Effects of Globalization on Labor

Professor Robert J. Flanagan discusses his book "Globalization and Labor Conditions: Working Conditions and Worker Rights in a Global Economy". What do you have to say?

Globalization: Threat or Hope?

This video is an interview and a debate of pro-globalization and anti-globalization. After, watching the video, which side are you? Pro or Con?

Electric Tambo

"Globalization was a deep trend pushed by technology and right ideas, as much as anything else."
- Jefrey Sachs

You may laugh when you see this picture, or sigh. I literally laughed out loud seeing the "walis tambo". It made me realized that the world has changed, we have changed. The world is now a big ball of electronic gadgets. For some, it's a drastic change. It's very hard to cope up with it. What do you think?

Web conciously covers

A spider produce webs as their shelter and traps their prey in order to survive. We are social spiders that make up the whole world and trapping the success to our own selves’ benefits. Web connects to one another to stay longer and wouldn’t easily damage and destruct the spiders. We don’t want to be interrupted easily right when we’re aiming to what is more important.

Global crisis in cultural, economic, political, business, social, transportation, communication and religious aspect are interruptions to the web connectors that damages and pause the world to solve it. Spiders are conscious when their prey is nearly sensing their predator. We social spiders are sensing for the success in every aspects that could contribute to the world. World market serves the people but in such a way their decisions are interruptions and heavy to the pockets of the consumers. But that is just one example of the world aspect’s problem. What’s next?

 On the Progression:

Signs of a Globalized Country

Globalization has become identified with a number of trends, most of which have developed since World War II. These include greater international movement of commodities, money, information, and people; and the development of technology, organizations, legal systems, and infrastructures to allow this movement. More specifically, globalization refers to:

* Increase in international trade at a faster rate than the growth in the world economy
* Increase in international flow of capital including foreign direct investment
* Greater transborder data flow, using such technologies such as the Internet, communication satellites and telephones
* Greater international cultural exchange, for example through the export of Hollywood and Bollywood movies.
* Some argue that even terrorism has undergone globalization. Terrorists now have attacked places all over the world.
* Spreading of multiculturalism and better individual access to cultural diversity, with on the other hand, some reduction in diversity through assimilation, hybridization, Westernisation, Americanization or Sinosization of cultures.
* Erosion of national sovereignty and national borders through international agreements leading to organizations like the WTO and OPEC
* Greater international travel and tourism
* Greater immigration, including illegal immigration
* Development of global telecommunications infrastructure
* Development of a global financial systems
* Increase in the share of the world economy controlled by multinational corporations
* Increased role of international organizations such as WTO, WIPO, IMF that deal with international transactions
* Increase in the number of standards applied globally; e.g. copyright laws
* Creation of local clusters of competence (Porter's clusters) having a world wide competitive advantage

Many of these trends are seen as positive by supporters of various forms of globalization, and in many cases globalization has been actively promoted by governments and other institutions. For example, there are certain economic arguments supporting globalization, such as the theory of comparative advantage suggesting that free trade leads to a more efficient allocation of resources, with all those involved in the trade benefitting. Conversely, critics of globalization bring different economic arguments, such as those put forward by fair trade theorists, which seem to indicate that unrestricted free trade benefits those with more financial leverage (i.e. the rich) at the expense of the poor.

Culture Binded

Culture is defined

• Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as high culture
• An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning
• The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group

How do we defined it when culture of one area is already the culture of  all over the world?

Popular Culture defined
is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the late 20th and early 21st century. Heavily influenced by mass media, this collection of ideas permeates the everyday lives of the society.

Culture dominates the society as it rapidly grows and Globalization come to exist in the eyes of the present civilization. These trends for example of 2011 is a slowly bit-by-bit swallowing the minds of the youth today. Youth is one of those who are affecting by global occurrence and transitions--fashion dominated their social looks and attitudes; music echoes inside their minds; and so many others.Social networking sites open up the points and opinions of the world mob, creating a bind of knowledge into so many and drastic arguments in political, social, economic, and religious aspects in the world.

