Globalization and Global Problems (Chapter 13) in

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Globalization and Global Problems (Chapter 13)
in Social Problems in Canada

• Presented by Hesam Seyedi Gopal

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Question

• What is Globalization?

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Globalization Discussed

• "The simple definition of globalization is the
  interweaving of markets, technology, information
  systems and telecommunications systems in a way
  that is shrinking the world from a size medium to
  a size small, and enabling each of us to reach
  around the world farther, faster, deeper, and
  cheaper than ever before, and enabling the world
  to reach into each of us farther, faster, deeper,
  cheaper than ever before. That's what
  globalization is." - Thomas Friedman

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The Extent of Globalization

• Princess Diana Death
• "An English princess with an Egyptian boyfriend
  crashes in a French tunnel, driving a German car
  with a Dutch engine, driven by a Belgian who was
  drinking Scottish whiskey, followed closely
  byItalian Paparazzi, on Japanese motorcycles,
  treated by an American doctor, using Brazilian
  medicines!And this is sent to you by a Canadian,
  using Bill Gates' technology which he got from
  the Japanese
• And you are probably reading this on one of
  the IBM clones that use Philippine-made chips,
  and Korean made monitors, assembled by
  Bangladeshi workers in a Singapore plant,
  transported by lorriesdriven by
  Indians, transported by Indonesians and finally
  sold to you by a Chinese!
• And this Presentation is being presented by an
  Iranian and a Bengali
• Thats Globalization !!

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Globalization and Global Problems

• Globalization Means Different things to Different
  People Globalization alarms people, reassures
  others, confuses most people 
• Globalization as Economic Prosperity, Market
  Fundamentalism, Globalization as an Connector
  Instrument, Globalization as Democracy
• Three Conundrums of Globalization 1) How does
  economic integration not lead to
  social disintegration 2) How to maintain/ create
  social cohesiveness on shared values on mutual
  commitment and trust but also through the
  distribution of benefits 3) How to balance an
  intrusive government intervention and unregulated
  market forces

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Globalization and Global Problems (contd)

• Haves vs. Have-Nots The economic balkanization
  of the haves and have-nots are often the
  byproducts of fate. The "lucky" ones are born in
  the right time and right place, while the unlucky
  ones (majority of the world) are born in the
  wrong place and time. Often time, the policies
  that is supporting capitalism, and perpetuating
  the economic destitution and hopelessness of the
  "have-nots" resort to violence to try to rip the
  capitalistic system down.
• Integration, or Division? Globalization is
  producing lots of contradictions. Perhaps its
  biggest paradox is why does globalization - a
  process that promises to unite the world under
  prosperity and success - fostering such a
  huge division? The coming-togetherness of
  globalization is a hard logic to stomach, when
  there are many conflicts emerge, like the open
  vs. tradition bound societies, a conflict between
  rule of law state and lawless territories, and
  also between modest cultures and excessive
  consumerism.

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• Phenomenon of Globalized Problems
• (1) Prospects for peace is undermined because war
  emerges from conflicts involving genocide and
  intercommunal massacres
• 2) poverty and inequality emerge, a situation
  where both rich and poor live side-by-side
  nationally and internationally
• 3) the problem of sustainable development and
  management of global environment
• 4) a society will have to control its own
  destiny, and set-out an agenda of priorities,
  which will have to factor-in globalizing forces

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Tensions of Racism in Globalized Cities

• Globalized Cities Mass migration (for better
  economic and political opportunities) means that
  interaction between people of different
  ethnicities/ races and creeds will become
  commonplace. They will occupy the same place, and
  this will provoke extreme reactions (either an
  accommodative one, or one of racism, hate and
  violence)
• ltltltltltltltltltRacism in Football Clipgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgt

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Question

• Since Toronto is known as the most ethnically
  diverse city in the world, its successfully
  been able to alleviate racism and all its
  stereotypical offshoots?
• Think Is there serious problem of racism in
  Toronto? Would what goes on in Europe, i.e.
  Arab-African riots in France/ Racism in Football,
  happen here?

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Framing the Problem

• Disarrayed World The global drive for growth is
  laying waste to a planet that cannot possibly
  sustain a consumer-driven lifestyle without
  self-imploding.
• United Nations Human Development Report
  Statistics (i.e. nearly 1 billion are illiterate)
• Global Apartheid This enormous gap between the
  rich and the poor is moving towards a global
  apartheid where extremes of power and wealth are
  placed into geographically segregated zones to
  create an apartness
• Tribalism, xenophobia, and ethnic chauvinism
• Who is to blame for the social problems in the
  developing world?
• Globalization is Colonialism by another name?
• Raging Debate about Globalization? Good or bad?

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Framing the Problem (contd)

• Globalization Brings Forth Benefits (economic
  benefits for the rich) and Costs (human costs and
  consequences)
• Cultural diversity, social security, ecological
  sensitive practices are becoming displaced by
  global governance that praises commercialism,
  consumerism and a culture of disenchantment
• The structural forces (i.e. IMF Liberalization
  Programmes) and government polices (i.e. policies
  that weaken the social safety net in favour of
  privatization) that perpetuate patterns of
  dependency and underdevelopment must shoulder the
  blame
• Westernization Globalization? Ramifications for
  3rd-World Countries

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Globalization Problem or Solution?

