EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION ON INDIAN SOCIETY

Globalization refers to the process of integrating governments, cultures, and financial markets into a global system. It brings about a deeper level of interconnectedness between nations and affects various aspects of social, cultural, economic, political, and communal life.

In today’s competitive world, globalization mobilizes cultural values on a global scale, and has a massive impact on countries across the world, including India. As nations progress technologically, the transformation due to globalization intensifies. This has led to the integration of social, economic, and political systems. Globalization influences various sections of society such as education, culture, economy, environment, women, children, tribes, and elderly.

Impact of Globalization on Education in India

1. Positive Impacts

• E-learning: The introduction of computer-mediated learning has revolutionized teaching and learning processes. This allows for flexibility, enabling students to learn through digital platforms.
• Foreign Collaboration: Foreign universities are collaborating with Indian universities, introducing new markets and making course modifications that are aligned with global standards.
• Women Empowerment: Globalization has increased access to formal education for girls, helping them secure formal jobs and achieve financial independence.
• Information Sharing: Globalization facilitates more effective information exchange across cultural boundaries. Collaborating with institutions globally has created a revolution in education by improving information access.
• Skills for the Global Economy: Students are learning new skills like coding, design, and digital literacy, which enables them to participate in the global employment market. These skills are increasingly essential in today’s job market.
• Changes in Curriculum: As a result of globalization, there is a wider integration of new subjects and global perspectives in educational curricula. This broadens students’ knowledge and prepares them to face global challenges.
• Competition to Excel: Globalization has led to a focus on international rankings, encouraging institutions to enhance the quality of education.
• Access to Education: The internet and the availability of global information have led to greater awareness. Globalization has created a greater need for specialization and promoted higher education in India.
• Enable Choice-Based Selection: Students and faculty can now be part of a global education system, allowing them to access educational opportunities around the world without relocating.
• Impact on Teachers: Teachers in higher education are required to develop new skills and strategies to communicate effectively with students in a more globalized system.
• More Choice for Consumers: Globalization has led to a boom in consumer markets, offering a wider variety of product choices compared to the limited options in the past.
• Higher Disposable Incomes: With globalization, people in urban areas have higher incomes, allowing them to spend more on lifestyle goods. This has also led to increased demand for products like meat, organic food, and protein-rich items, sometimes causing inflation in these sectors.
• Greater Number of Jobs: The entry of foreign companies and growth in the economy has resulted in job creation for Indian workers.
• International Institutions: India benefits from soft loans and grants from institutions like the World Bank. It also enjoys preferential treatment in the World Trade Organization (WTO) as a developing country.
• Increased Competitiveness Among Business Players: Globalization has driven businesses to improve service delivery and product quality, enhancing overall competition.
• Increased Inflow of Investments: Developed countries invest in India, contributing to economic reconstruction and growth.
• Collaboration: Indian companies have gained from collaborating with foreign entities.
  • Examples: Tata Motors and Infosys have benefited from these partnerships.

2. Negative Impacts

• Structural Issues: Challenges like faculty shortages and infrastructure limitations have been exacerbated by globalization.
• Inequitable Education: The marketization of education has led to inequality. Higher education has become expensive, leaving behind students from underprivileged backgrounds.
• Brain Drain: Indian students are increasingly attracted to foreign countries for education, despite Indian institutions improving in quality.
• Value Erosion: Education has become more career-oriented, with less focus on moral values and ethical teachings.
• Advent of Private Education: Coaching classes and paid study materials have created a divide between the haves and the have-nots, making higher education inaccessible to many.
• Call Centre Culture: Many young Indians are opting for call centre jobs early on, abandoning education in search of fast money, leading to a decline in their social life and professional growth.
• Pressure of Education: Globalization has increased academic pressure, with an emphasis on creating winners in a highly competitive education system.
• Over-dependence on English: As English becomes the dominant language globally, local languages are being marginalized in education.
• Distraction by Digital Technologies: Young students are often distracted by the mass media and digital culture, making it hard to focus on learning.
• Trade Deficit: Countries like India suffer from a trade deficit, which widen the gap between developed and developing economies.
• Interlinking of Economy: Globalization has made economies more interdependent, meaning any financial crisis in one country (e.g., during COVID-19) can cause a slowdown in developing countries as well.
• Affected MSMEs: Indian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) face competition from foreign goods, reducing their profit margins.
  • Example: Sectors like pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and chemical industries have been hit.
• Unemployment: As technology advances, the demand for skilled professionals rises, while the need for manual labor decreases, causing job losses.
• Skewed Distribution of Jobs: Jobs are concentrated in the service sector, which creates problems for individuals with lower education levels, leading to imbalanced job growth.
• Neglected Crops: Advancements like the green revolution have focused on cereals, leaving crops like pulses and oilseeds neglected.
• Shrinking Agricultural Sector: International trade norms from organizations like the WTO have reduced government support for Indian agriculture, leading to price fluctuations and reduced agricultural output.
• Vulnerable Indian Farmers: Farmers increasingly depend on seeds and fertilizers sold by multinational companies (MNCs), leading to more vulnerability.
• Consumerism: Globalization has increased consumerism, impacting the average consumer’s spending.
• Increasing Healthcare Costs: As global interconnections rise, so does the susceptibility to diseases. This requires greater investment in healthcare systems to manage crises like COVID-19 or Ebola.

