Globalization is not a new phenomenon. Trade between
two distant territories is happening since centuries via sea. Industrial
Revolution played a major role in speeding up this process in the last two centuries. The term ‘Globalization’ is quite complex to
define because it involves so many aspects. Definition of globalisation also varies in emphasis
from the economic and technological to the socio-cultural and political.
Globalisation is neither singular
condition nor a linear process, rather it is the best thought of as a
multidimensional phenomena involving diverse domains of activity and
interaction, including the economic, political, technological, military, legal,
cultural and environmental.
- So,
let's have a look upon some of the definitions of Globalizations.
The concept of
globalization has been explained by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) as
‘the growing economic interdependence of countries worldwide through increasing
volume and variety of cross border transactions in goods and services and of
international capital flows and also through the more rapid and widespread
diffusion of technology.’ In
a broad overview definition, “globalization is the worldwide process of
homogenizing prices, products, wages, rates of interest and profits.
Sheila
L. Croucher argues that “globalization can be described as a process by which
the people of the world are unified into a single society and function
together. This process is a combination of economic, technological,
socio-cultural and political forces.
The
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia in 2002 reports
that: Globalization is a widely-used a term that can be defined in a number of different ways. When used in an
economic context, it refers to the reduction and removal of barriers between
national borders in order to facilitate the flow of goods, capital, services
and labour. Globalization is not a new phenomenon. It began in the late
nineteenth-century, but its spread slowed during the period from the start of
the First World War until the third quarter of the twentieth century. This
slowdown can be attributed to the inward-looking policies pursued by a number
of countries in order to protect their respective industries, however, the pace
of globalization picked up rapidly during the fourth quarter of the twentieth
century.
Tomlinson defines globalization simply as “complex
connectivity,” the expansion of social ties across the planet. As we travel
more easily through space, interact with others across vast distances, receive
information from near and far, our sense of who “we” necessary change as
well. Globalization “alters the context of meaning construction.
According to Anthony Giddens “Globalization can be
defined as the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant
localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring
many miles away and vice versa.”
Martin khore's definition of
globalisation is what we see in the Third World have for several centuries
called colonization.
Globalization has made a huge impact on thinking across the
Humanities, redefining the understanding of fields such as communication,
culture, politics and literature., the impact of globalization on its culture
and literature is quite significant. the discipline of literary studies is
undergoing a dramatic transformation.
Modern technologies such as satellite communications
and World Wide Web have made a drastic change in dissemination of various forms
of literature and quite irrelevantly information explosion has played a central
role in the distribution of social and cultural packages all around the globe. People
can even read novels, poetry, short stories, song and play online now. a person
in India can read Dostoevsky or Anton Chekhov in his own language and vice
versa. Russian student can look of
Indian author on the internet. With globalization, it is nearly impossible to
stop the spread of ideas, because its very nature brings to light the
interconnectivity of all individual.
The economy of India had undergone significant
policy shifts at the beginning of the 1990s. This new model of economic reforms
is commonly known as the LPG or Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization
model. P V Narasimha Rao, then Prime Minister initiated ground-breaking
economic reforms & Dr. Manmohan Singh, then Finance Minister played a
key role in implementing these reform policies. since then India is going through a rapid transformation.
- Cultural
and Social Dimensions of Globalization
Every coin has two sides. Similarly, Globalization is
also one of the hotly debated issues because of its advantages and
disadvantages. Proponents of globalization believe it allows developing
countries to catch up to industrialized nations through increased
manufacturing, diversification, economic expansion, and improvements in
standards of living. Outsourcing by companies brings jobs and technology to
developing countries. Trade initiatives increase cross-border trading by
removing supply-side and trade-related constraints. Globalization has advanced
social justice on an international scale, and advocates report that it has
focused attention on human rights worldwide (Kopp). Globalization
detractors argue that it has created a concentration of wealth and power in the
hands of a small corporate elite which can gobble up smaller competitors around
the globe. Globalization has become a polarizing issue in the U.S. with the
disappearance of entire industries to new locations abroad. It's seen as a
major factor in the economic squeeze on the middle class. globalization has
also increased homogenization (Kopp).
