Globalization is the use of technology to enhance interdependence in the market. Globalization involves trading activities that operate worldwide through the use of technological advances. Globalization captures the social, economic, and cultural aspects of interdependence among different nations in the world (Chun, 2019). People migrate from one country to another due to the increased levels of unemployment. The people move in an attempt to utilize resources and opportunities available in other parts of the world for economic growth and development. Global labor regimes are connected with globalization in the perspective that workers are involved in the actualization of economic growth through technology. Workers depend on global trade to access opportunities to utilize their skills.
The effects of globalization on the sovereignty and the nation are negative. Some countries suffer from poverty and control by other nations that took charge through the aspect of globalization. The people suffer for their ability to utilize the skills and resources at their disposal. Other powerful nations want to take over the industries and manipulate the people to achieve the intended mission. For instance, the incident in Bangladesh at Runa building (CBC News, 2014). The people died in the fashion industry, which exposed people to danger due to globalization. The globalization aspect becomes political, threatening citizens’ independence and freedom. The effects of globalization lead to protests among the workers in demand of their wages.
Globalization relates to neoliberalism by attracting international and domestic capital and improving economic growth, which is the outcome of government plans. The globalization industries provide low wages for the workers and, to some level, create delays in payments, causing protestation. The gap between the rich and the poor keeps widening since the workers’ wages and salaries are minimal as they make huge profits in the business. The workers’ income is barely enough to make the individuals maintain their living standards while the investors create large profits that enable re-investments and wealth creation. Globalization has contributed to growth in the economy of the countries.
Globalization emerged as people tried to move from one location in search of opportunities and resources to better their lives. Jones argues, “Industrialists utilized new technologies and the growing population of unemployed workers in US and European cities.” People were suffering from the hardship of the situation in the city, which forced them to welcome any opportunity at their disposal that would help to make a living (Jones, 2019). The new factories and manufacturers took advantage of the increased supply of employees to pay minute wages and salaries and engagement in life-endangering activities for the workers with the pride of the availability of a replacement.
However, the economy grew more expensive for the people and the poor. The US introduced a program in the era of globalization that involved the operation of closed systems. The closed regulatory system created a working space in which the authority monitored corporations, workers, and consumers (Chun, 2010). The American marketplace became equally balanced for domestic and other countries, which helped to control prices and quantities available for consumers. Globalization developed from the point of all wealth economic countries supported their factories to produce large to operate on multinational levels. The government’s support for corporations boosted globalization in wealthy countries.
The driving forces of globalization include new modes of production and technological advances. For instance, Jones states, “New container ships could carry enormous loads, which reduced transportation costs by virtue of their sheer volume.” Communication improved through telephone and other computer trends that propelled globalization from one level to another (Jones, 2019). Machines and industrial inventions minimized the number of workers needed in the industries, saving on labor and improving the company’s accuracy measures. Automated machines increased efficiency and productivity at global levels.
Global labor regimes could be defined as the governance that controls the labor programs in the market. For instance, the time when employees lived in the same building close to the working area. Chan argues, “The newly industrialized towns and cities in China feature numerous collective dormitories where a five-storey building can house several hundreds of workers.” (Chun, 2010) Under the global labor regime, the employees supply was higher than demand, resulting in low wages and mistreatment of the workers. Many desperate workers looked for any work to make a living. Under government policies, China wages are a form of attraction that invites laborers at domestic and international levels. The global labor regime creates huge profits for the corporation while demeaning the workers’ lives.
Global labor regimes control the capitalism and operating levels in the country and the global level of the market. The Canadian ruling class is in power to control capitalism. The Westons in Canada control the labor market by mistreating the workers (Thompson, 2021). Loblaw companies limited is one corporation that intends to receive praise for the good work produced in the company. However, the Westons are said to make their achievement by exploiting the laborers. The labor regimes tend to be discriminative in denying blacks leadership positions, claiming that blacks are underqualified. The regimes also feared the activists rising from blacks to gain power that would enhance access to the government to file complaints on social aspects.
