IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION ON INDIAN SOCIETY

IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION ON INDIAN SOCIETY
	Saroj Kumar Samal M.A(Gold-Medalist) M.Phil(Sociology) & LL.B Director, Saroj Samal’s I.A.S, New Delhi Email: sarojksamal@gmail.com

           

Globalisation is the recent process of socio-cultural and economic change that the human civilization is witnessing today. In our common parlance, it is defined as a process of free flow of ideas, information, commodities, technology, people and capital across the globe.        

            Globalisation is a process of socio-economic and culturogenic change which breaks down the boundaries among nations and slowly transform the globe into a single homogenous unit. Being a multifaceted and all encompassing phenomenon, it empahsises upon the intensification of worldwide social relation and interdependence. Globalisation refers to the fact that we are increasingly living in one world, where our actions have consequences for others and world’s problems have consequences for us.

            Globalization as a process of social change is having its far-reaching repercussion upon various cross-section and sectors of society. The social consequences of globalization is a site of academic debate among sociologists. One group of sociologists view the positive consequence of globalization while another group views the negative consequences.

            The protagonists (supporters) of globalization are of the view that globalization has intensified the emancipatory quest in the societal mindset and thus has become instrumental in crushing many irrational, orthodox , superstitious practices. It has brought a plurality of lifeworld. So it has given the spirit of freedom, criticality and agency. Globalisation brings vibrancy and activism in social life. It brings immense dynamism, arouses tremendous vertical mobility, gives everyone a wide ranging exposure. Globalization in the sphere of religion encourages active humanism and promotes an ethical religion based upon rationality. In the sphere of economy globalization encourages inter linking and inter dependence of the national economies upon the international market. In political sphere or arena globalization expresses an active concern for eradicating poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, ill-health and fighting cross border terrorism and global terrorism. Globalisation in context of status of women implicates the relegation of the stereotypic pattern of duties of the women like rearing and caring the children to the back ground and taking up the various diversified occupation and thus making their live quite vibrant and alive. Globalisation helps the schedule caste people in promoting cultural homogencity in the way of loosening of the ideas of pollution and purity and eradication of untouchability and so many socio-cultural and economic disabilities associated with them

            Globalisation brings the tribal people to the mainstream of society by adopting the policy of integration. Thus brings socio-economic development of tribals by mitigating long standing problems like land-alienation, ill health, indebtedness, illiteracy and poverty. Globalisation helps the minorities by promoting the values of secularism and thus enhances the spirit of tolerance and cultural-relativism.

            In the sphere of environment, globalization promotes the idea of green and clean climate by adopting sustainable development. It also expresses concern for maintaining green environment by promoting global concern for eradicating pollution. In agricultural sphere, globalization promotes contract farming which increases the earning capacities of farmers. In the sphere of industry, globalization promotes the idea of out- sourcing the activities of big MNCs to the small companies and firms and in this way creating new avenues of employment for the unemployed people.

            The antagonists(opponents)of the process of globalization are of the view that the process of globalization is very asymmetrical and based upon American policy of economic colonialism. They view that the ongoing globalization based on Washington consensus, is aimed at bringing in cultural uniformity through out the world. It doesn’t want to leave any scope for cultural diversity. In other words, it wants to impose American culture and American way of life on everyone everywhere. The antagonists are of the view that the proponents of globalization are the apostles of the first world, the prophets of free market and the high priest of hi-tech of America. Culturally speaking, globalization is largely though not entirely, the spread of Americanisation – from big Mac to Mickey mouse – on a large scale.

            Globalisation is associated with the information flow of mass media from the developed and capitalist west to the less-developed world. It is highly asymmetrical, imbalanced and unequal which mainly transmit “western values” such as individualism, materialism & conspicuous consumption around the world. Globalization promotes cultural imperialism which is associated with certain degree of coercion invasion and repression. It leads to the consolidation of cultural hegemony which is an absolutely aggressive form of dominant culture that has no specific connection with real experience for most people of poorer countries of the world.

