Criticism of globalization is skepticism of the claimed benefits of globalization. Many of these views are held by the anti-globalization movement.
Globalization has created much global and internal unrest in many
countries. While the dynamics of capitalism is changing and each country
is unique in its political makeup, globalization is a set-in-stone
"program" that is difficult to implement without political unrest.
Globalization can be partly responsible for the current global economic
crisis. Case studies of Thailand and the Arab nations' view of
globalization show that globalization is a threat to culture and
religion, and it harms indigenous people groups while multinational
corporations profit from it. Although globalization has promised an
improved standard of living and economic development, it has been
heavily criticized for its production of negative effects. Globalization
is not simply an economic project, but it also heavily influences the
country environmentally, politically, and socially as well.
Economic impacts
Limitations on growth
The founder of Local Futures (formerly the International Society for Ecology and Culture), Helena Norberg-Hodge, has suggested that globalization does not work for all the economies that it affects and that it does not always deliver the economic growth that is expected of it.
Globalization has been described as an "uneven process" in Africa
due to the global integration of some groups happening alongside the
marginalization or exclusion of others. Therefore, the worldwide trade
will have the restrictions on the growth of economy.
Global Economic Crisis
The Global Economic Crisis,
the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, can be partially
attributed to neoliberal globalization. Although globalization promised
an improved standard of living, it has actually worsened the financial
situation of many homes and has made the financial crisis global through
the influences of international financial institutions such as the
World Bank. Globalization limits development and civilization to a path
that only leads to a Western and capitalistic system. Because of the
political and structural differences in countries, the implementation of
globalization has been detrimental for many countries.
Political impacts
Globalization as American hegemony
John
Gray described globalization as a post-Cold War American triumphalism,
and stated “global laissez faire is an American project.” Globalization
is a project in which American ideals and values are executed and
implemented into other countries. However, this effort has been
criticized, mainly by the examination of America today. In America,
there are high levels of economic and social inequalities as the gap
between the rich and poor are great. Furthermore, America has the
highest rates of incarceration, and anxiety due to economic uncertainty
is great. The criticism that follows is that the implementation of the
American system into other countries may reproduce these negative
effects.
Power of transnational corporations
Globalization has fueled the rise of transnational corporations,
and their power has vaulted to the point where they can now rival many
nation states. Of the world's one hundred largest economies, forty-two
of them are corporations.
Many of these transnational corporations now hold sway over many nation
states, as their fates are intertwined with the nations that they are
located in.
Also, transnational corporations could offer massive influence regarding the Third World,
and bring about more pressure to help increase worker salaries and
working conditions in sweatshops. However, these corporations are often
transnational specifically to take advantage of different labor laws,
which they can keep implemented with their influence and exploit for
their gain. On account of doing the business globally, transnational
corporations have the huge influence in many nation states.
In the process of implementing globalization in developing
countries, the creation of winners and losers are often predetermined.
Multinational corporations often benefit from globalization while poor,
indigenous locals are negatively affected. The power of transnational
companies inflicts a major threat for indigenous tribes. Transnational
companies have exploited local family land for their businesses.
Globalization can be seen as a new form of colonization or imperialism,
as economic inequality and the rise in unemployment have followed with
its implementation. Globalization has been criticized for benefiting
those who are already large and in power at the risk and growing
vulnerability of the countries’ indigenous population. Furthermore,
globalization is non-democratic, as it is enforced through top-down
methods.
Sovereignty
Globalization
requires a country to give up its sovereignty for the sake of executing
Western ideals in its country. As a result, sovereignty only belongs to
a select few: those whose views and ideals are being implemented. In
the name of free markets and with the promise of an improved standard of
living, countries give up their political and social powers to
international organizations.
Thus, globalization causes the greater empowerment of these
international organizations and the diminishing influence of local state
institutions.
Environmental impacts
Damage from transnational corporations
International trade in petroleum products has expanded significantly over the past decades through globalization so that the environmental problems in Nigeria
have been deteriorated. As the international trade in petroleum
products keeps increasing, there is also corresponding increase in
activities in the petroleum industry to meet the requirement of the ever
increasing demand for petroleum products. As a result, it gives rise to
the environmental pollution. The petroleum is toxic to almost all forms
of life and its extraction fuels climate change including air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, land degradation and erosion.
Infectious diseases
Infection
is the invasion of an organism's body tissues by disease-causing
agents, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to these
organisms and the toxins they produce. Infectious diseases, also known
as transmissible diseases or communicable diseases, kill more people
worldwide than any other single cause. Infectious diseases are caused by
germs, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi. Germs are tiny
living things that are found everywhere in air, soil and water. One can
get infected by touching, eating, drinking or breathing something that
contains germs. Infectious diseases, such as SARS and Ebola, have
traveled across the world due to increased world trade and tourism.
Invasive organisms
As International commerce develops new trade routes, markets and products Globalization facilitates the spread of invasive species.
The modern technology offer the opportunity that human and commodities
can move around the world. On account of the development of new source,
larger and faster ships and increased air transport, the commercial
trade propels rising annual and cumulative rates of invasion.
