Social issues around the world and in any country are intertwined in many ways. When legislation or policies are laid down, they go round to touch on every aspect that affects human life. When policy makers and people advocates lay down policies, the right of people to choose what is right or wrong for them is largely ignored. However, issues such as globalization do not offer people much of a choice because of the magnitude of its force. However, laid down policies and especially foreign policy can go a long way in determining the relationships forged as a result of globalization.
Globalization is strongly affecting countries all over the world, the social life of the whole human community as well as the lives of each person. Globalization is known as "A process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world." Globalization is a complicated issue. It is necessary to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks before drawing any conclusions.
Moreover, many physical and psychological problems have been raised, not to mention the trend of immigration which results in severe brain drain problems. Globalization allows people to see, hear and experience different cultural features that were never easy to access previously. Consequently, many cultural identities have been spread widely that they are no longer unique and cannot represent for their specific areas. In addition, fast pace of industrialization could lead to fierce competitions among people, countries and regions. People have to find the solution to survive in the modern and high-speed world and they may trap into stress and other psychological problems.
“Globalization is one of the most used, but also one of the most misused and one of the most confused words around today” (Dicken, 2007,p.1) . In addition Dicken (2007) indicated that it has been one of the most discussed topics of politician’s academics, business or labour union leaders etc. “Globalization is the process by which the experience of everyday life, marked by the diffusion of commodities and ideas, is becoming standardized around the world” (Harvard University, 2002). Lechner & Boli, (2012) similarly mentions that globalization relates to the process when more people across large distances become connected in several ways. Furthermore this clarifies the ongoing process through the way countries and people communicate and integrate.
Cultural globalization has always been a controversial issue as there is a hot debate on whether globalization brings convergence or divergence of cultures. No one can deny that the effect of globalization makes cultures increasingly homogenized, yet; culture divergence still occurs under homogenizing tendency. The transformationalists approach advocated by scholars best represents the contemporary situation. It suggested that globalization is not solely caused by one and its “outcome of processes is not determined” (Held, McGrew, Goldblatt & Perraton, 2000). That is, the convergence of cultures is admitted but complex differentiation in locals exists simultaneously, and the world does not shape solely one single “global culture”.
Has globalization contributed to causing or preventing war and conflict? Name of the Student The search for underlying causes of war has long captivated scholarly attention. Among the most frequently cited causes, one comes across human nature, class struggle, the absence of liberal values and institutions, dynamics of global and local politics. Lately, the question of whether globalization has an intensifying or diminishing effect on contemporary wars has found an echo in this line of research. Competing views on this issue remain central to debates in International Peace and Security Studies as well.
Arguments in favour such as the higher standards of living, freedom or economic growth are being disputed with others claiming the loss of identity and jobs, environmental degradation and the vicious circle where poor and developing countries remain poor or underdeveloped and explored by the rich ones (or their multinational companies). At first, it all may seem that these events only lie on the economic side of the question. Yet, as David Harvey (1989) explained, “globalization is a complex and multidimensional (economic, political, social, technological, and cultural) process that involves a compression of time and space”. In layman’s terms, it includes changes not only in economy, but also in politics, society and culture since it is slightly difficult to separate our human bodies from what we see, the way we think about it and how it all interact with our own values and preconceptions. On the one hand, Economic Globalisation focuses on international migration, foreign direct investment (FDI), portfolio investment and international trade.
Globalization is now a central theme in the affairs of the Pacific Islands. Pacific Islands’ governments are caught up in the rhetoric, the ideology, and the economic policies of globalization. In detailed, will be the discussion on the following; 1. What are the benefits and adverse effects of globalization in the Pacific? Globalization has become one of the biggest issues in the world today, since many people believed is a good thing while there are also many who think it is bad.
The most common term used to describe the novel aspects of today’s world is “globalization.” This term, like so many other big, fuzzy ideas, requires explanation and is open to multiple interpretation. But most those who use it recognize that it points to one undeniable reality, that cultural and economic and political forces are making different parts of the world more and more dependent on one another. In this sense, we can say that the world is shrinking, and we use terms like “global village” to convey the idea that what we do here today affects the other side of the world tomorrow. The social changes that are mentioned most often in connection with globalization are the technological revolution, symbolized in the communications technology
Globalization describes a process by which national and regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through the global network of trade, communication, immigration and transportation. Globalization was often primarily focused on the economic side of the world, more recently the term has been expanded to include a broader range of areas and activities such as culture, media, technology, socio-cultural, political, and even biological factors, like climate change. There are some global challenges that our world is facing today. According to the Millenium Project Report, one of the main challenges that our world facing nowadays is how development can be sustained while addressing global climate challenge? The most effective way for a sustainable development is reducing the usage of carbon dioxide, replanting activity, increasing awareness among people and also by having conference among country leaders.