            Globalisation has developed a craze in India for western brand names. A consumerist mentality has been carefully fostered. This leads to an adverse impact on the propensity to save or the domestic accumulation of capital. M.N.Cs try to sell as much as possible by resorting to high-voltage advertisement campaigns. The purpose of advertisement is not the dissemination of knowledge about the features of the product but to create a demand for it by stressing the fact that its consumption will enhance the status of consumer, in the eyes of society.

            An important consequence of globalization is the advent of a consumer credit society. A person can now buy goods and services even if he does not have sufficient purchasing power at his disposal and the prospect of raising a loan has become easy in the era of globalisation. Credit cards have given anormous boost to consumerism and pushed many a household into indebtedness.

            Globalization has a very adverse effect upon religion. Religious festivals are fully exploited by the corporate houses. In the name of gods and goddesses all kinds of attractive rebates and concessions are offered. New TV channels have come into existence to cater to the spiritual needs of the people and marketing ends of M.N.Cs. In Hindi we have Astha and-Samskar, these are the two such channels that have been successfully serving the gullible as well as the cunning. M.N.Cs utilize the religious occasions and places to advertise their market products and liberally finding a number of godmen and woman. In this way globalization proliferates the venders of commercialism spiritualism.

            Computers are being used to prepare horoscope and impress upon the knave that computer made horoscopes are free from errors and lay bare the future of the persons concerned. Thus the tools of modern I.T have come handy to pseudo-science in its effect to propagate and re-inforce age old superstitions.

            Globalisation has a very adverse effect upon mass-media. In the age of globalization faithful coverage of events and happening doesn’t receive much priority because it doesn’t determine the standing of a newspaper or TV channel. Sensational reporting and catchy heading along with spicy analysis push up the circulation and increase the rating of the media concerned in the eyes of the advertiser. Globalisation has brought an amazing violation of journalistic ethics in India. Hundreds of journalist cover Lakme Indias fashion week but a few go to cover starvation death in Kalahandi in Orissa or farmers committing suicide in India’s most prosperous state i.e., Maharastra.

            The forces of globalization have increased the cultural divides and widened the technology gap within the same society (Thomas Friedman). It has fostered pariah capitalism and proliferated McDonaldization and Cocacolation processes in India. Globalisation has intensified the beauty contests in India which treats women as sex object. The vast proliferation of beauty parlours, facial creams and other cosmetics which promise to increase fairness of body and face bear evidence to the fact of women being exploited in our society in the era of globalisation.

            The programmes of structural adjustment being a part of globalization policy affect very adversely to the poorer section of our society. The lower allocations to public sector is likely to adversely affect the poor and the dalit. It is the poor who depend largely on public services and any reduction in budget allocation contributes to the reduction and availability of social services and their consequent higher costs.

            In the education sector, “the new policy framework in education” drafted by a committee headed by Mr.Kumar Mangalam Birla and Mr.Mukesh Ambani seeks to drive privatization and introduce commercialization of higher education in the pattern of the USA. The pay seats in the educational institutions are fortifying the class basis of education. The poorer sections of the society, especially the dalits, the tribals along with the minorities are going to be the biggest loosers.

            The antagonists are of the opinion that globalization has a very adverse effects upon our agriculture and farmers. In the era of globalization, subsidies on agriculture is getting phased out, thus agriculture is becoming an expensive affairs. Apart from it, agriculture is experiencing individualization because the state is withdrawing its extensive role in agriculture. As the farmers are entering into contract farming with MNCs, so their dependency & insecurity is increasing. As a result of it we witness increasing spate of farmers commiting suicide in India.

            Globalisation has a very adverse effect on environment. In this era, the MNCs are establishing their headquarters in the developed countries but their manufacturing units are established in the developing nation. In the name of giving employment to the people of the poorer nation, they are polluting the climates of these nations. Apart from it, the contribution of the developed countries for the global pollution is increasing at an alarming proportion.

            Inspite of the debate between the votaries and adversaries of the process, still globalization is in operation. As a process of socio-economic change, it has opened a lots of opportunities for our people along with it, it has brought many challenges for our nation.