Is Globalization in Retreat?

Introduction

Social theorists have long been interested in globalization, and there has been an explosion of interest over the years as reflected in the research that has been carried out in relation to the theory. The increased interest and research is a reflection of the fact that globalization is important and it is of great concern to the world and its population. Kivisto (2011) notes that globalization has brought a revision of the traditional understanding of space time. Due to the increased improvement in transportation networks and communication systems, has made communication and interactions across big areas very easy (Kivisto 2011) and that is only possible through globalization. Ritzer (2007) notes that globalization is not a singular process rather an amalgam of processes that encompasses many transitions. Beck (1999) argues that the reality of globalization is very complicates since it is an open, multi-dimensional, and poly-cultural process. Globalization is transforming every nation as well as the lives of billions of individuals in those countries. One need only look around to see the degree and significance of the permeation of globalization as well as its impact. There are many shopping centers that continue to spring up in various areas as well as many franchises that can be found within, as well as the goods that are found within those franchises. Giddens (1990, p.64) notes that globalization is “he intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa”, which then transforms all aspects of life.

There is also another effect that is a factor of globalization, and that is the increased protests that it has received. If the protests were merely concentrated on one geographic area or one class of society, then it may not have been an issue. However, the degree of frequency, as well as geographic dispersion, is a testament to the fact that people feel that they are confronting issues that are significantly important. It is important to note that the attitudes towards globalization depend partly on the gains and the losses that are made from it. According to Ritzer (2007) individuals in developed nations do not have an issue with globalization and they voice less opposition to it since they have derived greater advantages from the system as compared to individuals from developing nations who have not derived as many advantages. Therefore, it is individuals from developing nations who will protest against the control of international agencies such as the IMF and the control of countries such as the US arguing that those agencies, as well as the US, may destroy indigenous cultures in one way or another. Given the increasing protest against globalization, it leads to the question of whether globalization is in retreat due to the rise of popular nationalism and other counter-globalization politics.

Part of the reason why there has been great resistance to globalization is due to the fact that it has been synonymized with Westernization, Americanization, and McDonaldization. As one would surmise, it is mostly developing nations that see the negative effects of the three phenomena. As such, there is increased resistance to the adoption of globalization in developing countries. Therefore, it is important to understand the social phenomena as they pertain to globalization.

Westernization

The question of whether globalization equals westernization has been around for a while. Sen (2002) argues that globalization is usually experienced in the West and seen as a great contributor to Western civilization. On the other hand, globalization is seen as the vehicle through which Western imperialism spreads to the rest of the world. In the view that sees globalization as the vehicle for western capitalism, the theory is governed and influenced by contemporary capitalism that is led by greedy Western countries in Europe and in North America (Akande 2002). It is these Western countries that establish the rules of trade and business which serve no purpose for other people in developing nations. On the contrary, it is the Western nations that gain the most while the developing countries suffer in one way or another. Over the years, globalization has led to unprecedented growth in the world in relation to travel, cultural migration, trade as well as the dissemination of knowledge (Sen 2002). These effects have been productive when it comes to advancing every country, not only the west. In a way, they have not been a manner of increasing Western influence though that has been the effect. The agents of globalization have not been exclusively Western since also Europe and North America have been influenced by other cultures too. Akande (2002) notes that the issue of westernization lies in a blatant disregard for indigenous culture and seeking to superimpose Western culture on the indigenous culture. One need only look at African nations to see that a lot of their culture has been washed away by Westernization under the guise of globalization. If something does not fit the Western standard, then it is considered backward and primitive which has led to the erosion of cultural values in traditional African society (Wahab, Odunsi, and Ajiboye 2012). As such, there has been increased resistance to globalization by some African nations since they believe that it is merely a westernization in disguise. Therefore, one may surmise that globalization is in retreat in some nations.

