GLOBALISATION

Globalisation is a multi-dimensional concept. It has political, economic and cultural manifestations and these must be adequately distinguished.

1. Causes of Globalisation

Globalisation is not caused by any single factor, technology remains a critical element.
The ability of ideas, capital, commodities and people to move more easily from one part of the world to another has been made possible largely by technological advances.
Interconnections are an important part of the globalisation,
The bird flu or tsunami is not confined to any particular nation.

2. Political Consequences

Globalisation results in an erosion of state capacity, the ability of government to do what they do.
All over the world, the old ‘welfare state’ is now giving way to a more minimalist.
State that performs the maintenance of law and order and the security of its citizens.
The increased role of multinational companies all over the world, Leads to a reduction in the capacity of the governments to make decisions on their own.
The enhanced technologies available to states collect information about their citizens for better rule.
Thus, states become more powerful than they were earlier as an outcome of the new technology.

3. Economic consequences

A much broader way of understanding economic globalisation requires us to look at the distribution of economic gains.
Economic globalisation usually involves greater economic flows among different countries of the world.
It can be voluntary and forced by international institutions and powerful countries.
Globalisation has involved greater trade in commodities across the globe.
The restrictions imposed by different countries on allowing the imports of other countries have been reduced.
It is likely to benefit only a small section of the population.
Advocates of economic globalisation argue that it generates greater economic growth and well-being for larger sections of the population.

4. Cultural Consequences

The cultural effect of globalisation is a threat to cultures in the world.
It leads to uniform culture or cultural homogenization.
The culture of the politically and economically dominant society leaves its imprint on a less powerful society.
The world begins to look more like the dominant power wishes it to be.
Cultures are not static things. All cultures accept outside influences all the time.
Some external influences are negative because they reduce our choices.
But sometimes external influences simply enlarge our choices, and sometimes they modify our culture without overwhelming the traditional.
It leads to each culture becoming more different and distinctive. This phenomenon is called cultural heterogenisation.
This is not to deny that there remain differences in power when cultures interact but instead more fundamentally to suggest that cultural exchange is rarely one way.

5. India and Globalisation

During the colonial period, India became an exporter of primary goods and raw materials and a consumer of primary finished goods.
After independence, we adopted “Protectionism”
Health, housing and primary education did not receive the attention they deserved.
In 1991, responding to a financial crisis and the desire for higher rates of economic growth, India embarked on a programme of economic reforms.
It has sought increasingly to de-regulate various sectors including trade and foreign investment.
While it may be too early to say how well this has been for India.
The ultimate test is not high growth rates as making sure that the benefits of growth are shared so that everyone is better off.

6. Resistance to Globalisation

Critics of globalisation make a variety of arguments.
Those on the left argue that contemporary globalisation represents a particular phase of global capitalism that makes the rich richer and the poor poorer.
Critics of globalisation from the political right express anxiety over the political, economic and cultural effects.
In political terms, they also fear the weakening of the state.
Culturally, they are worried that traditional culture will be harmed and people will lose their age-old values and ways.
In 1999, at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Meeting there were widespread protests in Seattle alleging unfair trading practices by the economically powerful states.
It was argued that the interest of the developing world was not given sufficient importance in the evolving global economic system.
The World Social Forum (WSF) brings together a wide coalition composed of human rights activists, environmentalists, labour, youth and women opposed to neoliberal globalisation.

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