Globalization is an event that is usually associated with the west. It is a process through which a country or region is transformed from limited to unlimited thinking. This became inevitable industrial revolution where there was need to share skills and work force. As the Arabs and Indians crisscrossed the oceans to find market for their merchandise, they realized that there was a lot in terms of resources that they could utilize. This made some of them, not to go back to their nations of origin as they found potential where they settled. As all this was happening, the Britons also realized how much other nations had yet they lacked the skills and resources to capitalize on them. They hence resorted to means through which they could have the resources and utilize on them without paying much. This led to the occupation of the Britons in most of the nations and colonized them.
The process of colonization was for various reasons depending on the worth of the resources that they had. For instance, for the Middle East, it was all about the oil resources, which the Britons wanted to benefit. The Asian countries were mostly preferred because of their agricultural resources, which could be utilized to produce more products. In Africa, apart from the agricultural resources, the Britons thought that they would be a good source of manual labor because of their literacy levels. All these strategies were planned in a manner that took long very long before the concerned nations realized (Ogborn 307). By the time, they noticed that foreigners were controlling them, it was almost too late and they had to fight literally for their independence. The process of colonization had both positive and negative impacts on the nations of the world, which has ultimately taught people the importance of relationships. The current technological developments being experienced in the world are because people were willing to ignore their traditional and cultural values to embrace and accept diversity.
Despite the fact that most nations are currently bragging of the fact that they are free from the western rule, western culture remains to be the most influential. The rate at which people from other parts of the world accept and appreciate what comes from the left is higher than how the western countries are adopting to them. This is because of the colonial seed that was sown in such nations and proved to them that they could be ignorant of the intentions of the Britons. However, the world has to appreciate the fact that they were colonized by the Britons. This is because of the development projects they invented which were aimed at protecting their interests. As they left, they could not carry them and hence being of benefit to them. It is also through the invasion of the west to the rest of the world that opened their eyes to the resources they had.
The Britons realized that they had many raw materials, which they had acquired from Middle East and Asia. They were however short of manual labor, as fellow Britons could not manage the hard labor with minimal rewards. Their connections landed them to Africa where they realized that they could get labor free of charge as long as they bore the cost of transportation. The choice of Africa for slavery was because of their economic activity and the fact that they were so illiterate about what the work entailed. The distance from Africa to the west is quite long, which assured the Britons that they could use the slaves without facing a threat of them returning to their countries. They also managed to entice them and even force them into their trap. This did not however take time before assimilation enlightened the slaves. Their association with the whites taught them a lot about freedom and rights, which they started fighting to achieve.
Just after the period of industrial revolution was over, there came the age of enlightenment where knowledge became vital for survival. This saw many people from all across the world seek education. With the belief that the west was more equipped to transmit such knowledge, most of them travelled which made assimilation inevitable. Industrial revolution was also a time that the west also appreciated the kind of resources that were available in other nations. With the enlightenment, the Britons and the French, which were the main colonizers, were sent back to their homes. They were however so much acquainted to the resources that they received that they found it had to survive without the nations. They hence had to go back to the drawing board and decided to request for association. This was to be a symbiotic kind of relationship where they promised some benefits such as infrastructure for the exchange of their resources.
There was a lot of exchange programs that were happening. As the western nations established industries and factories in the different parts of the world to enhance their activities, they employed the locals. This hence made them to master the techniques that they sued to establish their own industries (Ogborn 42). This was more practical in china where the Chinese from the western establishment acquired a lot of knowledge. The white may have underestimated the ability of other countries to tap into their technology and give them a tough competition. However, the competition worked well for the world as it reduces on the amount that was used to acquire skills and even hire expertise. With each challenge that was encountered on the way, new technology was invented. This led to tremendous changes across the world, which has turned, into a small world.
The world is currently enjoying mutual relations that started from the need of the west to control the world. Their controlling nature has led to assimilation, which has benefited many nations of Asia, Middle East and Africa. They would still be in the dark about good governance, freedom and even utilizing resources. They were also exposed to educational facilities, which in turn helped them to effectively manage issues around them. With the technological developments that are currently being enjoyed, one does not need to travel far to acquire the services they need. Resources and even skills can be shared using the internet, which has made communication more effective. Even though other nations are also growing in terms of economy, technology and skills, the west is still at the top. This therefore means that there is still a lot that the rest of the world needs to learn from the west.
There is no telling of how far the world will go in terms of growth. It is even worrying the west that has been on top that the very nations they colonized may outsmart them in terms of technology and invention (Ogborn 95). This is a good challenge to them because they are reminded not to lag behind. Despite the various weaknesses that have been observed with each development, it is clear that man is so much addicted to technology that there is no turning back. All that is currently being done is to ensure that the development effectively serve the people without necessarily imparting on them negatively. Such negativity such us decaying morals, insecurity and secularism cannot be avoided. They are now being accepted as normal considering that people cannot avoid them.
The west has a unique way of influencing the world especially when their older strategies become outdated. First, it was all about government policies, them it came to technology, later on it was about dressing and currently it is food. The fact that the west is considered superior, each development is considered superior, which the rest of the world wants to be associated with. This therefore implies that colonialism is a psychological seed rather than physical that was implanted by the west to the world. There have been no amount of adequate that has been put forth to resist western influence. Western influence has broken and conquered even some of the most rigid cultures of the world. They become influenced especially by technology, which has become inevitable. Influence as all about majority and when most of the people are pleased with the developments, the rest have no otherwise but to adapt to them. This has been the trend whose strategies have changed but the impact is still similar.
Works cited
Ogborn, Miles. Global Lives: Britain and the World, 1550-1800. London: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