Case study of Thailand’s Pak Mun River
In the late 1970s and 1980s, hydropower
dam projects were conducted in order to recreate Thailand’s economy
into an export-oriented economy. The projects were funded by loans from
the World Bank and was part of globalization efforts. The local
villagers whom the project would directly affect were not notified, and
the World Bank disregarded their concerns. As a result of the building
of the dams, villages that heavily depended on the river lost their
livelihood and their means of economic gains (i.e., fishing). The
projects contaminated the river, which made the river unfit for
villagers to drink, bathe, and do laundry without experiencing negative
health conditions such as rashes. Furthermore, the projects resulted in
the extinction of 40 edible plant species, 45 mushroom species, and 10
bamboo species, all of which the income of the local markets were
dependent on, some of which were important for medical usage.
Furthermore, the decline in fish population exterminated fishermen’s
ways of life, as 169 different fish species were affected and 56 species
became extinct. The globalization efforts in Thailand resulted in
environmental impacts that affected the social and economic welfare of
indigenous populations.
Agriculture
With
the centralization of agriculture throughout the world, food must go
exceptionally long distances to reach consumers. As a result,
transportation of goods increases, an industry which is a major
contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Social impacts
Growing inequality
The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, put forward globalization as a factor of an increase in the inequality of outcomes in societies.
Globalization has been one of the main causes of the increase in inequality in many countries in the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. These countries, including the United States, Canada, and Argentina, have faced an increase in inequality by between one-half to one-third between the 1970s and the late 1990s.
Loss of languages
Acceleration in language death has been attributed to globalization, and is predicted to continue.
Prejudice
Professor Conor Gearty, of the London School of Economics, has suggested that global freedom of movement, brought on by globalization, has increased the scope for prejudice within societies.
Psychological impacts
Identity
The
collision between global and local cultures have created challenges in
adapting to and reconciling the two. Globalization and the introduction
of the Western culture in different countries have shown to produce
bicultural identities, identity confusion, and self-selected cultures.
Bicultural identity
is defined as one adapting to the global culture while simultaneously
being familiar with local traditions. As a result, two identities are
formed: global identity and local identity. One’s global identity allows
for him/her to participate and succeed globally by being able to relate
to those outside of his/her local sphere. One’s local identity allows
him/her to still be relevant to family and friends nearby. Often, those
experiencing globalization in their country are seen to develop a hybrid identity, an identity in which merges their global and local identities. This can also be seen with immigrants.
However, adapting to both cultures may be difficult, especially
if the distance between the two cultures is great. In these cases,
globalization may cause identity confusion, preventing the proper
development of identity and self. Similarly, globalization may create a crisis in which John Berry calls “marginalization,”
in which one is unable to identify with local culture due to the heavy
exposure of globalization and Western influences; however he/she is also
excluded from the global culture as well.
The implementation of globalization requires a certain degree of
culture shedding, as global culture alters and disrupts the preexisting
local culture. This also leads to identity confusion, primarily in
adolescents.
Cultural impacts
Urban and adolescent issues
Many
times, in countries where globalization is introduced, problems that
arise among adolescents are often blamed to the intrusion of Western culture and ideals through globalization. Adolescents are most vulnerable and receptive to the introduction of new cultures. Developing countries
where Western values and technology have been introduced are more aware
of current events taking place in other countries, and adolescents and
youths can be seen copying American fashion and music styles. Therefore, Western media is blamed for the rise in premarital sex and teenage pregnancies that follow when globalization is introduced.
Globalization claims to have improved countries’ global status.
However, companies attempting to compete globally have exploited
workers, and global competition has been achieved through poor working
conditions. Furthermore, due to global influences, juvenile crimes have increased because of the disruption of traditional norms.
Arab and Muslim countries
The
Arab and Islamic countries see globalization as an attempt to instill
Western superiority and a threat to the preservation of their cultural
identity. Although differing views of globalization exist among Arab
nations, a large percentage of Muslims see it to be imperialistic and a cultural invasion that attempts to destroy their heritage and cultural beliefs.
Despite the differing opinions of globalization, almost all acknowledge and believe that globalization is simply Americanism— the implementation of American cultures and ideals into other countries.
Globalization is especially threatening to Arab nations because
Islam is not simply a religious practice, but it dominates laws and
social norms such as marriages and spending habits. Since globalization
is seen to be a way of secularizing
a nation, Muslims also see it as a cultural and religious invasion,
requiring the separation of religion and daily life. Radicalists see it
as a perversion of pure Islamic doctrine, as globalization is seen to
merge the domain of Islam (Dar al-Islam) and the domain of infidelity (Dar-al-Kufr).
The Western influence on media is also unwelcome. The Western
control of media is viewed as a way to brainwash young Muslims to strip
them of their nationality and cultural heritage. They also oppose the
creation of a new, global, hegemonic culture, referencing the Quran
(49:13) which states that God has purposefully divided mankind into
different nations and tribes. Arab intellectuals have stated that
globalization rids the earth of human cultural diversity and
civilizations’ peculiarities, which many see as barbaric. Authors and
publishers have expressed fear of Western ideals penetrating their
nations.
