country. Iran has also used taxes and import restrictions on mass media products from America in a bid to control spread of the culture in France (Steger, 2013). Development of new cultures also explains cultural convergence. The cultures are further influential in the society and erode former practices. Organizations such as McDonalds have for example developed cultures that other organizations have acculturated (Steger, 2013). The media also indicates convergence of cultures because of globalization and many factors support this. Many languages are facing extinction while few prominent languages are emerging across the globe and prove convergence of culture in communication. Increased scope of migration in the international scope facilitates the trend in languages because people interact with and carry with them languages. Increase in foreign languages education and development of internet languages that are globally applicable are other indicators of converging culture as they drive people from their primary languages into popular ones (Steger, 2013). Tomlinson supports the role of globalization on cultural homogeneity and explains that globalization destroys some cultures and leads to dominance of some few other cultures (2003, p. 269). Globalization and effects of its associated developments on individualism and employer power Globalization has also influenced the society from its traditional communal perspective to a self-centred approach. Individualism has gradually increased and replaced traits of community based societies. While issues such as conflicts and developmental agendas were previously managed at community levels, transitions have occurred alongside globalization to divisions and lack of trust that promotes independence among members of the society, from each other. A ware of employer behaviour has also been evident alongside globalization. Real connectivity among employers may not be visible but there a strong wave of identity that employers consider in their choice for people to recruit into their organizations exists. Employers are particularly keen on attracting individuals whose identities correspond to those of the employer. Organizations also assume specific dominant identities that within which they operate. Such identities vary across organizations and are used by the organizations to attain their desired images among members of the society (Steger, 2013; Herriot and Scott-Jackson, 2002). There are, however, opinions that developed countries are taking advantage of developing countries through globalization environment. Proposed benefits to developing countries are also not absolute because of because ideal situations are not real. Existing social mix also undermines the concept of emergence of some cultures over others (Mooney and Evans, 2007). (This is the counter argument that you asked for) Conclusion Globalization is significant and has different impacts on the society. It has led to economic benefits from developed countries to developing countries by empowering productivity, increasing wage rates in export zones in developing countries and creating employment opportunities in the poor countries. Globalization has also caused shifts towards homogenized culture and increased individualism and employer movements. Even though opinions exist against the role of globalization in helping poor countries and in cultural convergence, opinions that support effects of globalization in benefiting poor countries and in cultural convergence are stronger. This paper therefore concludes that globalization has led to economic benefits to poor countries from developed countries and has led to cultural convergence. References Herriot, P. and Scott-Jackson, W. (2002). Globalization, Social Identities and Employment. Retrieved from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.kingston.ac.uk/doi/10.1111/1467-8551.00241/pdf. Holton, R. J. (2005). Making Globalization. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. Mooney, A. & Evans, B. (2007). Globalisation: The key concepts. New York, NY: Routledge. Steger, M. B. (2003) Globalization: a very short introduction. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Tomlinson, J.(2003). Globalization and Cultural Identity. Retrieved from: http://www.polity.co.uk/global/pdf/GTreader2eTomlinson.pdf . Read More