Introduction
Since the ancient times, people have wanted to intermingle and travel to various parts of the world, not only for exploration but also for business purposes. In this regard, there has been increasing research on technology to expedite the flow of information from one part of the world to the other.
On top of that, transport methods have been improved significantly to enhance movement to and from various parts of the world. It should be noted that the need for interdependence in the world has led to increased interconnections.
As a result, globalization has become entangled with our day-to-day lives and its effects are felt in each sector of human life. There are various arguments that have been forwarded to define contemporary globalization and at the same time depict its effects.
Arguments Explaining Contemporary Globalization
Professionals from various disciplines have come up with different definitions of globalization. Sociologists define globalization as the emergence of an international culture where people behave in a more or less similar way. The homogenous culture is depicted by kind of music that people listen to, techniques of advertisement and reconstructions of social life.
The argument goes a head to characterize globalization as the ability of people to overcome language barriers that existed initially (Waldinger and Michael 9). Similarly, the global mass culture and advancement in technology are also cited as indicators of globalization.
The other argument looks at globalization from the economic point of view. This argument defines globalization as the result of industrial relations between various countries of the world.
It goes a head to enumerate international product markets, implications of economic policies and change in methods of production throughout the globe as symbols of globalization (Schaeffer 98). Moreover, increasing volume of international trade and relaxation of laws regulating international trade are seen as indicators of globalization.
On the other hand, anthropologists see globalization as an increase in interconnections not only in culture, but also in behavior where actions of individuals can lead to adjustment all over the world. The main point here is that there is increased universalism and emergence of a more or less common line of thinking due to globalization.
Alternatively, the political perspective defines globalization as increased interdependence between various institutions in the world (Waldinger and Michael 22). According to this perspective, ability of political actions in one country to have spillover effects in other countries is a clear sign of globalization.
Impacts of Globalization on American Workers
Globalization has varying effects on American workers both positive and negative. First and foremost, globalization has led to increased international trade thus increasing demand for commodities. Consequently, globalization has led to increase in employment opportunities for American workers due to increased output. On the same note, world economic growth rate has increased due to globalization (Schaeffer 104).
As a result, more firms have come up to meet the growing demand thereby increasing job opportunities for American workers. Similarly, international firms have invested in America through direct foreign investment that has been made possible by globalization. These firms have not only created more job opportunities, but also prepared a platform on which American workers have been able to bargain for wage increases.
On the other hand, globalization has made it easy for firms to get employees from other regions of the world. Consequently, many American workers have lost their jobs because firms outsource labor from regions where wages are lower (Waldinger and Michael 13).
Furthermore, some other firms which were originally operating from America have moved to emerging markets, where factor inputs are cheaper. On the same note, immigration has increased in the wake of globalization.
America being among the major economies of the world, it has received a significant number of immigrants. Unfortunately, these immigrants have increased competition for job opportunities and are sometimes cheaper to pay than natives. As a result, chances of natives both skilled and unskilled to get jobs have reduced (Waldinger and Michael 8).
Moreover, globalization has led to increased economical interdependence among countries. Therefore, any economic disturbance in one region seriously affects economies of other regions.
In this regard, unstable economic conditions in other parts of the world have had effects on the American economy. As a result, American workers have found themselves on the receiving end as their jobs are unsecure given the unstable nature of the world economy (Schaeffer 132).
Conclusion
Globalization is a complex idea to understand. For that matter, many arguments have been put forward each claiming to decisively expound the term globalization. However, all these schools of thought in one way or the other agree on certain aspects of globalization.
Nevertheless, globalization has both positive and negative effects in the world. Regrettably, globalization is a phenomenon that has gripped the entire world and it is a daunting task for countries that want to extricate themselves from it. Therefore, it is important that people be objective about the issue and find ways of mitigating the negative effects, because globalization is here to stay.
Works Cited
Schaeffer, Robert K. Understanding Globalization: The Social Consequences of Political, Economic, and Environmental Change. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield, 2005. Print.
Waldinger, Roger, and Michael I. Lichter. How the Other Half Works: Immigration and the social Organization of Labor. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003. Print.