The global labor regimes affect the laborers through exploitation to achieve their productivity, which enhances the wealth accumulation and growth of the countries economies. The governments support these regimes as they hide exploitative aspects. The government of Bangladesh, after the collapse of the Rana Plaza building, assured the people that the place was still safe to do business (CBC News, 2014). The global regimes have resulted in the deaths of many people who migrate in search of opportunities, revealing their causes of death as environmental pollution and climate change. The regimes also contribute to unequal wealth distribution. The regimes control the movement of the poor laborer while the rich explores the global market making huge profits without restrictions.
Globalization has positively impacted countries and individuals to some extent. Developing countries have improved their economies through industrialization through globalization. Urban centers and access to social amenities in some countries came as a product of the wealth accumulated in globalization. Technology advances and inventions have moved from one place to another, improving communication and means of movement (Jones, 2019). Individuals have met their basic needs through little wages and salaries acquired from the factories. The skills and knowledge acquired through the global market have enabled individuals to develop and become wealthy by utilizing the available resources and opportunities.
Globalization has led to environmental degradation. Industries operate using different chemicals and machines that lead to environmental pollution. Waste management is a major problem as the dumping sites are unhygienic, which exposes people to the danger of diseases that affect the body’s immunity, resulting in death (CBC News, 2014). The poverty level has risen, and people living in slums are exposed to waste through the rivers. The workers are exposed to a dangerous working environment without the protective gears provision. For example, in one garment industry in Bangladesh, the workers are exposed to dangers without masks. The employers are comfortable due to the availability of labor supply.
Globalization affects the daily lives of individuals in various aspects. Globalization has created wealth generating channel under the docile feminine labor due to the flexibility it offers for the workers to work on an hourly basis to meet the demands, but the salaries and wages are minor to sustain the demanding living standards. Globalization has created unhealthy competition among corporations in the market (Chun, 2010). Companies compete to attain the greater global market to the extent of destroying others’ operations to win the big markets to create large profits globally. The workers in the industries are denied the legal rights to protect their social and cultural rights that safeguard their interests. Globalization benefits the wealthy, who can influence the market and the government.
Globalization’s effect on climate change results from industry activities that lead to the changes. The clothing industry uses the plantation and trees to acquire the resources required to make the final product, which contributes to issues such as habitat loss of important environmental elements that lead to changes that affect society (Jones, 2019). The buildings and other structures for operations require space, leading to actions like deforestation to acquire space, resulting in climate change, such rain shortage, which affects the agricultural sector. A decrease in biodiversity has emerged due to globalization. Shipping containers could also create destruction by transporting invasive species from one country to another.
Globalization is supported and resisted at the same time based on different ideologies. The supporters argue from the perspective of the gains associated with the idea. The capitalist era indicates a rise in the countries’ economies through domestic and inter-country trade (Thompson, 2021). The healthy trading aspects regulate the products and services supply and price control. Also, the owners of the companies that operate globally support the idea of the huge profits received and the desire to maintain a reputation for work in their production.
On the other hand, resistance towards globalization arises from the working conditions and environment of the industries. Workers are exploited in poor working environments where they risk their lives to the death (Chun, 2010). The wages and salaries for the company are demeaning and unworthy of the risk. The environmental impact of globalization is extremely demoralizing and causes the many death of the people. Globalization maximizes the gap between the poor and the rich due to unfair wealth distribution. Therefore, globalization creates controversy as it has advantages and disadvantages for the country and individuals. Globalization impacts have affected the economies and well-being of society positively and negatively depending on the global labor regime.
References
Jones, Reece. “From violent borders: Refugees and the right to move.” NACLA Report on the Americas 51, no. 1 (2019): 36-40.
Chan, Jenny, and Ngai Pun. “Suicide as protest for the new generation of Chinese migrant workers: Foxconn, global capital, and the state.” The Asia-Pacific Journal 37, no. 2 (2010): 1-50.
CBC News. “Made in Bangladesh – the fifth estate.” YouTube. Video. October 3, 2014. https://youtu.be/onD5UOP5z_c.
Thompson. “The secret to the Weston family’s wealth is exploitation, not hard work.” Jacobin. Last modified December 2021. https://jacobin.com/2021/12/weston-family-business-empire-wealth-exploitation-low-wage-labor?fbclid=IwAR1hY_ucI6jyHVHGJ2mVFGu4rxX5DHphtSO3ciUPnhgMw9d4m8yjfb59s44