Impacts of Globalization on the Australian Community - Coursework Example

Globalisation Author name Grade course Institution Tutor Date Globalisation refers to the reduction of barriers between nations that hinder the transfer of capital, information and goods between and across nations (Tonts & Siddique 2011, p.44). The impacts of globalisation are thus many affecting economy, political, social and cultural spheres of life. This paper focuses on the positive and negative impacts of globalisation to the Australian community. Economically, Australia has benefit much through trade and finance. Specifically, the markets have been expanded and new markets continue to emerge thereby the Australian dollar benefit in that the currency is recognized in many parts of the world. The businessmen and women in Australia can now buy goods from any country and transfer money to any of the bank accounts. There are also negative economic impacts associated with globalisation. For instance, Australia is losing some of the multinational companies which go to do business in other countries where the cost of production is low; an example is Bonds which was recently shut down (Beer 2012, p.272). The main impact of such closure is that the local Australians working with the company lose their jobs. Another possible impact is that the presence of multinational companies operating in Australia challenges the domestic industries in terms of competition. If the government fails to protect the domestic infant industries, the face risk of collapsing since goods produced by well established multinational may be easily accepted both locally and across borders (Taylor 2012, p.271). On other dimensions, globalisation is aimed to ensure that global trade grows and that mutual benefits between trading nations are realized. When Australia allows foreign companies to operate within its borders, its community benefits from the employment opportunities brought in by the multinationals while the government collects revenue in form of taxes (Beer 2012, p.273). Despite the fact that local industries are challenged as a result of competition, the same challenge calls upon the companies to produce high quality goods or service in order for them to be readily accepted by the customers. In the long run, it is the Australian community that benefits by having goods that are valued as high quality goods unlike the scenario when only the local companies operate with competition. Such companies may be reluctant to be innovative and turn to low cost of production processes in order to face competition (Bohnet & Pert 2010, p.241). Therefore, what is important is to compare the positive and the negative impacts of globalisation, if the positive impacts out way the negative impacts, then globalisation should continue to prevail. Politically, the political culture of Australia is threatened specifically by the presence of international organizations operating in Australia. Such organizations will attract employees from outside Australia in large scale thus affecting the country’s social cohesion and restricting the Australia’s wish to uphold its national fundamental values which determine its national identity. However, the issues of political culture arising from international engagement for the purpose of economic growth have been overlooked above the positive changes that globalisation brings to the political culture (Milner, McClure, Sun & Leo 2011, p.998). Such positive political contributions arise from greater recognition of cultural identity arising from the large scale-migration of people. Another impact is as a result of humanitarian public support from international organizations like Oxfam and Amnesty International that operates in the country (Tonts & Siddique 2011, p.40). Intensive and further international engagement as well as the large scale migration is expected to continue to influence the politics of Australia. However, perceiving the process as the cause of inevitable death of the country’s identity is not logical. There exists a close interdependence between international trade and international organizations in the context of international trade; this makes the nation-state be perceived differently. The globalisation process may probably change the role of the nation-state but it does not mean to make the state irrelevant (Bohnet & Pert 2010, p.242). Historically, there existed a naturalized linkage between a nation (cultural community) and the state as (a political community); this linkage has been considerably weakened by the globalisation process, submissive nationalist have openly criticized this process (Tonts & Siddique 2011, p.46). Subjects taught in schools like civics have played a key role in depoliticizing the concept of national belonging through things like sports that make the students understand the importance of understanding and appreciating cultural diversity and democratic participation by different cultures (Milner, McClure, Sun & Leo 2011, p.999). Whichever reforms are initiated, the growth and development of globalisation may not be an obstacle to national identity. There are historical and particular features that are attached to a nation’s name that may not be eroded by the influence of globalisation. There are particular scenarios when the global and the national culture may reinforce each other based on the mutual shared values (Tonts & Siddique 2011, p.49). For instance, the popular culture of global human rights which is mainstreamed in the gloablisation process may help Australia to attain its identity as a county that respects the basic human rights as enshrined in its constitution. Globalisation has also been very influential in terms of influencing the country’s culture as well as many nations of the world. The existence of growth in communications and transport technologies has aided the upcoming of new cultures. New cultural products have either increased in Australia or Australian products have freely left Australia as a result of increase in the global trade. As the leisure time of the Australian citizens increase, the more they continue to using cultural products originating from the United States a factor that has signaled the demise of the Australian culture (Tonts & Siddique 2011, p.51). This introduction of foreign products which in turn attempt to change or cause an effect to the domestic culture is referred to cultural imperialism. Despite the depth of the Australian contemporary culture, the Australian culture has become vulnerable to cultural imperialism. Cultural imperialism may not be a major cause of fear as it is not a sudden process but rather it takes time for its impacts to be felt (Beer 2012, p.273). A good example is Cricket, which has been a popular culture in the Australian culture despite it having originated from United Kingdom; the home-grown rules of the game are not adhered to despite Australia’s effort to spread them to other states (Taylor 2012, p.277). Australia contemporary culture is known to have mixed origins but this cannot be the only cause of cultural imperialism but rather the Australian community has been subjected to the “Americanization” process arising from goods that are imported (Beer 2012, p.274). The process of cultural imperialism does not take place instantly as recent studies suggest. For instance, people watching foreign television shows do not passively engage in the watching but rather actively engage in the cultural exchange process (Taylor 2012, p.278). The demand and supply factors in the market are a major cause of the cultural interaction, negotiation and transmission across different cultures. Resistance is also prevalent in the global factors in that some aspects of culture resist the process of commodification highly, for instance, language, ethical and political attachments, religion and personal relationships (Beer 2012, p.275). Terms like hybridization and creolisation have been used in cross-cultural studies to refer to how the local cultures have themselves imported products (Taylor 2012, p.280). For instance, products like Coca-Cola have been generally considered as a native drink for many countries that easily relieves someone from the thirst. This does not mean that Australia does not benefit from global business. There are also Australian products like the Foster beer which is famous in London as well as other products that are exported to Europe and have gained popularity through the Australians living in the diaspora (Taylor 2012, p.281). The main issue of concern is whether the local community whose culture is exploited benefits from such businesses. References Beer, A, 2012, The Economic Geography of Australia and Its Analysis: From Industrial to Post- Industrial Regions, Geographical Research, vol.50, no.3, pp 269–281. Bohnet, I, & Pert, P, 2010, Patterns, drivers and impacts of urban growth—A study from Cairns, Queensland, Australia from 1952 to 2031, Landscape and Urban Planning, vol.97, no.4, pp 239–248, Milner, A, McClure, R, Sun, J, Leo, D, 2011, Globalisation and suicide: An empirical investigation in 35 countries over the period 1980–2006, Health & Place, Vol. 17, no. 4, pp 996–1003. Taylor, A, 2012, More than Mobile: Migration and Mobility Impacts from the ‘Technologies of Change’ for Aboriginal Communities in the Remote Northern Territory of Australia, Mobilities Vol.7, no. 2, pp 269-294. Tonts, M. & Siddique, M, 2011, Globalisation, Agriculture and Development: Perspectives from the Asia-Pacific, Melbourne, Edward Elgar Publishing. Read More