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September 20, 2014
Perspectives on Globalization
The phenomenon of globalization is one which has an increasing influence across individuals and societies from all over the world. As a result, there are new relationships which are being discovered and developed between these groups as well as diverse organizations accordingly. One of the foremost roles of globalization is to reduce the visibility and significance of contexts such as cultural diversity, historical backgrounds, and political differences based on the overriding premise that a sense of unity and belonging would be provided. However, in spite of the way globalization has played a significant role in the development and creation of the way in which whole communities have developed global relationships there are still areas where globalization can be seen as having distinct disadvantages, most notably in the way that developing countries would be ignored on a principal basis while there is also a concern over the speed with which information is developed and distributed, often without specific controls (Infodely, p.1).
The works of authors such as Franklin Foer and Kwame Anthony Appiah are designed to address and understand the themes of globalization with regards to their impact on global relations at the current time as well as the way in which there may be a corresponding range of negative influences that can impact on economics, politics, and social issues across the globe. Both take popular global concerns and appraise them accordingly as part of an overall review of globalization.
Franklin Foer concentrates on the way in which globalization can be applied to soccer which is a very popular sport across many areas and countries, with the additional incentive that it has been shown to unite certain populations and areas for example within a common goal and objective. The universal appeal of soccer is difficult to deny but there are also certain areas where it has exhibited a greater influence than others.
Throughout How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization, the differences between general globalization as well as the impact that soccer has had on a global level are analyzed and discussed. The frequency with which soccer matches are played has corresponded to an increase in the political and economic relationships which have developed between certain countries. Equally, there is also likely to be a more composite understanding of different societies and cultures between those countries globally that play the game and build up their own cultural histories accordingly.
However, as the organizations and regulatory bodies which oversee soccer have grown in conjunction with the sport itself, there remains a fundamental basis on which corruption can readily occur and there are also noticeable question marks as to how the game is run and administered within certain countries and political structures. The structures of teams themselves, although often held up as symbolizing unity of different cultures and countries, can also be seen with certain negative influences as there is an increasing reliance on the players as commodities where buying and selling is commonplace in order to achieve short-term commercial gains.
The works of Appiah are designed to consider the issue of globalization primarily as it is related to the notion of cosmopolitanism, and the divisive impact that this is having on a global level. Throughout Moral Disagreement and Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers there are questions raised as to how the attitude and utilization of technology for example has disenfranchised and made redundant large swathes of traditional communities. While there is a large amount of information which is now available and is increasing day by day this can mean that worrying or problematic information could more easily be facilitated for malicious use and therefore raises the question of whether more stringent ethics can be applied to globalization and its policies.
These arguments can be applied specifically to the way in which Soccer itself is viewed within the United States of America. Fundamentally there are two distinct groups who are either pro or anti-Soccer. In the same way that globalization can lead to cultural differences becoming stronger and more enforced, so too does the attitude of these two distinctive and disparate groups. However, there are many soccer players across the country where the sport is played in significant numbers until players reach an age and diversify into the more popular – and longer established – professional sports. Across the country, there are large areas where the playing of soccer brings together individuals from different ethnic groups although this does not necessarily render it popular with those anti-soccer elements, but merely represents a reinforcement of the cultural differences which exist.
The role of globalization per se has had a significant impact across the social values and the perceptions which are applied between different communities and cultures, however as the example of U.S. soccer shows it can also be seen as a way in which differences are reinforced and divisions permeated accordingly. Therefore it is more appropriate that the concept and actual definition of globalization in terms of its impact is discussed and analyzed in far greater detail across the economic, social, and political avenues accordingly – when it is considered that the history of globalization per se goes back thousands of years when associated with economic development belies the need for a greater understanding of this development and evolution so that the effects and ramifications of globalization are better understood than just an appreciation of the way in which organizations have adopted global procedures or sports and culture have permeated global markets. By understanding that there have been previous globalization cycles, particularly with retreats from globalization in terms of economic cycles and cultural shifts then the perception of an ongoing and continuing trend can be challenged.
Works Cited
Appiah, Kwame A., and Henry L. Gates. Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers (Issues of Our Time Series). New York: W. W. Norton, 2006. Print.
Foer, Franklin. How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization. New York: Harper, 2004. Print.
Infodelv. "The War on Globalization 81." Hub Pages. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. <
The Economist. “When did globalization start?” The Economist 23 September 2013. Print.
Amendments
Based on the article, the conclusion was substantially modified with additional areas that show the difficulties in reducing globalization to a single phenomenon or concept which may be considered as irreversible. The evidence of the scholarly article indicates that globalization has operated across hundreds of years and has not always been a positive or growing force so it was important to include these considerations.