Globalization Creates Inequality

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Globalization is a complex phenomenon which has positive and negative implications. In one of the report by World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, globalization is explained as “there is no point to globalization that reduces the price of a child’s shoes, but costs the father his job”. The chief characteristics of globalisation as explained by World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization are international trade, foreign direct investment, financial flows, technology and policy environment. International free trade has become the foundation of neoliberal globalization. The main aim was to promote development and trade. During the 1870s the gold standard was adopted which enabled the capital to move freely without the fear of change in currency value but the system dissolved over time. The question is whether free trade makes everyone better off in the long run and what are its implications on justice, equality, and social norms. The concept of trade evolved right from Adam Smith and David Ricardo who introduced the concept of comparative advantage which compares the productiveness across countries. In the current situation comparative advantage can be created through technological innovations. Globalization is propelled by economics but shaped by politics; the same applies to free trade in developed and developing countries. A country needs to have strong social and political institution for improving the society’s well being through trade. Since developed countries focuses on capital intensive goods and developing countries on labour intensive goods especially agricultural commodities, there is always a difference in ‘real’ terms. But developing countries like China, India, Korea has been shifti...

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...nter new economic activities due to social constraints imposed on them.

While competing for foreign investment many of the labour markets in the developing countries have turned to be more flexible in turn losing their bargaining strength and job security. Many of the state owned enterprise are gradually shifting to privatization to improve efficiency but this can led to increase in transitional unemployment. Therefore while walking with the current pace of globalization we see that the negative implication far exceed the positive effects mainly due to the widening gap between the rich and the poor in developing and developed countries and the ‘trickle down effect’ only has its application in theory. The ultimate solution is political will to change the current system and bring about more equality and justice to the people and the environment they are living.

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