Effects of Globalization on Women

1. Behavioral Changes:

• Social Status: Access to global media has raised awareness of women’s rights, leading to better recognition of their liberty and equality in social, cultural, and economic spaces.
• Consumerism: With the rise of consumerism, women have more time for personal and professional growth, as household chores are minimized with modern appliances.
• Unhealthy Lifestyle: Globalization has exposed women to unhealthy lifestyle choices, leading to a rise in non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cancer.
• Commoditization: There has been a shift in how beauty is perceived, leading to the commoditization of women’s appearance, particularly in industries like cosmetics.
  • Example: The boom in the cosmetic industry.

2. Social Indicators:

• Female Literacy Rate: Globalization has contributed to the rise of the female literacy rate, which increased from 8.9% in 1951 to 65.46% in 2011.
• Decline in Child Marriage: Child marriage is being reduced, aligned with global initiatives like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which aim to eliminate it by 2030.
• Improving Health Indices: Policies that focus on education, healthcare, and vaccination have led to lower fertility rates, maternal mortality rates (MMR), and infant mortality rates (IMR).
• Awareness: Awareness of health, driven by better institutional deliveries and vaccines, has contributed to improving overall women’s health.

3. Economical Changes:

• Feminization of Labour Force: Women gained financial independence but were largely confined to the informal sector. About 90% of women work in informal settings, without access to security mechanisms like pensions and maternity benefits.
• Feminization of Agriculture: As men migrate for better jobs, women dominate the agricultural workforce. This has led to ruralization and feminization of both agriculture and poverty.
• Low Income: Women in the informal sector earn very low incomes, pushing them into deeper economic challenges.
• Women Work Two Full-Time: Women face a dual burden of domestic and workplace responsibilities, particularly in developing nations.
• Advancement of Women: International non-profit organizations have provided women with literacy and vocational skills, helping them progress.

4. Political:

• Political Participation: Women’s participation in politics has grown, with gradual increases in leadership and decision-making roles.

Impact of Globalisation on Tribals

1. Positive Impacts:

• Promoting Tribal Work: Globalization has helped tribal cultures, such as Orissa tribal culture, become well-known, especially for dance, wooden crafts, and handicrafts.
• Promoting Tribal Products: Tribal products and their indigenous knowledge have gained exposure, and patented products helped enhance their livelihood.
• Eradication of Superstition: Contact with outsiders (Hindu and Christian missionaries) led to the reduction of superstitious practices among tribals. For instance, stopping the burial of newborns with dead mothers in Khasi tribes. The use of modern education practices replaced harmful rituals.
  • Example: Missionaries helped eliminate superstitious practices such as using magic to cure diseases.
• Educational Opportunities: Tribals, previously having limited education, benefitted from new schools and colleges established by missionaries. This uplifted tribal education standards, particularly in northeast India.
  • Example: Vanavasi Kalyan schools and Eklavya Residential schools.
• National Integration: Globalization facilitated the integration of tribals with the broader nation, allowing them to adapt to new behavioral changes while maintaining unity.

