The Impact of Globalization on Society

Globalization

Globalization is the process of integrating people, governments, and organizations of different nations with the aim of facilitating international trade. As such, it involves opening up of economies both domestically and internationally to boost economic development. Globalization was steered by various factors like the speed of cultural, economic, environmental, and technological advancement (Bhasin, 2017). Further, consumer promotion values and world economic recovery greatly contributed to global integration. Therefore, globalization ensures that there is an easy movement of goods and people across borders. The process requires integration of trade, market, and investments and minimizing or reduction of barriers to facilitate the flow of goods and services. Globalization has been associated with a variety of societal changes which range from economic, cultural, and environmental factors.

Economic Factor

Globalization has been related to the improvement of trade among nations. Economic integration which has been realized via globalization has led to the growth of economies around the globe. The process has made markets to be more efficient, thus, increasing competition and spreading wealth more equitably. Globalization has recorded beneficial outcomes among nations in the world by, for instance, increasing the foreign direct investment. It has enabled easier transfer of technology, industrial materials, and overall growth of global organizations (Erixon, 2018). Also, globalization has contributed greatly to the development of new technology. The technological innovation is brought about by increased competition which pressurizes the need for new and advanced technology for efficient production.

Additionally, globalization has led to opening up of borders which allows firms to reach more customers. The result is higher profits which originate from greater sales and consequently increased economic growth. Moreover, global integration has facilitated the creation of new jobs in the developing countries which have provided the locals with an easy way of survival. The expansion of companies across borders had created new job opportunities which have absorbed people who were initially unemployed (Pettinger, 2017). Further, globalization has allowed people to move to developed countries and start their businesses or get employed. As such, they can get high income and great opportunities in life. Also, global trade integration has necessitated the formation of trade unions to advocate and protect workers’ rights. As a result, workers can work in a conducive atmosphere full of policies and regulations based on their rights.

Cultural Factor

Globalization has also affected the cultures of nations due to the border opening. The opening of borders has facilitated the transfer of information regarding cultures. As such, different cultures interact where they exchange their cultural values and norms enriching the global community. The global communication via media has enabled cultural awareness creation by providing public knowledge on stories and vital information regarding different cultures. Also, the world integration has enabled the restoration and preservation of cultures of nations which has brought a collective identity and autonomy (Yingqin, 2012). As such, culture, customs, and language has been preserved by the use of technology. It has also led to negative effects on culture such as misrepresentation and stereotyping which has led to the loss of cultural and intellectual rights.

Moreover, globalization has led to change in the people’s way of living. The global trade integration has enabled people to acquire all they require unlike before the opening of cross borders. For instance, Coca-Cola drinks have reached all corners in the world. As such, every city, town, and rural areas in the world have had the experience of the drinks. Additionally, globalization has facilitated the spread of languages across the borders such as English via the global lingua franca (Yusuf, 2008). Therefore, global integration has enabled people to learn new languages as they interact in the trade arena.

Environmental Factor

Globalization has also affected the environment in a variety of means among them being the promotion of sustainable use of energy resources. Interaction of people from nations has spurred the need to use non-renewable resources. As such, nations that have not implemented the use of these alternative energy resources are borrowing the technology from those already using them. Use of the non-renewable resources such as wind and solar power are related to fewer environmental effects and are, thus, advocated for in the globalized world (Garrett, 2017). Also, the technological know-how has been spread via globalization which has necessitated environmental forecast. The cross-border opening has facilitated the transfer of information concerning environment which has enabled development of methods of environmental conservation. For instance, nations have been able to exchange ideas and knowledge on the best approaches to maintaining a healthy environment.

Conclusion

To sum it all, it is apparent that globalization comes with its impact which ranges from economic, cultural, and environmental factors. The global interaction among nations is associated with the development of nationals’ trade besides creating more job opportunities. Also, it brings higher business returns. On the cultural part, globalization leads to a change in people’s lifestyle besides spreading of languages across the globe. Lastly, global cohesiveness is believed to have contributed to the positive environmental actions like use of non-renewable resources. It has facilitated the spread of environmental information which has been proved vital among nations.

References

Bhasin, H. (2017). What is globalization? What are the positives and negatives of globalization? Marketing91. Retrieved from https://www.marketing91.com/what-is-globalization/

Erixon, F. (2018). The Economic Benefits of Globalization for Business and Consumers. ECIPE. Retrieved from http://ecipe.org/publications/the-economic-benefits-of-globalization-for-business-and-consumers/?chapter=1

Garrett, B. (2017). How Technology is driving us Toward Peak Globalization. Singularity Education Group. Retrieved from https://singularityhub.com/2017/10/22/peak-globalization-is-the-path-to-a-sustainable-economy/#sm.0001hdp8watyjef2vr62bpoxsq39n

Pettinger, T. (2017). Costs and benefits of globalization. EconomicsHelp. Retrieved from https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/81/trade/costs-and-benefits-of-globalisation/

Yingqin, L. I. U. (2012). Exploring the Impacts of Cultural Globalization on Cultural Awareness/Values and English Writing in Chinese Context. Intercultural Communication Studies, 21(2).

Yusuf, A. (2008). Impact of Globalization on Culture. Unpublished Text.