Globalization is a complex process, the consequences of which cover political and legal, economic and cultural spheres of society. This process causes the extensive discussions in the various expert communities and among the common people (Keegan and Green 47).
In the politico-legal sphere, globalization is expressed in strengthening the role of international organizations, which standard-setting activity shifts the focus of many legal regulations of public relations from national into international legal plane. At the same time, spreading to areas previously traditional for the national legislator, the international law is unable to be the guarantor of lasting peace. The globalized world is becoming very fragile, as many of the most important issues for mankind are solved with brute force and diktat. Attempts to impose, including through the right, some models of life, giving them a world-recognized become provocative. Such violent globalization cannot have favorable consequences (Husted and Melvin 73).
It is believed that globalization as an economic phenomenon can lead to the universal welfare. Of course, the formation of the global economic system is a qualitative leap of mankind forward, capable in the long term to improve the lives of all people. However, it is observed that the global economic development does not meet the stated objectives and requires significant adjustment. Entire social groups and even nations are on the periphery of globalization, where they are given in the best case the role of cheap laborers on the progress of the factory. Developed countries and economic elite are getting richer, the rest are falling into poverty without any hope to become full partners in the formation of the global economic market. It is now can be stated that the current globalization of the project did not lead to the equalization of economic, technological and information development in different regions of the world, but only increased the gap between the developed countries and the states of the “second” and “third” world (Krugman, Obstfeld, and Melitz 64).
The information sphere as a whole reflects a phenomenon inherent in the globalized politics and economics. Of course, the transmission of information in the era of globalization is available to a wider range of people than ever before. This facilitates private contacts, a decisive role in ensuring of which belongs to the Internet. On the other hand, the advocacy of universal soulless culture, corruption and the cult of consumerism is often made through modern information and communication means. The public control over the information space in the era of globalization is carried out by a limited range of states, a monopoly owning high technologies (Husted and Melvin 112).
The person in the information society became one of the software and hardware tools of cyberspace, affecting subliminal and the interior of the person, which gives ample opportunity for purposeful manipulation. In modern conditions, when the spatial and temporal boundaries are narrowed, the nature of communication between people who are part of the global network changes. Thus, two mutually exclusive processes take place in the network: on the one hand, the network gives a person an opportunity to more fully express his/her individuality, and on the other – a person can be offset in the network, because the network determines the rules of his/her thinking and behavior, i.e., depending on the network information flows. The destruction is done by manipulating the impact of information systems on human consciousness by undermining the cultural foundations, which the ability of human consciousness to the critical perception of information is based on. For this purpose, information system creates a virtual world created by information manipulators with guaranteed cultural hegemony of the right customer values (Krugman, Obstfeld, and Melitz 89).
“Globalization” has become a dirty word. Although, we constantly use the benefits generated by the opening of markets, freedom of trade and internationalization, the majority of people, at least in the West, believe that it is the process of globalization carries the blame for the unequal position, in which the developing world turned out to be, and a reduction in the number of jobs, with they face at home. At the same time, brands that represent the public face of companies unanimously condemned by all naturally become “scapegoats” responsible for the extremes of global capitalism (Czinkota and Ronkainen 134).
Battling with the globalization, its fundamental criticism struggles just with the mechanism that can give a wealth to the less developed parts of the world. Globalization is a means to prosperity. Countries that open borders to free trade for its products and the free flow of their ideas contribute to an overall increase in living standards. Rich countries are forced to leave the areas of production, where people come to others, offering cheaper products, and create new productive and advanced industry. The underdeveloped countries are selected out of the quagmire of poverty, moving from the agricultural orientation of the economy to the production of goods, and then services. Hong Kong went this path. Countries across Asia, from China and Vietnam, and ending Malaysia and South Korea follow along this route. In developing countries, which have opened their markets to foreign investment, there has been rapid growth in per capita income, which rates reach 5%, which is even higher than in developed countries (2%). Countries not affected by the process of globalization (mostly African and Arab) experience a gradual decline. Their economic illness is the cause of the observed there dissatisfaction and instability (Krugman, Obstfeld, and Melitz 128).
Foreign direct investment is one of the most effective tools for promoting globalization. When Western multinational companies come to the markets of developing countries, they are often accused of exploitation of local residents, who are forced to work in conditions of sweatshops. It should be noted, however, that the operation is rather peculiar local faceless non-branded companies that can afford to humiliate workers, pay them a ridiculous salary, and are not afraid to attract attention. Transnational companies have to take care about the reputation of their brands and the quotation of their shares. That is why they are ready targets for attacks by the activists. However, only those corporations set higher wage rates, providing the highest standards of the proposed benefits and conditions. Making them the target of attacks, Western activists subject foreign workers to the risk of losing the best jobs of those they can get (Keegan and Green 93).