Globalization swallows the world but some are just like bones spitted out from a fried chicken. People who are spitted out from globalization are those who are in the state of poverty not experiencing the best and success of globalization but rather the consequences from the negative aspects of it.

Nature sighs to The Land of The Rising Sun

I woke up today seeing the very beautiful sunshine, feeling the warm breeze of the air and hearing the sweet tunes of the birds. As I fixed my bed, I remembered Japan. Yesterday, Japan had a very traumatic experience, killing thousands of people, destroying big buildings and torn Japan as a whole. It is a big sigh for Mother Nature to the Land of the Rising Sun. We thought of featuring Japan because it is one of the most industrialized and globalized countries in the world. But behind those success, in just one breath taken by Mother Nature, Japan lost it all.

Globalization: Cry For You Japan

I don't know what might be your point of views of the drastic events of the dead Japan. Globalization might be one feature of Japan's best. The world connects with Japan, most countries do.
Just imagine how Mother Nature would say and expresses her sincerest anger to us, human species. What I mean to "sincerest anger" is that after all the unnecessarities we give Mother Nature like pollutions, minings, convertion of forests to urbanized areas like cities. Wouldn't you be angry if you give everything to a person you care about even without their askings and would they would just find ways to make theirselves haappy, meaning they're not happy to what you give to them.; wouldn't you be dissappointed? Like what Mother Nature feels like.

Earthquake and Tsunamis: What more to Mourn?

 It's not easy to say that everything's gonna be alright seeing those people's face--victims of this horrible nightmare that would't fade in the minds and hearts of every Japanese. People like us those aren't victims of inevitable calamities are pretty much thankful but imagine how Globalization is destroyed by this certain effect of Nature. We are just one step to the so called "progress" and we must be mindful of the future can bring to us. Globalization might be a positive outlook in one's country or the world, it si quite necessary to us people but if Mother Nature would just want it to fade it away then we are the victims of her big sighs of revenge taking and eating all the human creations brought about by us.
It might be a chance to those who still survive to continue the process and develop the Globality one's country. Is it a mourn to Japan's progress? or is it a mourn for our ownselves life's sake? Japan sufferage from the massive earthquake and tsunami is not the only two possibilities that would happen in our country, considering other calamities that will destroy the Globalization. Communication in Japan is lost in the midst of this massive destructions, transporation and business are paralyzed and destructions of factories and powerplants show historical significance considering its contribution to the development of Globalization.

Pros and Cons of Globalization: What's your take?

Globalization is present. It is currently happening right now. Our connection to other countries is now faster. Everything now is "High-Tech". The world is easier and faster to reach. It's just in the palm of your hands or let's just say in your cellphones, laptops or tablets. The world is now a different world from before. It just had a drastic makeover. But on every change, there are positive and negative effects. Presented below are the disadvantages and advantages of Globalization by Mark Collins. 

The disadvantages of globalization

1. “The general complaint about globalization is that it has made the rich richer while making the non-rich poorer. It is wonderful for managers and investors, but hell on workers and nature.”

2. Multinational corporations are accused of social injustice, unfair working conditions (including slave labor wages and poor living and working conditions), as well as a lack of concern for the environment, mismanagement of natural resources, and ecological damage. 

3.  Multinational corporations which were previously restricted to commercial activities are increasingly influencing political decisions. Many think there is a threat of corporations ruling the world because they are gaining power due to globalization.

4. Opponents say globalization makes it easier for rich companies to act with less accountability. They also claim that countries’ individual cultures are becoming overpowered by Americanization.

5. Anti-globalists also claim that globalization is not working for the majority of the world. During the most recent period of rapid growth in global trade and investment, 1960 to 1998, inequality worsened both internationally and within countries. The UN Development Program reports that the richest 20 percent of the world's population consume 86 percent of the world's resources, while the poorest 80 percent consume just 14 percent.