2. Negative Impacts:

• Displacement of Tribals: Around 55% of India’s tribal population now lives outside their traditional habitats due to development projects like irrigation and infrastructure. This displacement often results in loss of resources and livelihood.
  • Example: Sardar Sarovar Dam displaced over 41,000 families in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, with 56% being tribals.
• Tribal Pauperization: A lack of resources and employment opportunities has pushed many tribals into poverty and indebtedness.
• Access and Benefit Sharing: Multinational companies often monopolize traditional tribal knowledge, particularly in medicinal plants, without tribals benefiting from it.
• Exploitation of Natural Resources: The economic and political forces of capitalism and colonialism have led to the extraction of resources from tribal lands, causing significant environmental damage.
• Tribal Women: In poverty-stricken areas, many tribal women migrate to cities for work, where they face poor conditions and exploitation by unscrupulous agents.
• Cultural and Identity Loss: Tribal cultures and languages are often lost when exposed to modern practices and customs. Their unique traditions are being eroded as they integrate with the majority culture.
  • Example: Tribal dormitories and religious beliefs have diminished.
• Destruction of Local Products: The expansion of global markets has led to the displacement of traditional products by mass-produced alternatives.
  • Example: Products like shikakai, ritas, and neem twigs have been replaced by modern shampoos and toothpaste.

Impacts of Globalization on The Environment

1. Positive Impacts of Globalization on the Environment:

• Global Awareness: Globalization has promoted a more integrated environmental consciousness, increasing awareness about issues such as climate change and deforestation.
  • Example: Social media campaigns supporting efforts to combat the Amazon forest fires.
• Global Coalition Against Climate Change: International initiatives, such as UNFCCC and conventions on biodiversity and migratory species, have led to better management of environmental crises.

2. Negative Impacts of Globalization on the Environment:

• Stress on the Environment: Increased consumption of products has led to higher production levels, putting excessive stress on the ecological cycle and natural resources.
• Resource Depletion: Practices like commercialized agriculture (e.g., the Green Revolution) have reduced soil fertility, particularly in regions like northwestern India.
• Threat to Biological Diversity: Global supply chains, invasive species, and organized crime have increased poaching and the extinction of biodiversity.
• Diminishing Crop Diversity: The shift toward monocropping and monoculture practices has negatively affected both the environment and agriculture.
  • Example: Agriculture has been severely impacted by climate change.
• Climate Change: Globalization has encouraged large-scale trading and industrialization, increasing the use of fossil fuels, which in turn contribute to rising greenhouse gases and ozone depletion.

Impact of the Environment on Globalization:

• Fuel the Need: Scarcity or abundance of natural resources drives globalization by influencing global supply and demand.
• Extra Costs on Pretext of Saving the Environment: Efforts toward environmental protection can extract economic costs, diverting resources from development projects.
• Trigger Alternative Technology: Environmental stress has fostered the creation of alternative technologies, such as green energy and dematerialization.
• Influence on Trade: Environmental regulations and standards shape trade and investment patterns, both nationally and internationally.

Relationship Between Globalization & New Technology to India with Scarce Resources:

1. Usage-Oriented:

• Easier Access: Globalization has allowed India to gain easier access to new technologies, even with limited resources.
  • Example: Technologies from developed countries are being transferred and used in both developing and least-developed nations.
• Independent of Available Resources: Despite the scarcity of resources, India has been able to adopt technologies through transfer from emerging economies.
  • Example: Although India lacks 5G resources, it is leveraging services from China’s expertise in this area.

• Technology Oriented:

• More Freedom: Emerging technologies have provided consumers with greater freedom of choice.
• Efficient Development: Technologies developed in one part of the world are efficient and can be utilized globally.
  • Example: The adoption of uniform cables by the US and EU has facilitated easier and more effective use of technological equipment globally.

• Sector Oriented:

• Service Sector Development: Globalization has shifted focus to service sectors, leading to significant technology transfers.
  • Example: Many developing countries, including LDCs (Least Developed Countries), work as outsourcing points for developed nations.
• Easier Flow of Related Information: Communication development has enabled easier and faster information exchange.
  • Example: The Internet is a major driver of technological development worldwide.
• Development in Developing Countries: Globalization has facilitated the growth and development of developing countries.
  • Example: India provides exports in services, contributing to a large share of the country’s GDP.

