The Impact of Globalization on Indigenous Communities

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The indigenous people of Mexico
Negative impacts of globalization
Conclusion
References

What impact has globalization and increased modernity had on indigenous and native populations throughout the world? Can these impacts be argued as positive ones for these societies?

Introduction

Globalization is the process of integrating different countries to form one big society, called the global village. The integration process includes signing of trade agreements, making use of information technology, allowing multinational companies to do business across borders.

This process also includes free movement of people across countries and continents; enabling trade, exchange of cultural, economic, political and social ideas. Globalization has been advocated by counties of the west that are already developed and are seeking to tap into the developing nations’ resources (Rodrik, 2011).

This topic has been a subject in many debates all over the world. Different people have different views on the matter; while others take the stand that globalization is an exploitative mechanism crafted by the west to take advantage of the third world. Others consider it to be an opportunity to even out the playing field for all the nations to enjoy equal access and distribution of wealth, knowledge, and human resource.

Modernity, on the other hand, is embracing change from the agrarian system, to newer practices of industrialization and the popular capitalistic culture. Most western countries have successfully adapted these practices and are, thus, more developed than the third world countries of Africa, Asia and South America (Stieglitz, 2007, p.12).

Modernity is the change of the way of life, the way we do things, but who sets the standards for modernity? It is the developed world. People in the third world see modernity as an imposition. It takes time for cultures to accept modernity.

Some aggressively resist it as witnessed in some counties of the middle east, while other countries are quick to adapt it. The rate at which a society embraces modernity will determine how fast it develops. Resisting modernity spells peril for societies that are backward.

It is important, however, to note that modernity can be devastating to societies that do not know how to transit from their current situation and it is ,therefore, up to the rest of the global society to jump in and direct the young nations. Modernity, does not necessarily mean complete change of lifestyle; some attributes can be maintained as useful to the indigenous society.

The indigenous people of Mexico

Mexico has an indigenous population takes up about 15% of the entire population. There are over 250 ethnic groups in Mexico, each with a unique language and social structure, taking part in different economic activities. This can be attributed to the dynamism of their ecosystems (Pieterse, 2009). Even with their uniqueness, these indigenous people experience similar challenges and experiences. To examine how globalization has affected the people of Mexico, we have to look at both the successes and failures of globalization.

Economically, globalization opens up worldwide markets to increased trade, direct and indirect foreign investment and sharing of knowledge. However, indigenous people are always at a disadvantage, as they never fully enjoy these benefits. Since governments cannot fully satisfy the wants of the people, they rely on foreign help to meet these demands.

Projects undertaken by the Mexican government in conjunction with multinational corporations have transformed some of the areas inhabited by the indigenous people. In 2009, wind-power projects were started in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. These projects not only provided power to the local people, but also provided employment (Giddens, 1991).

Other economic activities come as a result of outside influence on the local economy. Tourism, for instance, stems out of foreigners coming into Mexico. The locals can benefit from selling their indigenous wares and arts. Tourism is one way of promoting globalization, as there is increase contact among different cultures, there is exchange of ideologies, knowledge and resources.

The local people enjoy increased income and their lifestyles are changed significantly. As a way to attract more tourists, the Mexican government seeks to develop facilities in the indigenous areas to the appeal of the visitors. The transportation, communication and accommodation facilities are improved.

These benefits trickle down to the locals. On the other hand, as tourism promotes globalization, there are concerns as to what extent these changes affect the local people. Increasing a population of a particular region has its negative effects ranging from pollution of the environment, unfair labour practices and promotion of destructive social lifestyles like prostitution (Featherstone, 1990).

Information technology systems have also contributed greatly to globalization. Internet is the best example in this case. It has opened up doors to the outside world not only for social reasons but also for commercial reasons. E-commerce reduces the stressful situation of having to look for markets for products. Most indigenous societies can now sell their products on line. It is, therefore, important for the local people to use this platform as it brings the global market place to one’s door step.

Modernism means change; this change can be both beneficial and counter-productive if not carefully transitioned. Using modern methods for farming has proved a success among the Chiapas people of Mexico, who are mainly coffee producers. They have embraced organic farming. The Zapatistas group which is an indigenous resistance movement has also managed to provide conducive economic programs that ensure free and fair trade as well as e-commerce (Bhagwati, 2007, p.17).

Negative impacts of globalization

The promise of fair and free trade that comes with the signing of trade agreements has sometimes caused negative repercussions for the local people. Some trade agreements involve inviting Multinational Corporation to go to Mexico. The signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by the United States, Canada and Mexico, has resulted in economic growth in Mexico.

However, the consequences of the agreement have impacted the indigenous people negatively. Some of the peasant farmers lost their lands to the big corporations even though the constitution recognized their right to own land (Berman, 1988).

People, who had been farming their whole lives, were forced to look for alternative work. Others were completely displaced to create room form factories. The compensation offered was not even enough to procure new lands. This left a large population with a crisis of food insecurity. Even though NAFTA created jobs initially, most of those jobs have been outsourced to countries like China and India (Kahn, 2009, p.23).

Increased commercial farming by the big corporations has also changed the social dynamism of the local people. Most of the southern Mexico indigenous people are subsistence farmers. When they lost their lands, their lives had to change too. They had to change profession.

The indigenous people have had to suffer from harmful effects of degraded environment, as the drilling companies have left oil spills all over the native lands; resulting in unproductive land.

Privatization of some corporations and resources is a good way of increasing efficiency, productivity and accountability. This policy has seen people end up working for undesirable wages, amounting to unfair labour trends.

Multilateral organizations like the IMF and the World Bank have always found a loop hole to exploit the poor countries; this is achieved by attaching conditions to their loans and dictating what the funds are supposed to be used for. Some of the projects end up being useless to the native population (Bailey & Peoples 2010).

Globalization has its merits and demerits, but it offers checks and balances the global village, ensuring that economies and populations have a common ground. It is a way to make governments accountable to its citizens. Outside influence increases the rate of development in various aspects of life.

Politically, influences of external forces ensure that governments do not oppress their people. If that happens, then sanctions are imposed on the said government. These sanctions may be of economic nature. Closing the doors to the global market place. This has been known to work.

In Mexico, the movements will always be there to counter government policies. These movements enjoy support from other solidarity organizations across the globe. Fighting for rights will help the indigenous people survive the negative effects of globalizations.

Conclusion

Globalization is a necessary evil to take the third world to the next level. Sacrifices have to be made along the way. The global economy as it is today depends heavily on what each individual economy has got to offer. This means that indigenous people have to reach at a compromise with their government in order to enjoy the benefits of modernity (Appadurai,1996, p.56).

References

Appadurai, A. (1996). Modernity at large: Cultural dimensions of globalization (Public Worlds). Minneapolis, MN: Public Works Publication.

Bailey, G. A., Peoples, J. (2010). Essentials of cultural anthropology. Belmont: Cengage Learning.

Berman, M. (1988).All that is solid melts into air: The experiences of modernity. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd.

Bhagwati. J. N. (2007). In defense of globalization: With a new afterword. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Featherstone, M. (1990).Global culture: Nationalism, globalization and modernity: A theory culture and society special issue. London: Sage Publishers Ltd.

Giddens, A. (1991). The consequences of Modernity. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Kahn, J. (2009).Globalization: The irrational fear that someone in China will take your job. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Pieterse, J. N. (2009). Globalization and culture: Global Mélange. Lanham, ML: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Rodrik, D. (2011).The globalization paradox: Democracy and the future of world economy. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Stieglitz, J. (2007). Making Globalization Work.New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

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