6. Some experts think that globalization is also leading to the incursion of communicable diseases. Deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS are being spread by travelers to the remotest corners of the globe.

7. Globalization has led to exploitation of labor. Prisoners and child workers are used to work in inhumane conditions. Safety standards are ignored to produce cheap goods. There is also an increase in human trafficking.

8. Social welfare schemes or “safety nets” are under great pressure in developed countries because of deficits and other economic ramifications of globalization.

The positive side of globalization

Globalization has a positive side as well. Supporters of globalization argue that it has the potential to make this world a better place to live in and solve some deep-seated problems like unemployment and poverty. The marginal are getting a chance to exhibit in the world market.

Here are some other arguments for globalization:

1. The proponents of global free trade say that it promotes global economic growth, creates jobs, makes companies more competitive, and lowers prices for consumers. It also provides poor countries, through infusions of foreign capital and technology, with the chance to develop economically and by spreading prosperity creates the conditions in which democracy and respect for human rights may flourish.

2. According to libertarians, globalization will help us to raise the global economy only when the involved power blocks have mutual trust and respect for each other’s opinion. Globalization and democracy should go hand-in-hand. It should be pure business with no colonialist designs.

3. Now there is a worldwide market for companies and consumers to access products from different countries.

4. There is a world power that is being created gradually, instead of compartmentalized power sectors. Politics are merging and decisions that are being made are actually beneficial for people all over the world.

5 There is more influx of information between two countries.

6. There is cultural intermingling. Each country is learning more about other cultures.

7.  Since we share financial interests, corporations and governments are trying to sort out ecological problems for each other.

8. Socially we have become more open and tolerant towards each other, and people who live in the other part of the world are not considered aliens.

9. Most people see speedy travel, mass communications and quick dissemination of information through the Internet as benefits of globalization.

Now, we ask you, what do you think of Globalization? 

You Close Your Eyes

Can't you see? it is the big world we're talking about.

Even though the words entitled seem convinces you to close your eyes, it doesn't still make any change at all. Only about few people can think of the possibilities of the world that it seems unrealistic to them. But the truth about it, they're just lazy to think and imagine how possibilities could change their lives. It's like you're God.grab yourself a clay and mold the any shape you want. Imagine in just one command you say, all of the sudden these would just magically come and turn your impossibilities to realities. Think of a species that would evolve your molded clay and the things you wished to that clay would have. Species that would make the best of the things you have given to them and even how it is hard to watch them all when they multiply. We're goaling for human progress with the use of earthly goods. Globalization is just one aim and that is what we see now.
Close your eyes and imagine the world you're ready to face. Reality is real obviously then possibilities are possible, they're both equal to the face of our future. Our culture binds and we're united despite our diversity. It is called for a progress.
This progress we're aiming is to seek the best we have to communicating, food and business, culture, and transportation.

See What You'll Know

Communication will always be one factor that causes and affect the future. You might be wondering about what I mean for the future, our future leads about by Globalization. Facebook, yeah we all know this but how did this networking site come  to this topic. People uses this for easy communication, people from different races united and come to know each others difference. The big picture about it, is that business uses this to sell their products and ofcourse for easy communication. This possibility come about by technology. More and more to mention. Small pictures can become big mosaics of fame and entertainment. Ever imagine the very ordinary people could become big personalities in the field of internationals.

Hold Me Closer

Globalization. What is globalization? What comes first into your mind when the term  "globalization" is mentioned? I, myself, am pretty baffled onto what globalization really is. I mean, REALLY. Instead, I am going to give my outtake on globalization than knocking myself out finding out the meaning of it in every encyclopedia.

It's pretty much awkward to say that we are there to keep things so close, close to what is distantly to see. We see the realities; and you might ask, what does the word "reality" gets into this situation to the world that we point out as "it's a small world after all"? Global cultures rapidly dominate us. It slowly bit-by-bit turns into a sudden transition of the past to be readily face the future.There are so many things I say for sure.