• Economy Oriented:

• Increased Job Opportunities: Globalization has opened up more job opportunities in developing nations.
  • Example: The rise of work-from-home and digital technologies has integrated women into the labor market.
• Lack of Adequate Resources: There remains inequality in resource availability, impeding progress in certain regions.
  • Example: Despite having no resources, Afghanistan has received aid due to geopolitical interests from the USA.
• Mutual Usage of Resources: Globalized nations often engage in resource sharing.
  • Example: India and Saudi Arabia have partnered for technology transfers, including RuPay and UPI systems for financial transactions.
• Availability of Cheap Raw Materials: Globalization has made raw materials accessible at lower costs with the exchange of technology.
  • Example: Africa provides cheap raw materials to developed nations in exchange for technological advancements.

• Social Oriented:

• Female Literacy: Emerging technologies have positively impacted female literacy rates.
  • Example: The Swayam Prabha Campaign uses digital media to address vaccine hesitancy globally.
• Social Movements: Media has empowered various social movements.
  • Example: The #MeToo movement highlights women’s activism globally.

• Political System Oriented:

• Provides Stability: Globalization can lead to political stability, but a lack of resources can lead to issues such as poverty and hunger.
  • Example: Countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka have faced crises due to their geopolitical alignment with China, leading to debt and instability.

Effects of Globalization on the Elderly

Positive Effects:

1. Access to Medical Technologies: Advanced medical technologies have become more affordable and accessible, improving elderly healthcare.
2. Improved Life Expectancy: Advances in technology, medical care, and living standards have increased life expectancy.
3. Communication: Rapid advancements in communication help elderly people stay connected with their children, even when living far away.
4. Technology: Technology allows young people living abroad to send financial support to their elderly parents.
5. Better Institutional Care System: Congregate living environments provide care tailored to the elderly’s functional, medical, and social needs.
6. Ageless Society: Continued employment opportunities for the elderly promote a more inclusive “ageless society.”

Negative Effects:

1. Fallouts of Disintegration of Joint Families: Young people leaving their elderly parents for job opportunities leads to isolation and psychological distress for the elderly.
2. Unclear Roles Post-Retirement: The elderly often feel their knowledge is obsolete due to rapid modernization, making them economically dependent on their children.
3. Rapid Cultural Shock: The fast-paced changes brought by globalization can cause anxiety among the elderly.
4. Inflation: Savings of the elderly may be eroded faster due to rising inflation.
5. Technology: The elderly may struggle to adapt to constant technological changes, feeling unskilled and disconnected.

Effects of Globalization on Children

• Education: Children have greater access to global information through the internet, smart classrooms, and international schools, making them more aware of global progress.
  • Example: Smart classrooms and international schools provide enhanced learning environments.
• Health: Globalization has contributed to better institutional healthcare, reducing infant mortality rates. Polio was eradicated in India thanks to widespread use of low-cost oral vaccines.
• Less Physical Activity: Increased screen time has led to a decrease in physical activity, contributing to obesity and childhood diabetes.
• Online Radicalization: The risk of children encountering harmful websites or extreme views online has risen due to the ease of access.
• Attention Deficiency: Studies show a drop in attention span due to heavy internet usage, with active focus decreasing from 12 to 5 minutes.
• Imbibing Consumerism: Children’s exposure to consumer-driven environments is shaping their physical, emotional, and social development.
  • Example: Supermarkets place candies at children’s eye levels to entice them.
• Child Labor: Globalization has led to exploitation in India’s labor markets, especially affecting children working in industries like the hand-knotted carpet sector.
  • Example: About 300,000 Indian children work in this sector, which exports over $300 million annually.

Effects of Globalization on Culture

1. Social:

• Social Mobility: Economic expansion and a breakdown of traditional labor divisions have contributed to higher social mobility. However, caste system exploitation persists in certain areas.
  • Example: Norms surrounding socializing and inter-caste marriages are becoming more relaxed.
• Decreasing Religiosity: Globalization is fostering a more agnostic population, with fewer people attending places of worship.
• Weakening of the Caste System: Globalization has expanded liberal thinking and economic opportunities, weakening traditional caste boundaries.
• Indian Cuisine: Indian spices and herbs continue to be globally sought after. Fast food like pizzas and burgers has also gained popularity, contributing to culinary globalization.
• Language: English, influenced by transnational corporations, has overtaken regional languages, especially in urban areas.
  • Example: Families in urban India often communicate in English in daily life.

