Globalisation critique

• UN


  • Successful at promoting global peace and cooperation
  • Led to climate change progress e.g. Kyoto protocol, sustainable development goals
• Institutions


  Benefit HIC's more than periphery nations
• IMF and World Bank

  Often run by core nations and often have a vested interest beneath their actions
• Periphery nations


  Exploited for national resources and cheap labour
• Fair trade


  • Helped to reduce poverty and injustice in the world
  • In 2016, fair trade helped 1.66million farmers worldwide
  • 96% of Colombian workers gave experienced improve t to livelihoods since fair trade came into effect
• Global communications


  Helped raise awareness of global issues which has increased aid flows across the world
• Increasing flows of people and goods to regions such as Antarctica


  Having detrimental effects on the environment
• Leaching of chemicals such as HBCD

  Impacting on habitats and species such as the Adeline penguin
• TNC's


  • Highly beneficial
  • In 2017 $1.34 trillion was invested through FDI
  • McDonald's employs 375,000 people (more than icelands population) which will likely lead to a positive multiplier effect
  • They are bringing new products to a wider market
• Pollution and air quality

  Become an increasing concern due to industrialisation and transportation
• 15% of CO2 emissions


  Attributed to the transport section
• CO2 emissions


  Can contribute to ozone depletion and increase health risks e.g. cancer and respiratory conditions
• Containerisation


  • Enabled shipping to become far more efficient and allowed businesses to benefit from economies of scale
  • Encouraged outsourcing of manufacturing to developing countries
• Inequality


  Resulted in increased global competitiveness
• Ethiopia


  Largest exporter of coffee and Starbucks TNC has contributed to exploitation of both labour (25 hour shifts below minimum wage) and earning $90 million less than what they should be paid
• WHO and other organisations

  • Formed as a result of globalisation
  • Distributed 2 million vaccines, eradicated smallpox, decreased malaria by 60% helping to save millions of lives
  • Enabled developing nations to access health services when they would otherwise be unaffordable
• Membership of nations to organisations and initiatives

  Unaffordable and exclusive
• To be a fair traded farmers


  Costs $3000 per annum and the effectiveness of these schemes is not clear (of 25p banana, the farmer only sees 1.4p)
• Antarctic research


  • Hugely beneficial to the study of climate change
  • The activity of the British Antarctic survey actually operates in a very environmentally conscious way and limits waste production
• Interconnect news


  Increased demand for resources
• Overfishing


  52% of global fish stocks being depleted e.g. cod industry collapse near Newfoundland
• Deforestation


  17 football pitches lost per minute, reducing biodiversity and 1.6 million people directly rely on these forests
• Oil reserves


  Being increasingly exploited leading to global warming
• World Bank


  • Helped many nations with aid and disaster relief
  • $500 million loan was given to Tunisia to help them bounce back from a devastating economic crisis
• WTO


  • Ensures trade barriers are removed and helps resolve disputes between conflicting nations
• The process of globalisation brings more social and economic benefits than drawbacks for developing nations
• Globalisation is the process by which nations are becoming increasingly interconnected politically, economically and culturally through increasing global trade networks, communication and migration
• As a result of increased global interdependence 1 billion people have been lifted out of poverty globally since 1990
• Pros of globalisation


  • Economic growth (TNC's, trade blocs, reduction in poverty, remittances)
  • Governance (Antarctic treaty, UN – world bank, Paris agreement)
• Cons of globalisation


  • Inequality/exploitation (Apple – Foxconn, EU, banana industry - fair trade)
  • Environmental degradation (air pollution, fishing/whaling, plastic crisis)
• The evidence presented suggests that the process of globalisation brings more inequality for developing nations
• This is a result of the core nations having/utilising their power and influence over developing nations; to exploit them for their benefit
• Although globalisation can reduce extreme poverty and increase standards of living the issue of inequality still presents itself through a majority of the population still being in poverty
• With the rate of globalisation continuing, and a rapidly increasing populations, the likelihood of economic inequality and exploitation diminishing is slim