Spaces and Exchanges :Globalisation

The notion I am going to deal with is Spaces and Exchanges, to begin with I would like to give a definition of the notion. A space can be geographical or symbolic and it defines and demarcates a given society. Nowadays these spaces are more and more connected thanks to such factors as the conquest of new worlds (immigration, trade and communications) an exchange on the other hand is the act of giving and receiving something. Indeed there is no gainsaying the fact that the world is undergoing a continuous process that involves integrated shifts in economic, cultural, social, and political spheres of society. This process involves the exchange of this aspects between nations communities and even isolated places. In relation to this notion I shall speak about globalization as a process that facilitates exchanges between peoples and nations and reduces or eliminates borders  between them. So we may wonder to what extent globalization has connected spaces on all levels especially the economic level. I am also going to tackle its drawbacks.

Indeed globalization has led to outstanding changes around the world, now we can speak about a worldwide marketplace where producers and consumers sell and buy: in just a few days blue jeans made in paris can be traded in london shipped to new york and sold in marrakech money easily crosses borders. News and ideas travel fast across the internet and other media outlets. Now more than ever before.People can get connected to information quickly. Everything from making  bags or growing corn to promoting democracy is affected because everything is connected.In fact, we can not deny that globalization has a host of advantages. In this regard I would like to bring up an extract from the book “globalization and its discontent” by J.Stiglitz entitled globalization that we studied in class. The author in the second paragraph  argues that globalization is a good thing that has improved the lives of millions of people. It has allowed countries to target and export to new markets and be home for foreign investment ,  I would also like to add  to this arguments  that globalization has reduced the sense of isolation felt in much of the developing or underdeveloped worlds and has given people in these worlds access to knowledge. Likewise, globalization has led to the integration of people and countries, reduction of the cost of transportations, and communications and the free movements of goods , services and knowledge. In addition, globalization creates a political and an economical union which facilitates the agreement between countries.

Nevertheless, globalization is not free from drawbacks , J.Stiglitz in the third paragraph puts forward the argument that globalization has not been beneficial for millions of people.It has destroyed their jobs and made their lives insecure.For them, it is a process that has undermined their democracies , eroded their cultures. Actually they are other repercussions which the author did not mention for example there is a flagrant exploitation of the workers and the developing world and small companies have to go out of business because they can not compete with the multinationals. As a result the gap between the poor and the rich becomes wider. Also the mix of cultures caused by globalization can lead to racism , xenophobia, intolerance and loss of an national identity.This is the reason why J.S suggests implementing policies for sustainable equitable and democratic growth , he argues that development is not about helping a few people get rich or creating a limited number of industries that only serve the elites interests but it is about improving the lives of the poor and giving everyone a chance at success and access to healthcare and education. He also suggests remodeling the international institutions that govern globalization.We also studied a poster entitled “free or fair” it showcases the injustice and inequity  of free trade towards the coffee farmer who makes less than 1cents while a latte costs 3 dollars.In the middle of the poster there is a question “hard to swallow?” it is full of irony with regards to the exploitation of the farmer. The poster is a call  for consumers to buy a fair trade certified coffee. Fair trade advocates focus on the wages and decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers it is about supporting them as they work to improve their lives and their communities.

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