Americanization

The country which is most linked to globalization is the US. The US is the most powerful country in the world in terms of economic power, and some may even argue in terms of military power (Capital Flows 2013). It is only recently that China has been considered a worthy economic adversary and some have argued that it may oust the US from the economic throne (Wilge 2016). However, as it stands now, the US is the country that has the most to gain in globalization, and that is why some have synonymized globalization to Americanization. Ritzer (2003), notes that Americanization is rooted in a neo-Marxian conception of economic imperialism and cultural hegemony. This perspective argues that America aggressively exploits the media as well as various trade commodities that can be taken to be an attack on a nation’s sovereignty. Americanization argues that the world is becoming more Americanized which restricts the view that the world is increasingly diverse and that it must be perceived in such a manner. Fraser (2014) states that the whole world is becoming American and he relates the transformation to that of a disease that slowly increases within the body. Relating Americanization to disease is meant to show that it is growing and spreading and while some of its effects may be good, it seems that it is America which has the most to gain. The US is an economic and cultural hegemony to the detriment of developing nations. In the name of globalization, the US advances foreign aid. In and of itself, foreign aid is not an issue. The issue lies in the fact that the country which has received the foreign aid, effectively comes under the control of the US in the sense that the US has major influence over it (Swedlund 2017). Gaining such influence supports the narrative that globalization is synonymous with Americanization and that that the advances the US makes are merely for its own good. As such, globalization may be in retreat since people perceive it as Americanization which is detrimental to developing nations.

McDonaldization

If one would have stated that the name of a food franchise would be linked to globalization, there are many that would not have believed that individual. Yet, McDonald's has led to the derivative word McDonaldization being created. McDonald’s is one of the most influential developments in society, and its effects can be felt across the US and the world at large. Furthermore, its effects are felt far beyond the fast-food industry in which it is rooted, and it has tremendous ripple effects on the way of life of a significant portion of the world. Ritzer (2000. p.7) notes that the principle of McDonaldization does not relate to the business, but it is “process by which the principles of the first-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as of the rest of the world.” The success of the McDonalds franchise is very apparent in the US and in the various countries to which it has spread. The influence of the franchise can be seen in the Big Mac Index. The Economist (2019) notes that the Big Mac Index or “burgernomics” is meant to indicate the purchasing power of various countries in the world based on the local price of the Big Mac. Therefore, McDonaldization has a very profound cultural resonance where individuals have found McDonaldization useful in explaining everything from religion, the university, and even the museums. In relation to globalization, Ritzer (2003) notes that McDonaldization reflects a top-down, “iron cage” form of social theory. The roots of the modern form are reflected in Weberian tradition, and it augurs that the best progressive path lies in streamlined structural constraints over agent led progressive path, more so in the area of consumption. McDonaldization reflects an efficient, calculable, predictable, and controlled method through which globalization can be achieved. However, in seeking a streamlined rational system, irrationality has also been spawned too. Ritzer (2003) argues that the paradox of seeking a rational system through which globalization may occur leads to the inevitable creation of irrationality that serves to deny human reason. Ritzer (2003) continues to note that it is the irrationality of the perceived rationality that makes McDonaldization a challenge in globalization. Basically, people are rebelling since it is expected that there will be some degree of chaos in the process of globalization.

Rise of Popular Nationalisms

A key argument against globalization is the rise in the rise of nationalism over the years. Nationalism is basically the feeling of attachment that an individual has for their nation as well as the sense of pride of the nation itself (Abdulsattar 2013). Nationalism has been used to promote culture as well as defend a particular way of life. A simplified example of nationalism is when an individual moves to another country for one reason or another, but they still cheer on their home country’s national team when they are competing on the national stage. Nationalism is used to promote national cohesion and a patriotic spirit which helps galvanize public opinion. In the past five years, there have been two surprising nationalist movements that may indicate the retreat of globalization. The movements are Brexit and Trumps “Make America Great Again (MAGA)” campaign.

