One of the continuous recent events as the world progresses is the idea of globalization and growing reliance on a world economy. The results if this is that production is done at a global level to ensure that all market players get some share in the global economy. Nonetheless, this issue has faced serious challenges in its implementation, including the increase of the rich-poor gap and gender inequality, among others which have become increasingly disturbing social issues. This paper looks at the sociological issues surrounding the globalization phenomenon giving relevant examples.
Globalization is the interaction of companies, groups, peoples and communities from different parts of the world driven by trade and investment towards better information technology. In fact, globalization seeks to interconnect the world to enable the global village scenario. As a result, globalization has brought international services closer through the vehicle of information technology. Therefore, this phenomenon has brought about a greater effect of closeness between different global groups to achieve common objectives. According to three major theories of sociology, globalization seems a good thing. Nonetheless, there are issues surrounding the application of globalization based on these theories.
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Consider the global stratification theory, for example. It emerges that global stratification can be seen as a result of poor national planning and development. Therefore, the very basis of the theory stands upon inequality and seems to propose it as a valid ground upon which globalization can be built. Poor planning and development at the national level means that countries will have strata at the international level to explain their differences in economic growth and global interaction. This means that the larger part of the world population will be subjected to suffering as the world focuses on development and modernization (Meyer, 2000). The effect, therefore, asserts that countries at the periphery of modernization and development will be sacrificed for the sake of countries engaging in meaningful development strategies. This is at the expense of traditional values of equality.
On the other hand, one could consider the dependency theory. In this theory, it is considered that resources flow from the periphery of production into the core of the manufacturing world. This means that resources move from the hands of developing countries into those of the developed countries. Wealthy states are considered the core and safe keepers of resources, enjoying the lion’s share of the resources a country has to offer as opposed to other states which maintain a meagre amount of the resources in question (Kim & Shin, 2002). This way, poor states are further impoverished while rich states come together to form the world system. While this theory is reactionary to the modernization theory, it seems to outright advocate for the continued inequality of production between countries. This is because poor countries continue to be poorer while rich countries enjoy riches. For example, the United States consumes 23% of the total world energy production while it only serves 300 million out of the world population of six billion people. This shows the great inequality of power when a significant portion of the energy produced is channeled towards one country.
Further consideration of the worlds system theory shows that development comes at the price of some countries being exploited while other accrues the benefit. Here, it would assert that countries exploiting resources from other countries give nothing back in return, thereby enjoying all the benefits of the resources that they have and those they have obtained (Friedman, 2015). Again, this theory brings about the role of core nations and periphery nations and different benefits accruing to core nations as opposed to periphery nations. The result is that there are limited resources moving to the periphery nations, further choking development. This theory equally seems to put down the poor countries and assert the right of core nations in dividing areas of development at the global level.
Furthermore, consideration of the place of women and gender development within the globalization scenario is equally warped. In the different sociological theories, it seems to empower the core party at the expense of the periphery party (Moghadam, 2015). As a result, women are responsible for the care of children, yet experience disparities in earnings because of their gender. Moreover, women face situations such as reduced wages, unpaid wages and a lack of resources for women. Therefore, such women find it quite challenging to feed their families, as one of their main roles would be to cook for their families in such a background. Additionally, women face many injustices but are still required to move within the means of production to cater for their family needs. As a result, the modernization and globalization seem to extrapolate themselves to social issues such as gender discrimination.
In conclusion, sociological theories are applicable in today’s society in various ways. Global economics have been pointed out as a major area where sociological theories apply. Means of production seems to support core nations at the expense of periphery nations. On the other hand, global applications can also be placed within the national context to determine issues such as gender discrimination.
References
Friedman, J. (2015). Globalization, class and culture in global systems. Journal of World-Systems Research, 6(3) , 636-656.
Kim, S., & Shin, E. H. (2002). A longitudinal analysis of globalization and regionalization in international trade: A social network approach. Social Forces, 81(2) , 445-468.
Meyer, J. W. (2000). Globalization sources and effects on national states and societies. International sociology, 15(2) , 233-248.
Moghadam, V. (2015). Gender and globalization: Female labor and women's mobilization. Journal of World-Systems Research, 5(2) , 366-389.
