Winners and losers of globalization

Globalization

Winners and losers of Globalization

When comparing the fortunes of the winners and losers of globalization, it might seem as if the United States has emerged as a clear winner. As a result of globalization, the U.S. has enjoyed peace and a wide variety of relatively low-cost goods and services from around the world. However, even this superpower has seen some of globalization's downside: jobs have been outsourced and exported overseas due to cheaper labor costs and a lack of transparency in the world financial market brought about the massive credit meltdown of recent memory.

The developing world has also seen some great benefits from globalization. India and China have expanded their economies. For the first time these nations have what could be called a real 'middle class' of individuals who can afford small luxuries. The "wage gap" between the developed and developing world is closing (Hill 2009, p.30). However, other nations in the developing world, critics allege, have been largely exploited as they are used to merely manufacture inexpensive goods for Western companies, without building up their own economic infrastructures. Furthermore, the availability of mass-produced inexpensive products may not be entirely beneficial for the United States, either. Members of the poor and lower middle class may buy cheaper goods at Wal-Mart that are made affordable through globalization (Hill 2009, p.28). But these Wal-Mart consumers work for lower wages in nonunionized service jobs (such as cashiers at Wal-Mart) rather than in unionized, manufacturing positions as they did in the past.

Environmental degradation in the form of industrialization is another 'commodity' the Western world has exported to other nations: China has rapidly become one of the world's most polluted nations. Global warming's rapid pace is at least partially due to the globalization of mass production. It could be argued that all nations are 'losers' environmentally, given the difficulty of regulating emissions internationally, or agreeing upon common guidelines. The United States disputes the existence of global warming; Japan demands that its whale-hunting industry be preserved as part of its national culture; members of the developing world say that it is not fair that their expansion should be regulated to preserve the environment, when the rest of the world has profited from exploiting their labor and natural resources.

Culturally, the legacy of globalization is more mixed. On one hand, connections online and through mass communication have opened up channels of tolerance and peace. To envision a change of government or way of life requires being exposed to new ideas, and globalization has opened many nation's eyes upon the benefits of freedom and choice, and provided a counterpoint to the state media of dictatorial regimes. But there is also the argument that globalization can dilute national cultures and homogenize them, as more and more people imitate others rather than celebrate their indigenous traditions. Furthermore, the West has exported beauty standards of physical perfection through movies, television, and fashion that often can be just as psychologically damaging internationally as it has been to the self-esteem of many young women in the West.