Brexit

The UK had a referendum, where the public was to vote as to whether they want to remain in the European Union or exit the European Union. On June 23rd, 2016, the people voted to leave the EU. The result was very surprising since many people had argued that Britons would vote to stay in the EU. The BBC (2016) notes that the UKIP leader Nick Farage stated that the Leave campaign had won a victory for “real people and June 23rd should go down as Independence Day.” It has been around three years around that time. It seems that the people of Britain are regretting their decision since their leaders keep rejecting the Brexit exits deals that are presented in Parliament (Mueller 2019). Regardless of the current sentiments of the people, Brexit has been construed as showing that globalization is on the decline. According to Chandran (2016), globalization is rooted in trade and immigration, and they are the tenets that made the UK decide to leave the EU. Brexit is a pullback for trade openness, the movement of labor and globalization in general. A key tenet that made individuals vote for living the EU is the free movement of labor between the UK and other European countries. It was argued that the influx of people in the country led to a reduction in job prospects of citizens and it led to stagnant salaries. Voting to leave the EU so as to stem the tide of individuals coming into the country is seen not only as dissatisfaction with the EU policies, but also dissatisfaction with globalization as well (Chandran 2016). Giles (2017) notes that the keyword that should be used to describe Brexit is deglobalization. The intention of the vote was not to close off the UK from the rest of the world, but that is its effect. Trade ties were damaged and continue to be damaged, and the flow of people has been stemmed. Therefore, Brexit is a signal that globalization may be in retreat.

Additionally, due to the concept of globalization, it means that the effects of Brexit and other nationalistic movements will not only be felt in Britain. Appadurai (1990) notes that globalization is very fluid and suggests five building blocks which are: ethnoscapes, mediascapes, technoscapes, finanscapes, and ideoscapes. Ethnoscape refers to the landscape of people who constitute the modern shifting world such as tourists, immigrants, and exiles. Technoscape refers to the first movement of technology globally; finanscapes refers to the flow of megamonies in stock exchanges and currency markets; mediascapes relates to the narrative perpetuated by the media; and ideoscapes refers to image-based political ideologies. In relation to Brexit, the ethnoscape is being limited since there is limited flow of immigrants, exiles and guest workers which may be a signal that globalization is on the retreat.

To say that Donald Trump was an unlikely candidate to win the US elections would be an understatement. The world was more surprised when Trump won. Some wondered why he had won, and there has been a lot of conspiracy revolving around his win. Regardless of the controversy that revolves around the American elections, Trump’s victory can be summarized into one statement “Make America Great Again (MAGA).” MAGA is the slogan that Trump used to connect with everyday blue collar workers in the US. The sentiment seems to have been a reflection of the people since it resonated with the strong nationalistic pride of the Americans. However, a more nuanced view of the issue is that the MAGA slogan is a threat to globalization or at the very least shows that globalization is retreating. According to Lamy (2018), MAGA is basically Trump calling up nationalistic sentiments that go against globalization. Just like Brexit, the main issue lies in the movement of people. In the context of America, it is the Mexican immigrants that are an issue since people claim that they are taking their jobs and affecting the wages. Ghemawat and Altman (2019) note that MAGA is a threat to globalization since it has led to a wave of economic nationalism in the US. Economic nationalism is a threat to globalization since it goes against a key aspect of globalization which is the idea of trade and the movement of people. As such, MAGA and Trump are a signal that globalization is retreating or at the very least it is under threat.

Conclusion

Globalization has led to unprecedented growth in terms of trade, human movement, technology, and political ideology. Despite the growth brought about by globalization, there are many that believe that globalization is retreating. Globalization has been synonymized with Westernization and Americanization. Basically, it is the West and specifically America which gains the most in globalization. Indigenous cultures are also affected since the West and America assert cultural and economic hegemony over developing countries. As such, there has been increased resistance to globalization in developing countries. Additionally, there has been a rise in nationalist sentiments with the most prominent ones being Brexit and MAGA. Brexit was basically Britain voting to leave the European Union arguing that its immigration policies are hurting its people. MAGA was President Trump’s way of doing the same thing, and it has led to the birth of economic nationalism. Both Brexit and MAGA show that the globalization is on the retreat or that it is being attacked. Therefore, the answer to whether globalization is on retreat is, “Yes” globalization is on retreat. As time progresses the effects of the retreat will be felt. As it stands right now, the effects are merely abstract.

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