How Does Globalization Affect Canada

Globalization is a many-faceted process which has benefits and repercussions in many areas. It has led to great developments through exchanges of ideas and technologies and has also caused deep conflicts within and among nations in different ways. While often conflicts arise economically, politically, or in the realm of intellectual rights, these are easier to understand and resolve than the varied and nuanced conflicts that arise between Globalization and Culture. Due to a long history of such conflicts, sometimes groups or governments take it upon themselves to initiate preventative measures in order to reduce the risk of damage or loss of cultural identity.

One specific example of this preventative action began almost 100 years ago as Canada started issuing a tax on foreign produced magazines in the

These tariffs and taxes impinge on rights of self-determination and freedom as suggested by The UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights respectively (Levin Institue, n.d. Human Rights). By limiting access to foreign media, the Canadian government prevented Canadian citizens from educating themselves on foreign issues, having access to information which may be pertinent to their lives or businesses, and possibly limited foreign business and investment opportunities to Canadians. This denied the citizens of Canada the ability to make informed decisions and opportunities to increase their personal wealth. The citizens had already demonstrated, by means of their purchases, what media they wished to consume. By promoting domestic magazines over foreign magazines, the Canadian government may have kept some businesses, which were naturally going to close, artificially alive potentially leading to long-term damaging effects as the businesses slowly closed or were slow to move to digital