Global Stratification Global Inequality

Global Stratification

Talk about colonialism and neocolonialism; who does it effect and how?

Colonialism was the old method that was adopted by the developed world to take over resources from the weaker nations in the world. The colonial powers took control over the area or the country where governments were weak and then ruled those places, extracting resources from them, as well as subjugating the population of that country to their foreign laws and regulations.

Neo-colonialism, on the other hand refers to the use of globalization, capitalism and international pressure to control another country's actions, as is apparent with U.S. actions today.

Neo-colonialism affects not only the weak states, but also the strong states, as can be seen through the global recession today. Capitalism is a fast spreading ideology, and as weaker nations too have adopted this strategy, stronger nations have felt the surge. This is because weaker nations are now becoming stronger, as their populations are huge and young which helps them to undercut costs in many ways and has led to the emergence of smaller regional players and stronger global players.

Colonialism was about military strength, neocolonialism is about economic strength.

2. Talk about multinational corporations from a conflict perspective and functionalist perspective.

Multinational corporations from a functionalist perspective are meeting the needs of customers across the globe. They are serving the purpose of producing goods and services and at the same time provide employment to the households and provide them with income and wages, which then performs its own function of helping households purchase what the need.

As far as the conflict perspective is concerned, the corporations, under this are promoting inequality and are making the rich investors even richer, while exploiting the poor by underpaying them. Under this school of thought, the corporations are run by the elite who are getting richer by extracting and hoarding resources, and at the same time are forcing the labor to work long hours and produce much more than their wages.

Keeping multinational corporations in consideration, in particular, under the conflict perspective, the companies are exploiting underdeveloped countries, polluting their environment and sending the returns back home, increasing income inequality on a global scale.

3. Is modernization always good for a society; what are some of the drawbacks to a world that is modernized, especially places that have not been for such a long time.

Modernization has its advantages and its disadvantages. Whereas modernization is considered to be the only way to progress, there are many drawbacks of modernization that make for leaders, decision-makers and people in general to re-consider the sacrifices that they are making in trying to modernize.

The biggest disadvantage of modernization is pollution and environmental degradation. In society's quest to progress, people and corporations have taken to using resources in a magnitude that it is alarming. The increasingly wasteful and wanting society is not stopping to consider the immense pressure natural resources are being put to, and are making the process unsustainable.

There is only talk of a green revolution, and the measures that are being taken are not enough to reverse the damage that has already been caused. Minimizing the damage is not the solution anymore, as indicated by the rising sea levels and the changing weather patterns.

For places that have not been modernized for a long time, the drawback lies in the fact that they have to lose their cultural values and norms quickly, and abandon their natural pace, to keep in line with the frantic pace that is dictated by the world today. The rat-race to grab as many resources as possible leaves the newly modernized places in doldrums, where they are stuck with trying to adjust to the new cultural and value norms along with trying to compete with global players.

4. Talk about mobility in industrial and developing nations.

Mobility in industrial and developing nations has risen, thanks to the technological advancements in telecommunications and travel. There seems to be almost a boundary less environment where multinationals are manufacturing all their various components in different parts of the world, and the labor force is becoming increasingly multicultural.

Outsourcing is a common norm, as is the immigration of workers to places where they feel there are more lucrative chances of employment. Industrial nations, with the potential that they offer for earning higher income are choice destinations for people from developing countries, where they feel that they do not have enough work opportunities. This leads to the brain drain, but the fact is now, the industrial nations are looking to the developing nations to manufacture their goods for them, and to provide them services, leading to mobility in resources as well.