Positive Effects of Globalisation

Positive set up of globalisationAbraham Darby Academy 29105 Thomas Smith 3139 Is globalization affecting our lives for the better?Is Globalisation affecting our lives for the better?Globalisation is not a new concept early explorers went off in to the unknown and came back with strange foods, sports and fashions that were unheard of. People of the UK eat potatoes on a daily basis, but they argonnt even British However, the advent of internet technology and low cost air travel suffer given globalisation prominence. Globalisation refers to the increased inter-connectedness of the world and how the world is getting smaller (well, metaphorically speaking). Globalisation is now reach out and touching the lives of an increasing amount of people around the globe. Consider your own World for a moment how is your lifestyle affected? The car in the garage, the food in the kitchen, the phone in your pocket, the enc dole outhe on your back or the computer you use? I myself have had my lifestyle greatly influenced by globalisation. My iPad, Xbox and video games all are either manuf beured or created in an new(prenominal) dry land and shipped to the UK. Indeed, many another(prenominal) of the TV programmes I enjoy are also produced overseas. This shows that our world has fail increasing connected and mutually beneficial in terms of tillage cuisine, fashion and technology. But is it a change for the better?CausesThe cause of globalisation can be linked back to a few main changes. Firstly the improvement in air-travel throughout the 20th century has resulted in a vast increase in the amount of causa of people and goods between countries. Graph 1 shows that between 2000-2008 the volume of exports in developing countries doubled, nearly belike due to the easier access and advancements of air-travel and transport. Everything from food to technology can be produced in a diametrical country and then flown to us. This in turn has allowed a greater share o f cultural ideas. Secondly, the development of communication such(prenominal)(prenominal) as the internet and mobile phone technology has meant that it is easier than ever for people to develop and share their ideas. It allows someone with a computer in Britain to access breeding published in another country or find out closely other cultures without having to visit the country. This has allowed a larger spread of cultural development and ideas. Map 1 depicts the amount of internet users in the world, by country. From the purpose, I conclude that the internet has become a revolutionary tool in the spreading of culture and information. The main users appear to be Asiatic nations like India and China. As these are large developing nations with large populations, it is not surprising to see that a large percentage of the population use the internet. As you can see, on that point is also a ordained correlation between population size and number of internet users.Another reason f or globalisation is the grounding and growth of Multi-National Companies. As of 2009, there were 889,416(3) globally, meaning there are a lot of companies with branch plants in multiple countries. The most famous examples of MNCs are Coca-Cola, Apple and McDonalds. Each of these MNCs has factories, offices or places of bloodline in countries all around the world or they sell their products to millions around the world. The fact that so many exist, show how interconnected we all are and that many peoples lives and cultures are influenced by these expanding companies. Global trading blocs have further reduced national barriers, for example the EU as has the growth of a global media.4EffectsGlobalisation results in positive and negative impacts (Table 1).Table 1 Globalisation the good and the badThe sharing of information has meant that for example, an event occurring in south East Asia can be known about pronto or instantly in countries like the UK. Thus allowing NGOs to get accur ate information about what happened and be able to use facts when asking for donations. A good example of this is the recent Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Due to the internet and other communication technologies, news of the event was instantly available to other countries and this allowed them to act accordingly. This rapid sharing of information has led to problems like global warming and conflict in overseas nations being to a greater extent well-known and for people to call for more action to be taken.5Many critics pack that LEDCs do not receive many benefits of globalisation and are only used for their chintzy labour and resources. This therefore creates the effect of the rich get richer and the poor people get poorer in many peoples eyes. The most well-known examples of this are MNCs like NIKE, Apple and Primark who mainly locate their manufacturing operations in fresh industrialised countries. They often move to a country with cheaper labour if costs begin to rise or get too high for their liking. To add to this, some MNCs take little care of the workers or areas they set up their operations in. The news is often filled with stories of sweat shops, terrible working conditions or other poor ways of treating the area. The case study of Coca-Cola in India shows how well known and respected MNCs can exploit/take advantage of the countries they operate in.PerspectivesAnti-globalisation campaigners and those who oppose/disagree with globalisation believe that clothing, language, diet, tradition and other cultures are being place downed and re-shaped into a more capitalist or westernised style. A old example of this that American TV programmes or movies are more likely to be a widely distributed success than those of other countries like India, which also have large media industries. This perhaps accounts for the term Bollywood, whereby Indian entertainment/film makers are using a globally renowned place name Hollywood to chivy awareness of India n film.Many people have an opinion on globalisation, be it an MP in London, a business man in China or a villager in Kenya, Africa, probably because globalisation is wide reaching. These perspectives often differ depending on who you ask. Kofi Annan, views globalisation as a positive phenomenon. Kofi is a Ghanese diplomat and part of the UN9, he has seen the world and dealt with many situations involving other countries. Therefore he clearly knows what he is In terms of culture, Mr Annan attends to believe that globalisation has benefited the different cultures of the world and now better from having had other cultures move with theirs.For my local anesthetic area, globalisation has had a very positive effect. Globalisation has led to an influx of culture such as film, food (Chinese, Indian and Thai) and the creation of hundreds of jobs and has brought