2. Relationships:

• Individualism: A growing influence of Western individualism has led to a generation focused on personal aspirations and away from traditional family roles.
• Matchmaking Technology: Technology has transformed matchmaking, with marriage alliances now arranged through online platforms. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated live streaming and virtual marriages.
• Conjugal Relationships: Globalization has encouraged new norms like live-in relationships, which were validated in court in cases like the famous Kanniamal case.
• Nuclear Families: Financial independence and migration have led to the decline of joint family structures, giving rise to nuclear families.
• Structure of Family: Family gatherings and traditional celebrations are becoming less common due to the shift to nuclear families. New cultural norms like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are increasingly observed.

3. Cultural Economy

• Art Forms: Globalization has introduced various regional art practices to the world, mixing heritage, politics, and social elements. However, this led to the downgrading of local cultural practices.
  • Example: Dance forms like fusion, hip hop, Zumba, and music where lyrics and emotion are less prioritized.
• Homogenization of Culture: The process of globalization has created a standardized culture globally, influencing values like democracy, human rights, and rationality.
  • Example: Worldwide similarities in child rights, banking cultures, and human rights.
• McDonaldization: Societal changes have adopted traits from fast-food chains, such as efficiency, predictability, and control, standardizing institutions and organizations.
  • Example: Fast-food culture.
• Walmartization: Big-box retailers like Walmart have transformed global economies, overshadowing traditional small businesses due to their dominance.
• Growth of Cities: By 2050, over 50% of India’s population is expected to live in cities, driven by job creation in the services sector, leading to increased rural-to-urban migration.
• Glocalization of Culture: This concept involves blending global and local cultures, where foreign products are adapted for local audiences.
  • Example: Glocalized saree draping, showcasing multiple ways of wearing sarees.

4. Media Culture

• Western Philosophy in Movies: As globalization introduced new cultural messages to Indian moviegoers, there was a need to reassess traditional Indian ideologies.
• Social Media Culture: The youth increasingly lean toward virtual social interactions, often placing more value on online life over real-world experiences.
• Pervasive Media: Foreign media houses have gained a significant presence in India, influencing the psychological, social, and cultural mindset of the population.

5. Consumerism

• Fast-Food Culture: The influx of multinational fast-food chains led to the displacement of traditional fresh markets, with people opting for processed foods and sugary beverages.
  • Example: McDonald’s, KFC, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, etc.
• Mall Culture: The rise of multiplex movie halls, large shopping malls, and high-rise residential buildings has become a common sight in Indian cities. Entertainment and consumerism now have a global dimension in India.

6. Technology

• Internet Culture: Urban India has about 269 million (60%) internet users, whereas rural internet penetration is only around 17% with 163 million users. There is a growing demand for regional language content in rural areas to bridge this digital divide.
• Television Culture: Globalization has rapidly expanded access to television. Urban television viewership grew from 20% of the population in 1991 to 90% by 2009. Even in rural regions, satellite television is now a significant part of daily life.

7. Identity

• Bicultural Identity: Educated Indian youth, despite being part of a fast-paced global world, often retain deep-rooted traditional values in their personal lives.
  • Example: A preference for arranged marriages or taking care of parents in old age reflects these traditional values.
• Emerging Adulthood: As traditional hierarchies of authority weaken under globalization’s influence, young people are compelled to take control of their lives, particularly concerning crucial life decisions like marriage and parenthood.

Conclusion

Globalization has both positive and negative effects on Indian culture. While it connects India to global progress and modernity, it also poses challenges in maintaining the rich cultural and traditional diversity of India. The text advocates for balance, ensuring that globalization does not erode cultural diversity in favor of westernized ideals.

Globalization fosters cultural intelligence, which helps in understanding and respecting other cultures, ultimately contributing to the unity in diversity that India is known for.

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