Sociology of globalization in the developing world

Sociology of Globalization in the Developing World

As the world has penetrated into the epoch of twenty first century, the entire human race has witnessed transformations in various aspects of human life whether it is scientific, technological, social, political or economical. Amongst the innumerable revolutions, the phenomenon of globalization is amongst the few to mention, which includes a variety of events that have rapidly modified the entire globe. Globalization has made the world a much smaller place that has created numerous means of communication and interaction with one another with no time. Therefore, on a broad spectrum, it is usually declared that globalization is a worldwide phenomenon that has left a dramatic imprint on virtually every facet of human life (Ritzer, 2009).

The phenomenon of globalization usually refers to the change that has occurred on a worldwide platform in various sectors that include technological, economic, and culture. When the facilities such as intercommunication and interdependency expanded between the cultures that are traditionally isolated, it emerged the new concept of globalization (Ritzer, 2009).

With respect to the development of the societies on the global platform, the North and West have been observed to enjoy the benefits of globalization. However, the developing countries or the third world countries, especially situated at the Southern side of the globe have been observed to have escalating concern grows for the effect of globalization. This clearly indicates the fact that their ability to develop in association with the recent acceleration of globalization has become a growing concern, which has made this subject matter a hot topic of discussion and arguments with varying statements (Ritzer, 2009).

In this regard, the thesis statement is "Globalization isn't one process nor is it as universal as it is sometimes claimed to be." This statement has made the concept of globalization a controversial and popular issue. Therefore, in the recent times, increasing attention is being devoted to the subject matter of globalization particularly by the sociological, economic, political, and anthropological literatures. Moreover, the overall effects of globalization are a widely debated topic, which is usually based on the contemporary world affairs on a broad spectrum (Steger, 2010).

From one of the recent studies, it has come to notice that World Trade Organization has made a claim that the phenomenon of globalization is natural, universal, inevitable and evolutionary. This symbolizes the fact that according to the views of the advocators of globalization, this event results in the overall prosperity and growth to the entire populace of the world. However, in reality, this fact cannot be stated as true, as mostly the negative aspects have come to attention with respect to the effects of globalization when third world countries are talked about (Steger, 2010).

The overall effects of globalization on the third world countries particularly include the poverty level, unemployment and job insecurity and exploitation of labor. Moreover, rapid social change and suffering in association with environmental and ecological crisis, social disintegration, and conflict are few other major consequences that have been produced from the phenomenon of globalization on the third world countries. Furthermore, environmental hazards in association with environmental degradation are also caused by globalization that widely affected the economic conditions and other development activities of the third world (Kiely & Marfleet, 1998).

Considering the political manifestation of globalization on the developing countries, it has corroded the dominance of the nations according to some schools of thoughts. In fact, these people firmly believe that due to globalization, the world has come under the control on a global arena, which has resulted in nations losing their supremacy and preeminence over the financial markets. Consequently, the global marketplace and multinational corporations has taken over the control and dominance, which empowers them to capture the investment decisions, which was initially with the hands of the local enterprises (Rupert & Solomon, 2006).

As a result of globalization, the new levels of governance that has shifted to the international organizations include United Nations (UN), World Bank, World Trade Organization (WHO) and International Monetary Fund (IMF). These global institutions have emerged with the prime intention to provide assistance that can modernize the post-colonial nations and to help and support the nations' economies that have been frayed as a result of wars (Rupert & Solomon, 2006).

The advocators of globalization often pronounce and proclaim that this phenomenon has provided a wide opportunity for the entire populace of the world to have close integration with one another. Indeed, they also assert that barriers to free trade are also eliminated with the acceleration of globalization. This universally warm integration results in liberal democratic world with stable and secure economies. While on the other end of the spectrum, according to several perceptions, globalization is becoming an alarming situation and a serious threat for the economies of the developing nations. The threat is moreover a pressure of disinvestments from the global institutions or multinational corporations in case if the local organizations are not able to meet the demands (Lane, 2006).

