Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Is Globalization really flattening the playing field?

The commencement of globalization, its effects and adverse effects are something we have been reading in the book “The World is Flat” for the past few weeks now. The effects of globalization are something that we are learning about everyday from all the aspects of our life. How is globalization affecting the middle class? Is it making rich people richer and the poor poorer? It maybe collaborating and connecting people and companies around the world. But at the same time is it creating a social hierarchy of class more prominent? When you think about it computers and the usage of internet is so common in the world. It is used for almost everything. We are so dependent on internet. It has minimized the time we need to finish any job. Answers to our questions can be found at our finger tips with the help of an amazing piece of hardware called “mouse” and a search engine called “Google.” Literally all answers are found between the letters “g” and “e”. Sometimes I wonder how I/we ever lived without internet. It has made the global market a competitive market. This is the story of one side of the world. All though the usage of computers is fast spreading, there is a majority of the population who still don’t own a computer and some percentage who don’t even know how to use a computer. These people do not have an opportunity to compete in the global market. There are so many people who are being deprived of this opportunity. No doubt globalization is making people rich and economies stronger. What about the people who are not able to take advantage of this boom?

Is the fast paced growth of globalization, ever going to strike the balance between the economies of class? Is it having a positive effect on people? Is it making the existence of class system more prominent in the society?

2 comments:

Scooby said...

I think that it affects all of us but mostly those whom are near the life of prosperity and wealth. Those people will be affected most because they are the one that have no problem affording anything and that if something that is taken away from their lifestyle might make a big difference with them. Those who are less fortunate might not be affected as much because life will just go on and they will not feel that kind of problem with not having that technology around because the have been doing fine not too long ago when it was no there. It also depends on society that it is in. If he was in an indusrialized third world country he would be affected more because that country would be depending on that technology so that its economy can run smoothly.

suzy said...

Honestly- if a family wasn't brought up with the efficient technology, they will be able to live on just the same. Adding such a technology would at first be seen as a hassle, however it could also be seen as a bonus; just because everyone around the world uses the same technology. Everything is much easier to search for, personal information is only a click away, or you could always purchase it online. The ability to do whatever you want, like: shopping, blogging, searching for information is a "click" away. People who know how to access the computer and to manuever it will be at an advantage, and those who are still baffled will be at a mere loss. Those who don't know how to use the machine will just have to catch up with society, if they want to be caught up with the new "in-thing". It's always a neccessity in modern life now.