Globalization

Who Really Wants Globalization?

An example of Globalization would be McDonalds, it’s everywhere! Whether

you like it or not, it’s around you. Greedy businesses and money-making millionaires are not making it any easier to keep some of our traditions so that we can keep more localized communities. Everywhere you turn, there seems to be another chain of franchises or another store that you could swear you just saw across town. This is not only in wealthier nations. The trend of Globalization has reached all corners of the world, even places that did not want it or ask for it, or did they?

Globalization kicked in during the second-half of the 20th century and became even more popular after WWI in industrial countries. This has made it even harder to keep customs and traditions that were more popular during the early part of the 20th century. Globalization really got popular in the early 90’s, just as the internet was getting to be popular. Since people are connected now more than ever, it has become easier to transfer ideas to one another along with technology, trade, disease, drugs, and weapons.

People living in small towns and in poorer countries are more into localization and find globalization as a threat. They probably felt that their culture, or way of life, was being taken away with a little American franchise that is making everyone obese! Being that most of these counties have high cultural values, they did not want anything to do with a different country’s culture, investments, or their trade; or did they?

According to a YaleGlobal poll in 2003, poorer countries actually like the idea of globalization rather than larger countries. “While most people worldwide viewed growing global trade and business ties as good for their country, only 28% of people in the U.S. and Western Europe thought that such integration was "very good." In Vietnam and Uganda, in contrast, the figures for "very good" stood at 56% and 64%, respectively.”

(YaleGlobal, 23 June 2003, internet) So, is it that the smaller countries do not want Globalization or is it that the larger countries are the ones that are trying to keep their culture, investments and trade to themselves? Are we the “stingy” ones?

The effects of Globalization