Are Nationalism and National Identities Irrelevant in a Global World - Assignment Example

Nationalism and national identities are irrelevant in a global world". Discuss Thesis ment: It is a fact that the world is shrinking with the changing times. This is because the global basis is having its toil on the way processes and activities are happening in this world. Global basis is significant in the present day and age since it is one world that we are talking about here. Globalization, for that matter, is also remarked as Internationalization since the nature of the two terms is on a global scale more than anything else. However, on the part of the two terms, the one thing common however is the fact that these have identified themselves well with the changing (and growing) trends, where most of these are credited on the shoulders of the World War II, after which there has been a resurgent rat race nonetheless. The movement of commodities, people, information, money, technological developments, organizational infrastructures, legal frameworks and so on and so forth have only proved to all and sundry that globalization is a phenomenon and it is one that is here to stay for long.1 The world has become a global village due to globalization and it is a good omen if seen in the proper perspectives. Globalization involves within it the changing technological innovations, the improvement in structures and different infrastructures, the advancements in basic thinking mindset of man, his ability to break loose from the ordinary and reach out towards the unknown and in all essence do something which can bring about an ultimate change, for the better.2 Having said that, we need to understand that globalization is not just a phenomenon, it is the science of human evolution and since man has for long held fast to this belief, there can be no reason as to why he should not comprehend the basis of the phenomenon of globalization. It is a paradigm shift or a movement as we might call it, one that brings more stability within the ranks and agreement in the efforts and activities of all concerned. More often than not, we have seen improvements within the present day systems owing to globalization and it is because of this very perspective of change that we see world bodies doing their utmost to reach out to far flung areas and explore hidden markets for the betterment of one and all. Now on the same tangent, globalization has given rise to the notion of oneness within the world. All the nations within the world must understand that their individual capacities in the present times hold no significance at all and it is only their unity and wholesome basis that adds at creating value towards the different peoples of the world. It is indeed ‘one people’ and ‘one world’ in essence that one could relate to, at the very end. The segregation of nationalities and cultural bases have diminished in the current times as there is more talk of a global village than a nationalistic difference so to speak. Nationalism has taken a back seat within the related discussions and quite rightly so because individual differences must be set aside in order to proceed ahead with the developments and that too at a cut throat level and speed. Nationalism might be a very patriotic concept within the domains of a particular nation but when the talk goes out loud concerning the global basis, it is best to think from the broader angle. This perspective would not bracket an individual, entity or indeed a process to the lengths and breadths of a nation but would look to justify its sheer existence and presence from a truly global standpoint. This is what the whole global discussion revolves around – the oneness of all the strengths that the different nations could come up, time and time again. The opportunities that these countries present all this while are immense and thus should be seen from a very wide perspective so as to touch the intrinsic details encompassed within the very phenomenon.3 In the same vein, outsourcing is one concept that has seemed to thrive in a magnanimous way when global basis of the world is spoken of. Outsourcing is a phenomenon which is on the rise with the passage of time as it looks to cover the weak areas of a business, enterprise or a country for that matter in another’s area of strength, manpower abundance and availability of proper resources. However all this requires sound planning and immediate provision of funds which will not only benefit the two parties, but also the major (and minor) stakeholders, the employees working at the sites and above all the whole society who is about to go on a radical shift in their fortunes. Outsourcing is defined as the amalgamation of the required skill set from a number of different areas with the eventual aim of benefiting the people in a number of ways by providing them what they really need as well as provide back to the organization and at times the country as well. Outsourcing of late has come out as something that is becoming a trend and thus is an important issue to surface in the recent times. With outsourcing comes a responsibility as well. The companies need to understand their duties towards all the relevant stakeholders as well as the employees.4 More than that, it needs to dispel all forms of negative notions which are related with the issue of outsourcing. In fact all these qualms need to be given a rest for good. The question to this day remains as to whether a country needs to outsource individuals or not? The same is answered in the light of the prosperous financial and banking sectors that have come to light in the wake of the differing economies which are on the rise due to the outsourcing issue. Then again the nationalism phenomenon crops up within outsourcing avenues as well mainly due to the fact that it is being made use of by different third world nations and hence the terminology is being exploited by the countries that are rich financially yet are providing jobs to the people who are skilled and residents of third world nations. The nationalism aspect seems to go dead in such a mechanism that is being employed more and more in the times much like today. Similarly within the domains of