Drastic Shouts in the Tangled Society

Two is better than One hand to hold

It becomes a crisis to the society, a social disease that highly influences the people--technology.  It echoes in my mind the song I loved to sing all day long when I was still a child- "It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all" when the gadgets that line up for you, not to mention the latest laptops with touch screen keyboard and weird and so complex cellphones with twisting parts. The world of internet-the famous youtube, facebook, twitter, and so many social networks that I couldn't even name. Just as the word facebook is heard, all of the sudden people would drastically talk about tags, post, wall, and even farms of all sorts of veggies, fruits and crops in Farmville. 

Chats paved the way for international mingles; not a hindrance for distant pairs to love.But sadly to say that the people often abuse the social networking sites. Human trafficking becomes rapidly and out-of-control "human disease" that affect the social status of one's community.  

Social networking sites have both good and bad effects on humanity such as knowing thousands of perfect strangers and also giving yourself ultimately unknowing that conversations are cases of lies. Nowadays people are craving for social networking to give themselves pleasures or fun. Sometimes it may be addictive that you could not leave your desktop or laptop and worse you can't eat or toke a bath trust me I've done it before. Ones you got the top of it you could not stop yourself but do what ever it takes to finish it or more or less you aimed for the goal.

Looking Back Moving Forward

It’s a progress all right. Worldwide communication and transportation holds our future to progress. Industrial Revolution comes to rise as its everyday phenomenon knowing that it transparently showing mortality rate increases as its consequence from history. Speaking of history, our ancestors paved us the way to this so called Era of Consequences Emergence, giving pretty much itch on our scalps, how do consequences direct us to this Era?

Step Down and Up

Global Economy rapidly develops; in particular it says every one nation is called to progress. Cultures and traditions come known as its cradle, once a knowledge or idea of money-based dilemma-turned-technique is born; it’s reliable to the now’s industrial development. Traders, Artisans, and the rise of the middle classes came today known as the status-quo that often abuse by social-fame criminals. Wide mortality rate increases as the gap of the rotten poor and the filthy rich also increases affecting the economy especially in third world countries. We lose sight of social justice. Economy needs rich people while rich people need poor people to work for them, known as the basis of today’s economic theories most widely affecting the Philippines, one example; as poverty is competing with the people’s choice for change. Impossible because of social abuses, but despite of this,  tourism is the highlight of this country but it rapidly competing with the so called “danger-zone” for tourists because of the rebel attacks surrounding the nation. Local dismay to the outcome even their warm welcomes are prepared ruining by the other foreign ignorant speakers and attention-getting personalities through telecommunication.

As history came known for the present time, economic colonization affects the habits of the people. Influences of food diets such as world fast-food chain such as the famous McDonald’s; almost half the worlds country already tasted the pure-beef burgers and french-fries. Speaking of food, worldwide diets with the beverages are affecting the stomach favorites of the people, sodas such as the Coca-Cola and Pepsi are competing for the people’s choice making it as the trademark for every patron consumers to consume.  The streets of eastern Asian countries are covered with smokes and flowing smell air of delicious exotic foods lining up the sidewalks, a sign of the economical culture influences to one another. Culture is a significant sign to one’s nation’s identity. Franchises like the McDonalds and KFC are both major food signs of culture affecting the diets of the world came to known to all nations the identity of the westerners. It binds the people, food as the bridge to every nation’s relationships; it commonly known as Culture Domination for that country’s development.

But it doesn’t help the country who franchises the influences from the other country. It only relies on it while the local economy will rapidly fade because of interest in franchise influences. This ideology clearly dominates the likes of the consumers as one factor which the word globalization comes to exists in this topic. 


Despite the Progress

In this state of human development for the world, not knowing and giving notice to the real and motivated goals of the society, we still in the state of poverty. Globalization might be just one step to the great of the future but the sad fact about it, it's that the side of the world we don't take notice are not in our shoes to the process of the progress of the world.
As it's in on progress, poverty strikes as many are victims of social injustices.