Globalization and Global Problems (Chapter 13) in “Social Problems in Canada”

Question:

• Since Toronto is known as the “most ethnically diverse” city in the world, it’s successfully been able to alleviate racism and all its stereotypical offshoots?
• Think: Is there serious problem of racism in Toronto? Would what goes on in Europe, i.e. Arab-African riots in France/ Racism in Football, happen here?

Framing the Problem

• Disarrayed World: The global drive for growth is laying waste to a planet that cannot possibly sustain a consumer-driven lifestyle without self-imploding.
• United Nations Human Development Report: Statistics (i.e. nearly 1 billion are illiterate)
• Global Apartheid: This enormous gap between the rich and the poor is moving towards a “global apartheid” where extremes of power and wealth are placed into geographically segregated zones to create an “apartness”
• Tribalism, xenophobia, and ethnic chauvinism
• Who is to blame for the social problems in the developing world?
• Globalization is Colonialism by another name?
• Raging Debate about Globalization? Good or bad?

Framing the Problem (cont’d)

• Globalization Brings Forth Benefits (economic benefits for the rich) and Costs (human costs and consequences)
• Cultural diversity, social security, ecological sensitive practices are becoming displaced by global governance that praises commercialism, consumerism and a culture of disenchantment
• The structural forces (i.e. IMF Liberalization Programmes) and government polices (i.e. policies that weaken the social safety net in favour of privatization) that perpetuate patterns of dependency and underdevelopment must shoulder the blame
• Westernization = Globalization? Ramifications for 3rd-World Countries

Globalization: Problem or Solution?

• Globalization as Redefining Change: Just like the Industrial Revolution, globalization entails radical change. Pundits emphasize different features of globalization to stress the kind of changes that globalization brings.
• Globalization as a Solution: Communication allows the world to be a global village; free movement of capital/ investment allows for well-needed funding of underdeveloped industries in underdeveloped countries;
• Globalization as a Problem: ruin third world economy; international division of labour; increase the economic discrepancy between classes; monoculturalism