The extent and limitations of globalization

SOCIAL CHANGE 2012/13

SS4005

Coursework IV: Assessment Essay

The extent and limitations of globalization

Student ID:

23rd, April, 2013

Introduction

According to Albrow 1990, globalization can be defined as the processes by which people are incorporated into one community known as a global society. Friedman 2005 further confirms the assertion by stating that globalization entails the inexorable market integrations, transportation systems, and communication systems. Globalization has enabled people around the world to reach one another faster and cheaper. Stiglitz 2004 explains that globalization has resulted to closer integration of the nations and people as a result of the enormous decrease in communication and transport costs. The easier and faster access has been enhanced by the breakdown of various barriers across nations and markets. Regardless of the numerous advantages brought by globalization, the global integration of humanity has various disadvantages. The process has encouraged various regional unceasing problems for instance increased economic exploitations and social inequalities as witnessed in various regions (Hariss, 2008). The process has encouraged sweeping away changes on cultural, political and social environments. This paper analyses the extent and limitations of globalization as the process of formation of a global community.

The limitations of globalization

Individual level

Despite the fact that also fights for identity is commonly associated with political, economic and social spheres, and the process have impacts of personal lives. Bauman 2001 emphasis that disturbance on the personal level as witnessed in the globalization process can be attributed to the combined globalization impacts.

In the former communities, individual identity was determined by their position in the communal hierarchy. In the globalized world, an individual’s position is determined by birth. On the other hand, as a result of the common acceptance of principles that equates all people (Braman and Staden, 2000). The former hierarchies as witnessed in the traditional societies have melted down and lost their importance. As a result, Bauman 2001 and Taylor 1991 concur on this point and illustrate that the process has led to emancipation from former ties and flow of order and power.

In additional to the eradication of the former ties, the new era has encouraged the highest forms of individualism. Taylor 1991 emphases that although personal rights are regarded as most significance in the globalized world, the absolute freedom has led to various vices in the communities. The idea of freedom emphasizes that everybody has the freedom to create and recognize their authenticity. Additionally, although people in the modern era not only have the freedom to become what they would like, they have on the obligation to form part of the community and fulfill their duties. However, self-constitution as fuelled by the globalization, self-belonging as people no longer form societies, and self-transformation have led to negligence and lack of responsibilities (Bornman and Olivier, 2001). As a result, as tasted by Bauman 2001, the social position of individuals in the society has been replaced by habitual and mandatory self-determination. People no longer form part of communities. The process has not only reduced the communal ties, but has also led to melt down of places where people can access. Bauman 2001 illustrates this point by stating that globalization is a process and not just people on the move. He further says that globalization also leads to clearing of human tacks as well as the racks themselves.

Based on the aforementioned points, globalization has resulted to the collapse of sense of society (Bauman 2001a; Taylor 1991). The disappearance of communal ties has reinforced lack of communal dependency. The process has led to highly privatized and isolated persons defenseless and unprotected against state powers. In addition, as globalization has enhanced the options for identification on an individual level, the process has further contributed to identity fragmentation (Servaes, Lie & Terzis 2000). The forces in connection to the formation of identity are not limited to the local community, but have their origins from elsewhere ranging from local to global.

The national level

The process of globalization has far-reaching impacts on the position of various states and nations. Globalization has made global politics be nearly exclusively concerned with sustainable principles of full and unchallenged independence of every state (Bauman 1998 and Lacarrieu 1997).

As stated by Bauman 2001b, the act of building the nation can have two sides. The nationalist side normally means that different available measure employed to falsify an overarching state identity. As a result, various languages are normally replaced by one single language and the traditions and characters of various people in a nation are replaced by a single tradition. The formation of a single community deprives a nation its power of controlling it finances. The countries are no longer able to control capital and information flow through media across their borders. As a result of the unequal and uncontrollable free trade rules and flow of information and goods across borders, countries are no longer able to control trade.

The national border of various countries has thus become porous, and various states have been forced to impose their laws in control of information and goods flow. To function more successfully, numerous governments have been forced to enact laws and form alliances with other countries. The nations’ predicaments has been increased since many of transnational laws have been eradicated the process. The laws have become anonymous and thus hard to identify and control. Bauman 1998 further emphasizes that the loss of legislative and economic laws makes it hard for countries to control ideological and cultural mobilization of its citizens.

The reduction in power of the countries and legitimacy of the countries weakens the emotive and normative pledge to membership of a country. Various countries no longer enjoy the monopoly or personal or collective levels as they are challenged by global issue and forces. The undermining of countries laws and gradual replacement by global laws results to the revitalization of ethnicities that are believed to have died long ago (Braman, 1996). As a result, the country’s legitimacy and authority of a country are not only affected by external forces. The existence of ethnic Diasporas as a result of their permeability, overlapping and changing status challenges the hegemony of a country (Skinner 1999).

The sub-national level

Regardless of the emphasis son individualism, self-construction and self-assertion and much other disposable community offer in the current world. Securing one’s identifying calls for the sense of belonging. Various members in the community spend time looking for groups they can fit, in a globe where everyone is geared towards individuals and life ever changing.