• Globalization as Redefining Change Just like the
  Industrial Revolution, globalization entails
  radical change. Pundits emphasize different
  features of globalization to stress the kind of
  changes that globalization brings.
• Globalization as a Solution Communication allows
  the world to be a global village free movement
  of capital/ investment allows for well-needed
  funding of underdeveloped industries in
  underdeveloped countries
• Globalization as a Problem ruin third world
  economy international division of labour
  increase the economic discrepancy between
  classes monoculturalism

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Reactions to Globalization

• Globalization, Promoter of Strong Reaction
  Protests, Terrorism
• Concerns About Globalization Foremost in these
  fears are over unbridled American power, might of
  big business, pace of economic change, growing
  divide between rich and poor, failure of state to
  regulate market fundamentalism, regional
  inequalities
• Commoditization of Everything Consequently, a
  system that is so hell-bent out on defining
  everything by the market will have a market value
  (everything is fitted into a supply and demand
  category)
• Triumph of Liberalism Globalization is packed
  with a liberal ideology, which preaches
  individualism (as opposed to collectivism),
  rationality (as opposed to tradition) and
  progress (as opposed to backward-oriented
  societies)

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Reactions to Globalization (contd)

• Benefits of Globalization Benefits are fourfold
  (1) Expanded pie vision so that everyones lot is
  improving (2) information penetration which will
  undermine elite control while creating a
  real-time information economy (3) a universal
  solvent vision that washes away autocratic
  regimes through trade liberalization and foreign
  investment (4) peace dividend by weaving
  interdependencies between nation-states (i.e. in
  particular, democratic peace theory that
  democracies dont go to war with one another)
• Information Age Globalization has been also
  synonymous with the information age
• Outsourcing Outsourcing occurs when companies
  find a nation, where they do business, that is
  cheap (in labour wages) and considered
  business-friendly
• ltltltltltltltltltltltltltltltltltOUTSOURCING CLIPgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgt

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• Multi-dimensional Globalization Globalization is
  multidimensional, it is an economic phenomenon
  political phenomenon cultural social disruption
  and communicative
• Globalization is a Bourgeoisie Process
  Globalization is defined as the geographic
  penetration of capitalist market relations into
  new sites of production in relentless quest of
  profits.
• Four Implications that Follow 1) Globalization
  constitutes an international system of exchange
  with its own set of rules, logic, structures and
  procedures (there is a significant increase in
  cross-national flows of trade, investment, and
  technology that reflects and reinforces a global
  division of labour (2) Globalization goes beyond
  a simple economic shift created by the
  cross-border exchanges of high technology,
  instantaneous communication, investment, reduced
  subsidies, and free trade 3) the ascendancy of
  globalization has compelled a rethinking of what
  society is for 4) the interplay of world
  economic markets and globalization has undermined
  conventional thinking about national sovereignty
• Common Theme of Globalization The common theme
  is that globalization offers both the prospects
  of great benefits, but these benefits are often
  overshadowed by the human costs and consequences.
  Globalization is a double-edged sword.

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Transnational Corporations Engines of Injustice
Or Catalyst for Growth? 

• What is a transnational corporation? A
  corporation that is generally based in an
  affluent country and has branches, networks,
  productions or affiliations placed
  internationally. A corporation whose profit
  making and production tentacles has no limits,
  reaching anywhere in the world. 60,000
  Transnational corporations drives Globalization
  with more than half a million overseas
  affiliates, accounting for about one-quarter of
  total global output
• By the late 1990s 51 of the top 100 economies in
  the world were transnational corporations.

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51 Out of Top 100 Economies, Are TNCs

• 23) General Motors 176,558.00 ( million)
• 24) Denmark174,363.0025 WalMart 166,809.0026 (
  million)
• 25) Exxon Mobil 163,881.0027 ( million)
• 26) Ford Motor 162,558.0028 ( million)
• 27) Daimler Chrysler159,985.70 ( million)
• http//www.corporations.org/system/top100.html

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TNCs (contd)

• How much money do they make? Just the combined
  revenue of the 200 largest corporations is 7.1
  trillion which is greater than that of the 182
  nation-states that have responsibility for the
  livelihood of 80 of humanity.
• What is so bad about transnational
  corporations? enrich themselves at the expense of
  the poor destroy local industries control and
  perpetuate the exploitation of people consumers
  perpetuating and expanding unjust globalized
  practices
• Good Side of TNC Extremely efficient profit
  generating machines revitalize economies can
  propel development spill-over effect
  technological transfers
• How have transnational corporations come to
  power? countries are absorbed into a capitalist
  world system consumers perpetuating and
  expanding unjust globalized practices etc.
• ltltltltltltltltltltltThe Corporation Clipgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgt

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Questions

• How much blame can we place on ourselves for the
  expansion of transnational corporations in its
  unjust globalized practices? (Keeping in mind
  that we are the consumers of these tainted goods
  and services who these corporations profit from)