On one hand, globalization has created new jobs and
economic growth through the cross-border flow of goods, capital, and labour. On
the other hand, this growth and job creation is not distributed evenly across
industries or countries (Kopp).
Globalization motives are idealistic, as well as
opportunistic, but the development of a global free market has benefited large
corporations based in the Western world. Its impact remains mixed for workers,
cultures, and small businesses around the globe, in both, developed and emerging
nations (Kopp).
Nowadays all local
cultures are merging into each other and global culture is emerging out of
that. Technology has played a key role in making this cultural change at a great
pace. cultural boundaries are swept away by fax machines, internet, satellites,
and cable TV. The mixture of GLOBAL and LOCAl culture has created new GLOCAL
culture.
As John Tomlinson conceives, “the impact of
globalization in the cultural sphere has, most generally, been viewed in a
pessimistic light. Typically, it has been associated with the destruction of
cultural identities, victims of the accelerating encroachment of a homogenized,
westernized, consumer culture. This view tends to interpret globalization as a
seamless extension of – indeed, as a euphemism for – western cultural
imperialism.” An alternative perspective on cultural globalization emphasizes
the transfiguration of worldwide diversity into a pandemic of Westernized
consumer culture. Some critics argue that the dominance of American culture
influencing the entire world will ultimately result in the end of cultural
diversity. Such cultural globalization may lead to a human monoculture. This
process, understood as cultural imperialism, is associated with the destruction
of cultural identities, dominated by a homogenized and westernized, consumer
culture. The global influence of American products, businesses and culture in
other countries around the world has been referred to as Americanization. This
influence is represented through that of American-based television programs
which are rebroadcast throughout the world. Major American companies such as
McDonald's and Coca-Cola have played a major role in the spread of American
culture around the globe. Terms such as Coca-colonization have been coined to
refer to the dominance of American products in foreign countries, which some
critics of globalization view as a threat to the cultural identity of these
nations (Wikipedia). It is generally believed that western culture is overpowering the local culture. The traditional way of living life is diminishing and
more Americanized or Westernized way of living is becoming prominent
everywhere. Culture and customs, Food habit, festivals, dressing, games, work
culture, education and much more are changing very fast. More number of people
are craving for the life Europeans or Americans live. So, in that sense, one can
say that we are living in the era of Neocolonialism.
Claiming that
“globalization actually proliferates rather than destroys identities,”
Tomlinson elaborates more on the claim “that globalization actually generates
identity – and, indeed, in some circumstances, it produces too much identity.”
This is a very interesting observation by Tomlinson that how globalization is
creating so many identities. Earlier it was so that one’s identity was very
limited as per language, caste, or Nation. But in the era of globalization, all
these things are changing very fast.
“Globalization can be
defined as the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant
localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring
many miles away and vice versa.” Such a definition reminds us of how the social
dimension of globalization is characterized variously from different
viewpoints. Through another standpoint, we can say that the social dimension of
globalization “refers to the impact of globalization on the life and work of
people, on their families, and their societies.
As far as the role of
culture in the global process is concerned, there are mainly two approaches. One
focuses on the globalization’s positive consequences: here globalization is
defined as “a process in which goods and people, ideas and behaviours,
technology and information are freely exchanged and disseminated between
different cultures worldwide.”42 Accordingly, then the economic side of
globalization is “de-emphasized” and just “another instance of cultural
diffusion or hybridization” is conceived. It is believed that “the most
sophisticated version of cultural globalization is given by Malcolm Waters‟
theorem, which purports that while material exchanges localize and political
exchanges internationalize, symbolic exchanges globalize.
Globalization is a term
that is used in many ways, but the principal underlying idea is the progressive
integration of economies and societies. It is driven by new technologies, new
economic relationships and the national and international policies of a wide
range of actors, including governments, international organizations, business,
labour and civil society.
Broadly speaking, the
process of globalization has two aspects. The first refers to those factors -
such as trade, investment, technology, cross-border production systems, flows
of information and communication - which bring societies and citizens closer
together.