In the scientific and technological progress, the human displacement of production takes place. It is the transfer of the functions of human to machine, new knowledge and technology. Unnecessary for the production as a worker, the person now continues to drive the development of production due to its consumer expectations, i.e., the consumption system. In order the flywheel of manufacture could increase its “muscles”, a person must consume more and more. Consumerism reduces consumption by stimulating factors of production, which begins to appear as something self-sufficient (Czinkota and Ronkainen 174).
The consumption is in close cooperation with the processes of socialization. Traditional society, although regulated consumption, its volume and properties, did not take it as a basis for socialization. In this type of society, different ways and forms of entering into its structure acted. In modern society, on the contrary, consumption is attached great importance, but only the material side of it, and more specifically – the consumption of those goods that are socially and culturally significant and welcome. The consumption of things and goods is intended to socialize the person. However, every society has its own ideas of consumption, which is a result of the practice and its members (Keegan and Green 124).
The prevalence in modern society of the compliance with the real needs and the kind of transformation of all other groups in the real likeness of the needs have the effect of a number of negative factors, which turn into urgent and topical issues of the day, such as environmental problems, economization of human relationships, standardization, etc. On the basis of the possibility of dominance in consumption of meeting the varying needs of the group, two alternatives are offered. The socialization of needs leads to the dominance of social needs, spiritual – spiritual needs. However, the person and society require a balanced intake, i.e. the allocation of resources, which would not have ignored the wide variety of needs of the individual and society, and to satisfy all the needs as they emerge. The modern person must become the customer and stop being a consumer (Czinkota and Ronkainen 183).
Obviously, the large multinational companies do not always adhere to the required standards of conduct in the emerging markets, especially when they operate in countries where violation is encouraged and supported by corrupt politicians. Western observers often influenced by local activists tend to exaggerate or distort the role of Western corporations in solving the problems faced by these countries, which led to serious consequences. A good example is the activities of Shell in Nigeria. It caused much less damage to local residents than the corruption, which flourished in the Nigerian political circles. At the time, the government resisted the company’s attempts to use part of the profits from oil production in the social order. Now, it is entirely rely on the company, which is severely criticized in the West for the activity in the country, enabling it to create funds for the opening of schools and hospitals, that is, to carry out its own tasks. Consequently, companies are more likely to demonstrate inability and incompetence when entering new markets, rather than the intention to create a system of exploitation. At least, realizing their mistakes, they seek to rectify the situation, which cannot be said about the most political regimes based on arbitrariness (Husted and Melvin 165).
The excitement and unrest appear from time to time among immigrants, but many representatives of the indigenous population feel discontent as well. They are faced with the threat of a familiar social stability, political and economic life, the threat of erosion of their culture, and so on. A society faces the discord that threatens to split, and it is fraught with unpredictable consequences. So objectively inevitable globalization of the labor market by expanding opportunities of objectively necessary labor migration that benefits all parties involved, at the same time, becomes a source of social tension, where previously the sufficiently high stability reigned (Keegan and Green 142).
Thus, in the context of globalization the person rather than to realize his/her inner creative potential, blinded by the power of science and technology and the possibility of production and consumption of more and more things in the pursuit of illusory happiness, undermines own foundations of life and does not care about the long-term future, which may not occur if current trends of economic growth develop. The processes of globalization test adapting lifestyles, behaviors and values of all sectors of the population for strength. The response to globalization is manifested in the improvement of the quality of education systems, the rationalization of the model of accumulation and consumption, establishing strong relationships between states and increasing the responsibility of every member of society. The absence of the latter condition will lead to what the opinions of only prosperous countries will be considered and the interests of others will be ignored.
Works Cited
Czinkota, Michael R. and Ronkainen, Ilkka A. International Marketing, 10th ed. Cincinnati: South-Western College Pub, 2012.
Husted, Steven and Melvin, Michael. International Economics. 9th ed. New York: Pearson, 2012.
Keegan, Warren J. and Green, Mark C. Global Marketing. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2014.
Krugman, Paul, Obstfeld, Mark and Melitz, Maurice. International Economics: Theory and Policy (10th edition). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2014.