the world of arts and other related disciplines, national identities have taken a backseat long before the phenomenon of globalization and global basis was even coined. This is because art is known to have no boundaries within its folds and hence the reason that an artist in one nation is an artist worldwide.5 This is a very positive step that is taken by promoters of art and the like as it creates a sense of harmony amongst the nations and explores avenues of mutual trust and confidence to arise with the passage of time. Similarly, the world of sports has benefited in a big way by exporting sports stars and talent across a number of continents worldwide. This has increased their salaries, invited jobs for the people related with sports and its administration as well as found out ways in which sports marketing and management could be had, within the related scheme of things. Education is another field that has had a lot of say within the global domains because education and training have provided instant rewards to almost every nation of this world. Education is a field that will only help and facilitate the thinking and awareness’ basis of any populace therefore proper funding must be provisioned for the different nations of the world and the segregation basis within the related domains should not be even spoken of. The end result must be one that is filled with success at all possible levels for all and sundry. The reason why national identities are usually not propagated within the global domains is due to the fact that nationalism cannot survive for long in such a setting. This lack of a nationalistic basis is because the global tangents are seen in the light of the global ranks only and the irrational boundaries that are created every now and so often in the name of having national identities only limits the global basis of growth and expansion in the long run. Nationalism might just be the buzzword within a country and its locales but when it comes to judging the essence of oneness and unity on a global basis, nationalism and national identity takes a back seat in the greater interests of all concerned.6 Within the European ranks, the European Union has come to a single platform just like all other world bodies.7 There was a need for the same more so because the rulers of the respective nations wanted their own particular identity and this brings us to the question that if they needed such an identity what was the need of having European Union (EU)?8 They could have easily made a body comprising of two or for that matter three countries and enacted their own policies and gone about it in the long run but bringing all the European nations together to a single platform only means that there was a courteous move behind the very same.9 One should believe that these leaders thought in the notion of a continental identity more than a nationalistic one. There was an understanding that since these nations had so much in common amongst each other, thus there should be an understanding as concerns to their oneness and unity which could only be achieved through the formation of a body that could track down the problems of the member nations and keep all the troubles that hinder the respective progress of these nations. The European Union government makes sure that all its member countries cede sovereign control over it so that an air of expansion can be seen in the economic and social policies. This would naturally help decrease the tension that these countries are under for the last 25 years or so because of a series of domestic and other wars. These have really shaken the pillars of the respective governments of European Union member countries and want a commission like the same to work for their betterment in every possible clique. National governments within the European Union have conceded the executive tasks as regards with policy formation to the Brussels-based European Commission.10 These people help solve the problems of European members entailed with internal market pressures as well as their remedies and rectifications plus the trade negotiations, both in the countries themselves as well as of an external nature. Apart from these two, it also helps in chalking out measures for a comprehensive policy, which can be prepared for competition amongst different European Union markets as well as at the international level.11 Concluding with the discussion, it is of paramount significance to state that indeed the nationalism concept and the national identities take a backseat when the global world is discussed.12 This is because a global world is a much better accomplishment for its inhabitants than the segregated folks who end up fighting for food, shelter, economic well being, prosperity and so on.13 The global world has a number of incentives and benefits for the peoples of the world within its arms. The duty of the policy makers within the world is to understand their due responsibilities and carve out all possible advantages for the different peoples of the world.14 This could mean that a young boy living in Rwanda has absolutely equal rights when compared with the Queen of England. However this is easier said than done but then again there must be a sound beginning from somewhere. All said and done, the world must wake from its sleep and comprehend the lack of oneness and unity within its ranks. It should take note of the fact that a lot of prosperity and happiness is waiting with her arms wide open if only people understand what is good for them, now and within the future. There is no need to recall the past and shed tears over it. A solid start is what is indeed needed.15 Bibliography CALHOUN, Craig. (1993). Nationalism and Ethnicity. Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 19 CARTER, April. (1997). Nationalism and Global Citizenship. The Australian Journal of Politics and History, Vol. 43 COTTAM, Richard W. (2001). Nationalism & Politics: The Political Behavior of Nation States. Lynne Rienner DALE, Reginald. (2003). European Union, Properly Construed. Policy Review. DANKS, Catherine J. (2001). Globalization and National Identities: Crisis or Opportunity? 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