Reports have revealed the fact that the developing countries or the third world nations are not usually leveraged with the occurrence of globalization because they have not made any valuable contribution in the setting up of the global institutions. Therefore, only the powerful nations of the West and North are subject to the favors of the global governance (Lane, 2006).

Where on one hand the advocator of globalization has proposed the fact that this event has revolutionized and urbanized many of the cities all over the world, the opponents strongly claim that this phenomenon has been a major reason for elevated poverty and inequality in the third world nations. With the concept of globalization, the two issues that have come to the forefront include poverty and inequality on worldwide basis (Kaplinsky, 2005).

Even though the opponents allege that with the emergence of globalization, the poverty and inequality rates on a universal basis have largely been decreased, however, in contrast to this opinion the proponents argue that these concepts are limited to the powerful and developed nations (Kaplinsky, 2005). In addition, these thoughts declare that since the dominant and industrialized nations have the power, they usually deregulate the countries with poor economies (typically the third world nations). As a consequence, these countries experience increased level of poverty and inequality, as the industrialized nations carry away the growing concentration of wealth (Held & Kaya, 2007).

Inequality in the developing world is segregated into various types that include economic, income, wealth, education and health. Since the interests of the poor nations in terms of its economies are left untouched, thus, its residents have to experience poor quality education with lesser good institutions and less means of healthcare access with poor services. Social, cultural and political aspects are also to consider when inequality is being talked about for the third world nations (Held & Kaya, 2007).

At one place, globalization is increasing more job opportunities for the labor force, as multinationals and other manufacturing industries are initiating their operations in the third world countries. This is characteristically due to the reason that labors are much cheaper with more specialized skills in such countries in comparison to the developed nations. Nevertheless, the job market for the white collar people or professionals is being decreased as the multinationals have their focuses on more towards the industrialized world for such operational activities. This means that the job opportunities for the professional people in such countries is diminishing, which is eventually increasing the poverty rate (Kiely & Marfleet, 1998).

The unemployment rates are also high in the poor economic countries and the third world as compared to the industrialized nations, which is again a prime reason of poverty in such areas. As the poor nations do not have such high technological means of transportation, thus most of the businesses are taken by the industrialized nations, as the world has become more globalized. Therefore, the unemployment rates are escalated, where the global institutions seek for professionals with competence and high skills from the developed nations (Kiely & Marfleet, 1998).

The gloomy side of the picture of globalization evidently portrays that it has driven the citizens of many nations into much deeper levels of poverty. The elevated levels of inequalities and poverty in the third world have also been highlighted by several nonprofit organizations (NGOs). Indeed, the NGOs have indicted and prosecuted the phenomenon of globalization, because according to these perceptions, globalization has intensified and aggravated the inequalities on a global arena. Moreover, the NGOs robustly claim that globalization is the major driving force that has raised the levels of poverty to an unprecedented rate (Collier, Dollar & World Bank, 2002).

From few of the empirical studies, overwhelming facts have been highlighted which cannot be overlooked. Exploitation of labors in the third world countries is one of the drastic realities of globalization. Even though the operations of many manufacturing industries run in the third world countries, which increases the employment for labors, but at the same time, child labor and prisoners are forced to work in sadistic working conditions and environment. Safety standards are highly ignored in order to save the overall costs and produce cheap goods and products (Collier, Dollar & World Bank, 2002).

The globalization has also intensified and elevated the level of competition due to which job insecurity, in particular has become one of the major determinants of globalization. While comparing the results of the previous and recent researches, one can easily enlighten that few decades back, employment was somewhat a permanent concept amongst the people in general and individuals had job security. However, globalization has completely changed the processes and employees nowadays confront job insecurity due to competitive nature of the job market. Moreover, the escalated level of competition has also reduced and cut down the salaries and additional benefits that the employees used to receive earlier. As an outcome of it, the standard of living has decreased to a great extent (Collier, Dollar & World Bank, 2002).

