The Pros of Globalization

Amara Rojo

November 11th, 2015

International Relations 170

      The Pros of Globalization

                  After discussion in class on Tuesday, I found myself seeing less of the negatives of globalization and more of the positive attributes that come with expanding international horizons. The expansion of knowledge and information across the globe is a major win for many nations and their citizens.

New forms of medicine and cures can now be shared; in a recent case the fact that Cuba has been able to relations between Cuba and the United States has allowed for medical advances to become available n the United States, such as a lung cancer vaccine and an advanced wound care for people affected by diabetes. Without globalization as a catalyst for the spread of this information, it would have hindered the treatment of several afflicted people.

In addition to the positive medical offers more perspectives can allow for more dialog in nations that until more recent times were isolated by either censorship or geography. The evolution of technology beginning perhaps as far back as the printing press to modern day internet access, these means of communication were and are incredibly powerful at shifting established ideologies and institutions. If women in Middle Eastern nations did not find out through some form of communication that their basic human rights as women were being violated by their governments then they would not have found the courage to oppose these principles. Because there is contrast, another way of living that is presented to them, there is the possibility for change, when otherwise there would be the continuation of a degrading cycle--a girl now has the chance for something more. Now this statement alone could just be considered westernization, but this goes both ways.  Women in western countries are now able to see issues in a broader sense and are perhaps even more grateful for the opportunities they previously took advantage of.

 Now, I'm not saying that one culture is superior to another, and that western nations have it right and the rest of the world is wrong. But the fact that we can understand or at least even see how other cultures operate--for better or worse-- is a positive. This isn't however, to imply that what occurs after this knowledge is transferred is positive.  When longstanding cultural institutions and beliefs are challenged, backlash is a natural side-effect. But, I would rather know that there is something more out there, another way to live, whether it's something as vital as water sources, the contrast to the availability where I live to places in Africa, or trivial such as Europeans tend to eat French fries with mayonnaise as opposed to ketchup-- what I'm getting at is globalization can give you something to compare your surroundings, your lifestyle, your culture to. You can question, reason, defend because you now know there is another way of living, there are other opinions and systems that could be better than yours--or perhaps not. You can now try to understand how a society grew to function the way that it does and then go from there. Globalization challenges and in some cases advances. What could be more positive than that?