One advantage of a community is that it gives a place where one can relax and feel safe from dangers. A community means an understanding of one another in the family and community. The understanding among community members acts and encourages togetherness; a tie that keep human together. The ties are essential for forming a unity among community members and so reduction in community vices. According to Barth 1969, the communities are responsible for giving security to its members. It is within the communities that the feeble are given protections as they feel the sense of belonging to a community. Additionally, guarding the unity of a society means preventing the communication channels with the whole world. However, globalization has led to shrinking of spatial and chronological limitations and enhanced global communications as a result of the transport developments. Moreover, the increased individualism and self-achievement in the globalised world, has led to the increase in handicapped societies in which members are normally based on personal achievements.

Globalization and unemployment

Globalization has had various impacts on the available jobs in numerous economies and thus has impacts on macro-economic variables for instance unemployment rate. The issue is more complex since the impacts of globalization can be different at both micro-economic and macro-economic levels. According to Michel et al., 2009, economic globalization may have impacts on the structure of jobs for instance the jobs’ distribution across economic activities in a country. Jobs related to given economic activities tend to go away as jobs related to other, perhaps other activities, are created as a result of changing competitive advantages and specializations patterns. The issue becomes complex because economic globalization may cause changes in job structures.

An example is seen in job composition for instance job mix consisting of skilled and unskilled employees. Michel et al., 2009 asserts that globalization is seen to affect the job composition. An example is seen in developed countries where low-skilled workers have been affected by standing revenues and rising unemployment as a result of competition from worker from undeveloped countries. In some states, the skilled in a country has faced stiff competition form other skilled labor causing unemployment. This has been witnessed where there have been many freelancing jobs and working form home jobs making any one work form any country.

Globalization affects an individual’s earnings in two ways. To start with, by enhancing efficiency of the economy, for instance its productivity, this results to enhanced incomes. Second, by increasing movement of goods and services easily across the borders may eventually lead to reduced income as competition becomes stiff. However, the latter seem more dominant as with globalization, people have moved to areas believed to have employments abandoning some areas (Michel et al., 2009). This has led to unbalanced economy in some countries and deprivation of manpower in other states. This is seen in developing countries where there has been a vast migration towards urban centers leading to congestion and eventually unemployment due to excess manpower.

Globalization leading to vices and violence

Globalization has led to free movement of goods and services across borders. Due to the formation of the international laws and opening of the border, it has been difficult to control goods and services entering and leaving a country. In most cases, illegal goods have crossed various borders. The internet interactions due to globalization has also encouraged sharing, and in some instances, poor vices have been shared. This has resulted to losing of former virtues and moral standards from individuals.

Globalization has led to an enhancement in the number of completion law issues that transcend national boundaries. As markets and competition rise and become more global oriented, so do anticompetitive situations. The economic impacts of globalization can easily pierce global boundaries and are not constrained by the presence of invisible territorial hindrance. An example is seen where various organizations may collude on a product market that extends beyond national boundaries (Bauman, 1998). The collusion between the two organizations will have impacts on the market and trading boundaries. The impacts when negative affects the whole trading region or the market share of the responsible company. In most case, the collusion between the two companies or organization has been to the benefit of the organization. However, in cases where the collusion proves fabulous measures are always taken.

Conclusion

In conclusion, globalization is the interconnectedness and independence of individuals, states and organization. Globalization has boosted interaction, intercommunication and improvement transport and communication channels across the globe. This has resulted to rise in flowing of goods and services across various borders, both locally and internationally. Based on various studies, globalization has had various advantages and disadvantages. Although the process of globalization started few decades ago, the phenomenon has spread extremely fast. The process has been enhanced by technology advancements and improved transport and communication channels. The free movement of goods and services has also led t reduced manpower and costs of products and services. In can be observed that globalization has led to various achievements as well as limitations. Majorly, globalization has led to enhanced communication and transport. Communication is essential for organizations and individuals in the movement of products and services. Through globalization, various organizations have been able to communicate cross-culturally having competitive advantages over their competitors. One major limitation of globalization is increased crime rates and vice. The easy and free sharing of information has led to spread of evil characters and weapons across the border. Various nations have not been able to control or monitor information shared over the internet. However, overall, it can be concluded that globalization has been of excellent importance. Its advantages outweigh its disadvantages and thus it is more important.

Bibliography

Bauman, Z. 1998. Globalization: the human consequences. Cambridge: Polity.

Bauman, Z. 2001a. The individualized society. Cambridge: Polity.

Bauman, Z. 2001b. Community: Seeking safety in an insecure world. Cambridge: Polity.

Bornman, E & Olivier, J. 2001. Patterns of social identification in the post-apartheid South Africa. Paper presented at the 2nd Biennial Congress of the International Academy for Intercultural Research, Oxford, Mississippi.

Braman, S. 1996. Interpenetrated globalization, in Globalization, communication and transnational civil society, edited by S Braman & A Sreberny-Mohammadi. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

Braman, S & Van Staden, C. 2000. Globalisation and culture. Study guide for Unit 12 of the Postgraduate Diploma in Telecommunications and Information Policy. Department of Communication, UNISA: Pretoria.

Michel A. Di Pietro, Esther Mirjam Girsberg Er, Alain Vuille (2009). The Impact of Globalisation on Employment. Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), Switzerland