The second refers to
policies and institutions, such as trade and capital market liberalization,
international standards for labour, the environment, corporate behaviour and
other issues, agreements on intellectual property rights, and other policies
pursued at both the national and international level which support the
integration of economies and countries. In terms of the latter aspect, the
existing pattern of globalization is not an inevitable trend - it is at least
in part the product of policy choices. While technological change is
irreversible, policies can be changed. Technological advances have also widened
the policy choices available.
The social dimension of
globalization refers to the impact of globalization on the life and work of
people, on their families, and their societies. Concerns and issues are often
raised about the impact of globalization on employment, working conditions,
income and social protection. Beyond the world of work, the social dimension
encompasses security, culture and identity, inclusion or exclusion and the
cohesiveness of families and communities.
Globalization brings
new potentials for development and wealth creation. But there are divergent
views and perceptions among people as concerns its economic and social impact, and
indeed widely varying impacts on the interests and opportunities of different
sectors and economic and social actors. Some argue that the present model of
globalization has exacerbated problems of unemployment, inequality and poverty,
while others contend that globalization helps to reduce them. Of course, these
problems predated globalization, but it is clear that for globalization to be
politically and economically sustainable, it must contribute to their
reduction. Hence the goal of globalization which meets the needs of all
people.
Cultural globalization
refers to the transmission of ideas, meanings, and values around the world in
such a way as to extend and intensify social relations. This process is marked
by the common consumption of cultures that have been diffused by the Internet,
popular culture media, and international travel. This has added to processes of
commodity exchange and colonization which have a long history of carrying
cultural meaning around the globe. The circulation of cultures enables
individuals to partake in extended social relations that cross national and
regional borders. The creation and expansion of such social relations is not
merely observed on a material level. Cultural globalization involves the
formation of shared norms and knowledge with which people associate their
individual and collective cultural identities. It brings increasing
interconnectedness among overview.
The World Commission on
the Social Dimension of Globalization (WCSDG) is one of those organizations
which aims at making globalization a fairer and more suitable process for all.
As
stated in the working paper No.24 for the 2004 sessions of WCSDG, certain
objectives were delineated to be achieved: [Commission’s] broad goals were: to
identify policies for globalization that reduce poverty, foster growth and
development in open economies, and widen opportunities for decent work; to
explore ways to make globalization inclusive, so that the process can be seen
to be fair for all, both between and within countries; to promote a more
focused international dialogue on the social dimension of globalization; to
build consensus among key actors and stakeholders on appropriate policy
responses; and to assist the international community forge greater policy coherence
in order to advance both economic and social goals in the global economy.
A large number of people
are migrating and travelling across the world which plays a vital role in cross-cultural exchanges. Technology is also helping in integrating newer culture
with each other. A visible aspect of the cultural
globalization is the diffusion of certain cuisines such as American fast-food
chains. The two most successful global food and beverage outlets, McDonald's
and Starbucks, are American companies often cited as examples of globalization,
with over 36,000 and 24,000 locations operating worldwide respectively as of 2015.The
Big Mac Index is an informal measure of purchasing power parity among world currencies
(Wikipedia). Social impact of globalisation
includes effect on life and work of people, on their families and societies. It
also includes an impact on employment, working conditions, income and social
protection, security, culture and identity and the cohesiveness of families and
communities.
Thus, Globalization is a very complex phenomenon affecting each and every corner of the world.
Works Cited
Anthony Giddens, The Consequences of Modernity, Cambridge:
Polity Press, 1990. p.64.
Bernhard G. Gunter and Rolph van der Hoeven, Foreword, “The
Social Dimension of Globalization: A Review of the Literature,” Working Paper
No. 24. Policy Integration Department, World Commission on the Social
Dimension of Globalization, International Labor Office: Geneva, June
2004.p.iii.
Kopp, Carol M.
"Globalization." 30 04 2020. Investopediahttps://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/globalization.asp. 09 08 2020.
Wikipedia
contributors. "Cultural globalization." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 20 Jul. 2020. Web. 12 Aug. 2020.
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