Globalization

Globalization is, essentially, the advancements toward marketing and polices beyond national borders. Created with the intention of demolishing poverty, the act of globalizing allows those without jobs to earn a small living, helping to stabalize poor economies. Through outsourcing and other means of globalizing, countries in poverty are given the opportunity to start on building a better, stronger economy. Beyond this, globalization also includes the modern, technological advances in fields such as sicence and communication, and the overall uniting of the world. user:hazelface

Globalization, one of the important topics of the this century, continues to change the world. Weather the change is for the good or the bad we will find out in time. Globalization has it's affects on us every day, from the way that we live to the way we think. Almost every thing, if not all, we buy or the services that we use, involve globalization. Globalization is when the economies of the world link together by the removal of trade and financial restrictions that would otherwise disrupt the movement of trade. This means, labor, materials, technology, and production can be exchanged from one nation to the other with more ease. This brings prices down on products and makes them more available to all. With all of the positives of globalization, the negatives can be overlooked. There have been many globalization critics who bring up issues such as, some countries have more resources and money giving them a greater advantage over ones that have less. For example president Bush signed a steel tariff and a farm subsidy bill. They say that if trade was truly free, then measures like the bills mentioned would have not have been passed and goods would pass freely. Some also say that people were better off before globalization, even know that many are still vary poor. One important topic and highly talked about is the issue of outsourcing. Outsourcing is when an other company is hired to perform a certain function for them, such as moving manufacturing plants in the U.S to China. More and more companies are crossing borders every year. Outsourcing causes job loss when company's choose to outsource, this is highly talked about in the media. The main reason that company's chose to outsource is the money that can be saved. People in the country's that are outsourced to have a lower standard of living and are paid less than their counterparts in the U.S. some think this is exploitation. As more jobs are being created more people are moving to the cites. The number of people living in cities is estimated to be double then it was in 1970.

Urbanization 1975 to 2015 Port charges 1920 to 1990 user:Rick52

**Outsourcing and Exploitation**

Simply put what is outsourcing? This is a common question that is being asked more and more every day. Essentially, outsourcing is when a company or business contracts with another to provide work that might otherwise be performed by their own employees. A clear example might be Walmart hiring workers in India to make their products, while paying the workers less. Jobs that are typically outsourced include: information, human resources, technology, facilities, accounting, real estate management, customer support, telemarketing, manufacturing, market research, web development and engineering. The basic process of outsourcing is as follows. A consumer makes a business case to justify their decision of what they want outsourced. Once their case has been made they search for an outsource partner. Next, an RFP (Request For Proposal) is sent to suppliers asking for a proposal and a price. A competition is held where a buyer reviews supplier proposals and marks scores. This might involve meetings to clarify the client requirements and supplier response. Suppliers are qualified out until a small number are left, also known as down select industry. "Best and final offers" (BAFO) are submitted for the client to make a finial decision on what supplier they want. The decision is usually narrowed down to two suppliers who will compete for the position. Negotiators take the original documents and convert them into contract agreements between the client and supplier, finalizing the pricing. Next a contract is legally finalized. After about four months, a service level agreement to reduce the total cost of ownership is implemented. The agreement is carried out and proceeds for the term of the contract. At the end of the contract term the contract is either terminated or renewed. One reason companies outsource is to save money. Business products are re-priced and manufactured through outsourcing, saving a substantial amount of money. People who work for companies that outsource don't get benefits and are willing to work for considerably less. There is quite a bit of criticism surrounding outsourcing. Many believe that outsourcing of jobs out of the country exploits the low paid workers. For example the Australian computer company Telstra was recently accused of exploitation. It was believed that Telstra was replacing its employees with offshore workers. Telstra hired 100 computer programmers from India paying them as little as $12,000 a year. It was confirmed that Telstra hired offshore software developers, but it wasn't confirmed whether or not they were replacing current IT's from Australia. Although many would think Telstras actions were wrong and immoral, others argue that outsourcing supplies more jobs and those employed benefit from being paid, even if it's not that much. An American company might hire a worker from China, while paying them less than they would an American, but is it wrong? Even if the company would pay less for the work, they would be offering a paying job. If the offshore worker takes the job, they are still getting a source of income. Many believe that hiring offshore workers diminishes poverty in their country and is beneficial. It really comes down to the individuals personally beliefs, do they outsource foreigners and pay less, or do they hire workers from their country and pay more? user:MajorTom



