Globalisation benefits everyone
Academic Communication
Group F
Becom year 1

Globalisation benefits everyone

Globalization is defined as “the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets”. (htt64) In both economical and cultural circumstances, people benefit from globalization, but to a certain extent. Globalization can help science, communication between people worldwide, free trade and better choice for consumers. Globalization however, leads to the disappearing of language, tradition, singular identity and tracks of people’s roots.

Economy benefits from globalization because of the easier ways to trade and assembling products. Globalization can help industries to find and develop resources, be more eco-friendly, learn how to be competitive, create more jobs and make the prices for consumers cheaper. This happens because if an industry needs to face the world market without being protected by trading barriers, it needs to be efficient and competitive in order to survive. Big industries become generally more eco-friendly in order to have a good reputation and be self-sufficient. An example could be the Ferrero enterprise that has the “goal of sourcing 100% sustainable cocoa by 2020 and to achieve independence” (httFe). The liberty of expanding big industries freely to other countries could though destroy small businesses that can’t face competition. Furthermore, it could bring to an increase of exploitation of resources and wars for them. If one’s industry is free to move to a place were non renewable resources are cheaper, every other multinational industry with its same necessity would do it. This would lead to scarcity and fight for energy. “Oil is especially valued. No one’s sure how much is left. America, China, Russia and other major nations want control over as much as possible. They’re going all out to get it” (Lendman 2013)

Although globalization is positive for big businesses and companies that are already known worldwide, it could be really hard for sunrise ones. Economics of scale or competitive advantage are the characteristics needed to produce at lower cost of production. Generally, they cannot be gained immediately. Globalization would thus bring to small businesses declination and could lead to overspecialization of others.

Consumers can only benefit form globalization. Given that, with globalization, consumers have a greater choice on the products they want to buy, this can only work to their advantage and interest. As the law of demand states: as the price goes down, the quantity demanded goes up, the products that cost less have, most of the time, greater success. This could lead to unemployment were, for example, labour is more expensive and industries cannot be competitive. The government at that point should subsidize some industries; the aim is to reduce unemployment and insure greater assistance to them. We must consider that effective solutions, even if they are planned correctly, take time to reach their aim and if there is unemployment and the economy is decreasing, government must increase taxes penalizing all citizens of a nation.

Globalization makes people more aware of what is happening around the world. With globalization and propaganda, people are more aware of what is happening: news, history, truth. For instance, people who live in countries where civil rights are not respected can be informed about privileges in the other nations and try to obtain them themselves. This would be positive for the population but could lead to chaotic revolutions and civil wars. For instance, a movement that fights women rights in Arab countries started in October 2011 is now spreading all over the middle east. The movement is called “The Uprising of Women in the Arab World” and it is defined as “an Intifada which is a free secular space for constructive dialogue and fearless listening about women’s rights in the Arab world.” (htt63) Globalization can make people interact worldwide but will lead to the disappearing of languages and make people lose track of their roots. Nowadays, in most of the world countries English is taught as a second language. This permits new generations to talk and understand each other. New generations should therefore know at least two languages: their own and a second one. No importance is given instead to local dialects that will completely disappear in a few generations time. It could be believed that most of the language will disappear sooner or later and there will be a couple of official ones worldwide. To be able to communicate universally is positive: this reduces the possibility of misinterpretations. For example: “During the Cold War, miscommunication between U.S. and Soviet leaders could have been catastrophic in its consequences” (Misinterpretation of Communication s.d.) But it’s a pity as well to lose track of where you come from. It makes people loose their identity. Globalization makes people lose their socio-cultural identity. In the short term, globalization can make one discover habits of other courtiers: food, religion…but in the long term, as technology advances even in developing countries, all of the world may become more occidental therefore with not a real identity. This does not hold true for everywhere though, it is improbable that they will ever build one hundred flour’ skyscraper in Venice. Globalization has therefore positive and negative consequences. If it is not governed properly, it makes rich people richer and poor people poorer. This phenomenon needs therefore to be controlled correctly. The international communication is great but people shouldn’t deny their origins but, it’s an accomplished fact that cannot be stopped because of the evolution of humanity.