A very different picture of globalization has also come to the surface, where extensive range of studies have also brought a positive fact to the limelight that globalization has facilitated in increasing the standard of living for many nations around the world, which even includes the developing or third world countries. The living standard is raised in a way that many of the multinational corporations have instituted their manufacturing operations in such developing countries where they can find abundant of skilled and inexpensive labors. This clearly signifies the reality that the lower income level of people is getting more jobs, which is ultimately increasing the level of standards of living (Collier, Dollar & World Bank, 2002).

Another aspect that has come to the forefront from the empirical studies with the occurrence of globalization is the advancements in the technological arena that have been one of the essential reasons for the hindrance for poor economies, and simultaneously benefited the wealthy economic countries. Technological advancement has become one of the most essential and fundamental reasons that help the businesses to increase the speed of their transaction as well as investments and production (James, 2002).

Since wealthier economies have adequate resources as well as financial assistance, hence, they are able to regularly improve their existing technologies and upgraded their systems with the latest technological advancements. On the other hand, the third world states lack resources (in terms of finance) due to which they are often unable to make themselves updated with the most recent technological advancements. Consequently, these countries have to experience low productivity, which eventually begets them to live a life that is below standard and hence poverty level increases (James, 2002).

Since the third world nations are unable to cope up the latest technological advancements, thus they become incapable and less competitive in the global marketplace. This undoubtedly demonstrates the idea that with less technologically advanced products and goods, they are unable to compete with the giants that exists within the international market. Besides, small businesses in the developing world have no option left except to operate their businesses on local levels, which do not enable them to grow and reach their full potentials, as they are not able to compete on the global basis. As an outcome of it, the wealthier economies are harvesting the mainstream benefits of the global competition (James, 2002).

Recent studies with regard to the subject matter of globalization have again brought two sides of globalization to the third world nations. Looking at the positive aspect of globalization, it is encouraging more business ventures to enter the local boundaries of the third world nations, which is increasing their economic conditions. Nevertheless, the dark side of the notion highlights the fact that foreign international corporations are taking over the local businesses as well as industries. This means that the local businesses and industries are neither left with growth in their home country, nor hey have the opportunity to grow and proposer on the international platform, as they are too small to compete on the worldwide basis (James, 2002).

The international organizations do not benefit only on the economic platform of the third world nations, but their heavy investments and commercial activities on a wider platform provide them with the option to play a major role in the political sector as well. The political decisions are very much influenced by such multinational corporations and their increasing activities (James, 2002).

In view of negative impacts of globalization on the third world nations, one of the appalling facets have also come to notice that globalization is not only leaving an effect on the political and economic conditions, but the environmental conditions of many of the third world countries have become vulnerable. In other words, globalization has resulted in adverse environmental splurge in the third world countries. It means that the manufacturing industries that have initiated their operations in the third world nations are becoming the major reasons for waste and pollution (in terms of both land and water) (James, 2002).

Studies and researches have also highlighted the piece of information that the idea of globalization also creates a huge impact on the cultural aspect of the third world country. This can be elucidated from the fact that the introduction of American fast food such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut and so forth have taken over the traditional foods of the local country of the third world and is greatly challenging the local culture. The food is one of the major aspects of the culture, which has become vulnerable to the introduction of such developed nations' cultural foods, as a result of globalization (Haynes, 1999).

Moreover, quite a few studies have also drawn the attention to the fact that the culture of the developed nations have spread to almost every nation of the world, as the world has become a more globalized channel. The ever increasing means and ways of communication and technology have exposed the citizens of the third world nations to the cultures of the North and West through the medium of televisions and internet. This transfer of culture in a negative manner is eroding the local culture and traditions of the third world countries. People are forgetting their customary practices and traditions, as they have enveloped the new culture. This evidently portrays the idea that negative aspects of foreign culture are being transferred, which is impeding the local cultures (Haynes, 1999).