The Impacts of Globalization
As humans, we usually tend to ask about each other and try to exchange new ideas. In our new world, this human’s habit has become easier than before, and that caused by the new technologies and mass media. People like the new interconnection in the world because it allows them to contact whoever they want wherever they are. Despite the benefits, there are some drawbacks of globalization, and the two main drawbacks are cultural and economic.
Cultural threat is one of the reasons that make people worried about globalization. Some people are worried because they believe that their traditional culture may be in risk because of foreign influence such as the immigrants, who came to their country. Pew attitudes Project’ survey (2007), which covered more than 45,000 people around the global, demonstrated that most people in the countries surveyed are concerned about their culture traditions from immigrations. They think it may affect their national identity by immigrants bringing their culture with them. Also, there are some people who think about globalization from a different aspect. They think that their traditions may disappear from people who left their countries. For example, many young people from Paracho, Mexico are leaving the city toward America in order to find jobs. Their jobs as traditional guitar makers became less profitable, and the opportunity of having a good job in America is big, so people in Paracho are wondering how to keep on their traditional craft alive. (Campbell, 2004) These kinds of migrations usually make traditional cultures in risk of loss, and that’s what makes people concerned about globalization.
The economic aspect is another drawback of globalization that makes people worried. Some people think of their countries and how they are going to be affected by globalization. They care about their local economy and how to improve it not to destroy it. The foreign influences on the local economy have been known for a long time as a possible threat for some countries especially if the country is poor and its industry is not good enough. Kunzl and barkemyer (2011) state in their documentary “WissensWerte: Globalization” that the industrial and newly industrialized countries are flooding the local markets of poor countries with their cheap new products. Those industrialized countries have the ability to produce more products and faster by their sophisticated factories. It provides people what they want. Some people like that, but others think it may destroy the local productive facilities. The quality of these new products may not be as good as what their country product, but it might be cheaper or newer. An example for that is the availability of new food, which comes from different cultures, in the local market. According to The Levin Institute, State of New York, the foreign products often are cheaper than the local one, and that can be enough for people to buy it instead of buying their food from local farmers. This kind of act will negatively affect local companies. With the new competition around the global, it is an important aspect to think about globalization, and how countries around the world are trying to find solutions to help developing countries and solve this problem.
In sum, cultural and economic threats are two major drawbacks of globalization. People around the world are concerned about their culture and economy because globalization changes them rapidly. Some people like it and some of them don’t, and each one of them has his own perspective about globalization.