Understanding Globalization

What is Globalization• Globalization in a common sense can be defined as a flow of ideas, cultures, products,

people across boundaries. Globalization as a phenomenon has not been new to the world, but it is this globalization that had driven explorers to go across to new lands and indulge in trading, introducing their products to the new inhabitants who were totally alien to the culture or the products that the explorers brought with them.

• It seeks to capture the dramatic shift where states rather than forming relations with one another, are no linger just confined to being interdependent. But, they have with time tried to come in touch with the “global community” with no boundaries and the facilitation of trade has enabled fostering stronger ties thus enabling human and economic prosperity and “poverty”

Globalization as seen by Theorists• Realists - Globalization does not alter the most significant feature of world politics, such

as territorial division of the world into Nation – States. The increased interconnectedness between economies and societies has led to increase in dependency, it has however not led to it overpowering the state system.

• Liberalists -Globalization as the end product of a long running transformation of world politics. Globalization as seen by the Liberalists fundamentally undermines realist accounts of world politics since it shows that the states are no longer central actors as they once were. Liberalists are more inclined towards revolution in technology and communications due to globalization.

• Marxists - Globalization as a bit of sham. It nothing new, but is only the latest stage of development of international capitalism. Neither is it a qualitative shift in world politics nor does it render the concepts or theories redundant. Above all it is a Western – led capitalism phenomenon which further leads to development of global capitalism. Rather than making the world look alike, it rather deepens the existing divides between the core, periphery and semi – periphery.

This is in fact true as it was the pressure from the powerful institutions such as World Bank and International Monetary Fund which led to the liberalization process of the Indian Economy.

• Constructivists - Globalization as an external force acting on states which according the leaders cannot be challenged. It underestimates the ability to shape globalization and instead accept the way the world is framed.

Schools of ThoughtAccording to Held and McGrew globalization has been placed under three schools of thought namely:

I. Hyperglobalites - focus on the economic globalization which argues in favor of denationalization of the economies and thereby controlling markets which would transcend state control which leads to loss of autonomy and sovereignty for the state.

II. Skeptics - question the idea of globalization itself. What is global about globalization? If the above question cannot be justified, then the concept validity is lost and not specific

III. Transformationalists - argue that globalization has structural consequences and is a driving force in society which influences political, social and economic change where we have a structural change and social global shift with respect to how power and authority is organized.

History of Globalization• The economic growth paradigms between 1950 till about 1990 were divided

• Keynesian Economics – Eastern Europe and South Asia. Gave clear recognition to the role of the state with greater control over the development process with stricter regulations regime

• Countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Western Europe believed in a Free Market Economy as an important tool of growth which reduced the state’s role and deregulation of financial markets.

• Division into Socialist bloc and the Capitalist bloc during the 1990. The Socialist bloc took the neoclassical route to development while the Capitalist bloc took the inward route and closed the door for outside trade

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS• The first impact seen on languages. Over time there has been a decrease in the number of

languages spoken. Linguists have put the figure at 10,000 spoken languages have existed. This reduced to 6000 languages by 1.5 billion languages. But in the recent scenario 6 billion of the world’s population speak less than 4000 languages and many of these are not taught to the children. It is anticipated that by 2100 half of the world’s language will be lost. With the coming globalization there has been dominance of English language.

• Bird and Stevens (2003) have mentioned the monopolization of the choices that people make. There has been an evolution of McDonalisation, Coca – Cola forms an important drink of all households in the Indian households to be precise, there has been a shift in the demand for foreign brands such Levis, Denim rather than the clothes that are home made.

• Even when we look at the media choices made by the consumers, there is more of a preference for News Channels like CNN or BBC or any international news channel or when we refer to online newspapers, the most common newspapers that we look at is Wall street Jornal, The Telegraph, Washington Post to name a few.

• This is something that the individuals irrespective of the nationality they belong to. The fundamental shifts in attitudes, values, norms and behaviors of the new culture are necessary to be understood before absorbing the new culture. People need to introspect how they are seen by the members of that culture or by themselves.

• There has been weakening of the State system leading to the reduction in the capacity of the state to protect the interests of the people. To make the long argument short, people against the idea of globalization are trying to pitch for self-reliance and are keen on preserving their old culture and traditions which they fear has been gradually degraded or is on the verge on becoming extinct.

• Desai, 2005 in his essay Development and Nationhood talks about the realistic view of looking upon India as a single unitary view and following a path of development in a diverse country like India where the development did not benefit the backward classes and sections and that the Planned development as adopted by India would benefit only the upper classes.

Political ImplicationsGlobalization – Paradigm or a Phenomenon?

It is NOT a Paradigm.

Origins of globalization can be traced to capitalism. Moreover the need for co – operation and accommodate global community is also the reason behind the emergence of phenomenon.

Criticisms

• Widening of the economic gap

• Exploitation of the third world countries

• Degradation of cultures, customs and morale

• Terror sans frontiers

• Partial loss of state control

• Ecological damage

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