several big Multi-national companies to Telford. MNCs like RICOH employ about 900 people10 in Telford alone. Ricoh Company, Ltd i s a multi-national imaging and Electronics Company based in Japan. It was founded in 193611 and opened its Telford branch in 1987.12 Its Telford branch manufactures cameras and projectors, all of which are sold either in the UK or shipped abroad to other countries for sale. And this isnt the only MNC in Telford. Companies like ENTA (Taiwanese) and Johnson Controls (American) all have factories in Telford, providing products and employment for the local area. If globalisation hadnt happened, the unemployment rate in Telford would be much higher. Therefore my local area has benefited quite a lot from globalisation, be it in employment, products or services, and perspective on the subject is positive.ScenariosIn terms of scenarios for globalisation and culture, there are but two a scenario where globalisation extends its influence and a scenario where it recedes. If globalisation were to extend further, it exit mean fewer areas of the world remain untouched. This could have massive im plications for culture in both MEDCs and LEDCs. For MEDCs it would mean greater access to products or ideas from other countries. This however, may not affect the culture of MEDCs like the UK a lot mainly due to MEDCs being multicultural societies and the influx of more culture will simply expand the already dynamic range of culture in these countries. But in terms of work, shops and services it is a different story. By allowing more MNCs from other countries to enter, the prospect of more jobs, services and products increases. Consequentially, it also increases the risk that local businesses will have to close or go out of business. In 2012, the UK saw almost 4,000 shops and 54 retailers close up and go online or go completely bust, affecting more than 48,000 employees15. This shows that even though globalisation brings lots of benefits it can destroy traditional or small local businesses. For LEDCs an increase in globalisation could be either good or bad. An increase in globalisat ion could bring more MNCs to a country or area and with it, benefits. But it could also bring negatives like exploitation or damage to the environment. The local areas culture could be seriously affected, as they replace traditional dress with MEDC style clothing or food, like McDonalds or Coca-Cola. This can be a good thing but it would destroy or significantly weaken local culture and could eventually disappear.The other scenario, where globalisation recedes, provides a very different picture. If fewer MNCs exist in other countries surely countries would become a bit more self-sufficient (being able to do it themselves). For an MEDC, this would mean many aspects of our lifestyle would go or more likely, be harder to come by. Books, movies, foods (Eg bananas) and clothing would be harder to get as there may be fewer companies unbidden to ship them to the countries which want them. This could mean that MEDC culture changes, as the lack of foreign products or ideas means that a spec ific MEDC culture could develop. For local business, it means that more people may use them instead of big companies, essentially increasing their usage and profits. For LEDCs, this scenario would seriously affect their culture. As the media shows us every time they are in LEDCs like in Africa or the Philippines for example, every day people seem to separate t-shirts, shorts or other similar clothing branded with MEDC MNC logos. Now, without globalisation, this sort of clothing would most likely become harder to acquire. This can be both a good and a bad thing. Its a good thing for the LEDCs culture as it allows them to readopt traditional clothing or move international from MEDC influence. It can also be a bad thing as they may rely on these clothes and without them may not have any at all. Another way that LEDCs would be affected is that with less MNCs in their countries, fewer jobs may be available to the people vivification in LEDCs. This could have a negative effect on the economy of LEDCs which rely on MNCs for financial income and jobs. Moreover, less MNCs would mean workers and communities in LEDCs would not suffer from poor working conditions or other MNC related problems.ConclusionIn conclusion, I have been able to name that globalisation is mostly affecting our lives for the better. It facilitates the sharing of ideas, knowledge and culture, which in turn has allowed the world to become more interconnected and shared. However, this is not always a good thing, as globalisation has been, and still is, responsible for exploiting workers, damaging environments and eroding cultures. From my evidence and research, I have found that globalisation causes more harm in LEDCs than in MEDCs. In MEDCs, globalisation brings more positive effects than negatives and people in MEDCs seem to have adopted it into their lives. In the future, it would be good if MEDCs could ensure that the benefit they gain from globalisation in LEDCs is fully and fairly reciproca tedBibliographyGap minder map www.bit.ly/1gLW9Bm or http//www.gapminder.org/world/$majorMode=map$isshi=tly=2003lb=fil=tfs=11al=30stl=fst=fnsl=tse=t$wsttts=C$tssp=5.59290322580644ti=2010$zpvv=0$inc_xmmid=XCOORDSiid=tiby=const$inc_ymmid=YCOORDSiid=0AkBd6lyS3EmpdC1PcWJUZldDelFyQXdaOEtDUG9HSUEby=const$inc_suniValue=8.21iid=phAwcNAVuyj0XOoBL%5Fn5tAQby=ind$inc_cuniValue=255gid=CATID0by=grp$map_ssma=65smi=2.65$cdbd=0$indsNumber of MNCs http//www.numberof.net/number%c2%a0of%c2%a0mncs-in-the-world/Causes of globalisation http//www.economicshelp.org/ web log/401/trade/what-caused-globalization/Positive effects of globalisation http//www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/globalisation/globalisation_rev4.shtmlVolume of exports 1990-2009 http//www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/coher_e/mdg_e/development_e.htmCoca-Cola protest India http//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ parking area/7/77/CocaColaIndia.gifKofi Annan quote http//arts.brighton.ac.uk/__data/assets/image/0018/2628/study-globalisa tion-uk-brighton.jpgWhat is the UN http//www.un.org/en/aboutun/RICOH employment numbers-http//www.shropshirestar.com/shropshire-business/2013/05/28/telford-ricoh-factory-workers-face-uncertain-future/RICOH founding http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RicohRICOH Telford founding http//www.ricoh.co.uk/about-ricoh/ricoh-uk/ memoir/index.aspxRICOH picture http//www.therecycler.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ricohtelford.jpgCase study India and coco cola http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Coca-ColaIndiastore closure numbers (2012) http//www.retailresearch.org/whosegonebust.php1909 actors line excluding tables and headings