**Communication and Competition**

Globalization is occurring throughout the world. It's happening in so many ways, some in which no one notices, such as communication. Many types of communication are occurring in numerous places. For example, the way you talk to someone, the way you look at someone, and the way you use gestures. Every day technology advances, aiding in the way we communicate. There was a time when you wrote and sent letters. When was the last time you sent a letter to someone? Many people can't remember their last letter because it isn't practical for them to send anymore. Nowadays you can simply whip out you phone and sent a text message, or you can hop on the computer and send an instant message. Over time, the way we communicate gradually updates itself. The way communication is going, there is less need for human contact. When you go to a bank you don't even have to see someone. All you have to do is drive or walk to an ATM. The future is now and it's requiring no human aid. Yes, it would make you more independent, but it's not helping your social skills. Nearly everything you need is available online, from shopping to going to college. Where are the people in this? You can now check yourself out at a store; just a slip of your credit card and your done. Technology is taking over. You could call it your new friend. How can you interact with a piece of machine though? When it comes to technology, it seems to have an advantage over humans. This is considered competition, which is another part of globalization. If a machine can do your job, then it will have your job. Why pay an employee their weekly wages when a machine that only needs to be paid for once can have it? You are not only competing with technology, but humans also. There are people all over the world who may be after the same thing you want. The fight for your future job is harder than ever. It's struggle for all citizens. People from India are attending high school full time with a much higher education. Then they come here for college. They are easily accepted because they have amazing grades in comparison to many students in the US. It's almost not even a competition anymore. user:IKnowRight **Government Control and the Clash of Cultures** In the modern day and age, globalization has become the basis for the fundamental means of communication we use every day. However, as globalization continues to spread throughout the world, we must ask ourselves if the government is keeping this infection under control, or if instead we are destroying the cultures of old world countries with the modern technological advances being made. According to Sebastian Mallaby, author of the news article "Making Globalization Work", the support the U.S. government and the U.N. is not enough to keep up with the demands globalization brings about. In one particular section, Mallaby uses the World Bank as an example of the lack of support placed behind globalization. "Or consider, equally, the World Bank. Last Tuesday the world's rich donors concluded negotiations on new money for the bank's kitty; Treasury Secretary John Snow gave a speech emphasizing the U.S. commitment to the institution. But the U.S. contribution to the bank, which goes to support grants and subsidized loans to the world's poorest countries, has been cut in inflation-adjusted terms. What sort of commitment is that to the management of globalization?" With every advance in technology made, there must be governmental support to back it up, but instead, the U.N. seems to fall short. Now, new strains have brought the world to the brink of war. Along with the political strain placed on globalization, there comes another tension: the clashing of cultures brought about by modern upgrades. Samuel Huntington, an American political scientist, claims that the clash in civilizations will ensure future conflicts, but the changes in cultures themselves are brought around by a "clash of generations": the younger generations, who prefer modern conveniences, and the older generations, who stand by tradition. As Huntington states, " **Culture is best interpreted as a set of enabling institutions and arrangements which communities adopt, on the mutual need to first survive and then to thrive** . This is developed from an **evolutionary process** by interacting with each other." What this means is that in order for a community to survive, it must first establish its essential needs in order to further itself and thrive. However, when globalization gets thrown into this tangle, the simplicity and convenience of its worldly connection cannot help but replace what basic needs had been previously established, thus disrupting the culture of one's community. As the mark of globalization imprinted onto the world continues to spread, a proper balance of freedom and restraint must be applied. This is the job of the U.N. and governments of each country involved. Yet, if this balance cannot be maintained, then we allow too much freedom into the system, which in turn, can lead to high tension and chaos around the world. On top of this, however, globalization also brings about a clash in civilized generations, and the clashing of ancient traditions against modern conveniences. When, if ever, will this balance once again be restored? user:hazelface


 * Editorial**

Globalization effects every part of the world. It's the way we communicate, the reason we get good deals at Walmart and why people compete for jobs. Although it's beneficial to many countries it also creates a number of problems. For example, technological devices are brought to countries where people don't even have electricity and don't want new technology being brought into their cultures to change their lifestyle. As a group we aren't for globalization for numerous reasons. First off some of the technological advancements seem to promote laziness. Instead of walking up to an ATM to get quick cash, a drive through is available. Another example is online shopping. Some people have become so lazy that they would rather get on their computer to buy an outfit for next weeks meeting, than to just go to the store and buy one. If a device such as a computer can promote pure sloth what does the future of developing "convenient devices" hold? The way people are communicating these days is also a reason we aren't in favor of globalization. How difficult is it to walk over to a coworker cubicle and ask them a favor? Many have become so dependent on their new means of communication that they would just send an email or a text message. It seems ridiculous that technology is favored by many over face to face communication. There is another part of globalization that we strongly disagree with. Exploitation is often a factor of outsourcing that is unethical and immoral. Some companies exploit workers not paying them what they deserve. It is wrong to pay those who can't find another job a small sum of money for work that deserves much more. For the few reasons listed above, we disagree with globalization. There are just too many aspects of it that are negative. Laziness, communicating through machines and hand held devices when unnecessary, and exploitation are the bad factors we feel are most prevalent. Globalization should simply be limited to a degree. user:MajorTom

**Works Cited**

Rossi, Sandra. "Telstra 'Outsourcing' Stirs Exploitation Claims." __ComputerWorld__. 23 Apr. 2003. 1 June 2008 <[|http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1604306512;relcomp;1>.]

Mallaby, Sebastian. "Making Globalization Work." __Global Policy Forum__. 28 Feb. 2005. 1 June 2008 <[|http://www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/politics/2005/0228makingitwork.htm>.]

"Globalisation, Wealth and the Clash of Generations." __Beyond Borders__. 15 Sept. 2007. 1 June 2008 <[|http://beyondborders.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/globalisation-wealth-and-the-clash-of-generations/>.]

"Globalization." __Wikipedia__. 1 June 2008. 1 June 2008 <[|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization>.]

"Globalization." __Facts on File__. 29 Dec. 2006. 1 June 2008 <[|http://www.2facts.com/ICOF/temp/57671tempi0702160.asp?DBType=ICOF>.]

Friedman, Thomas L. __The World is Flat__. Farrar, Straus and Giroux; First Edition Edition (April 5, 2005).