Environment: Brazil

Everyday, individuals from developed societies get to indulge in various cuisines imported from around the globe. However, our large consumption of energy, products and food has huge implications on the environment and especially the environment of the developing nations. Thus, I will take a closer look at the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.

“A large portion of deforestation in Brazil can be attributed to land clearing for pastureland by commercial and speculative interests, misguided government policies, inappropriate World Bank projects, and commercial exploitation of forest resources.” (Butler 1) The forest contains a diverse number of animals and plants that are not only of ecological important but also a necessity to support our ever increasing consumption patterns. Brazil’s rainforest have been deforested for commercial purposes such as cattle ranching and soy bean.

Most of such products end up being exported rather than consumed locally. The country is clearly than not locally unsustainable. However, a large amount of its natural resources from its once abundant forest is used to support the populations of developed nations. “According to the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), between 1990 and 2001 the percentage of Europe’s processed meat imports that came from Brazil rose from 40 to 74 percent.” (Butler 1) More than half of Europe’s imports of meat come from Brazil. The implication here is that the high consumption of developed nations is indefinitely one of the causes for the rising rates of deforestation. They exploit and extract resources from the developing nations to feed their populace.

Also, as a means to economically develop, developing countries willingly open up their economies or more accurately their forest (natural resources) as a means to reap profit from developed nations, which are dependant on their rainforest. This is supported by the fact that “Brazilian deforestation is strongly correlated to the economic health of the country: the decline in deforestation from 1988-1991 nicely matched the economic slowdown during the same period, while the rocketing rate of deforestation from 1993-1998 paralleled Brazil’s period of rapid economic growth.” (Butler 1)

The disparity is clear here, developed nations are able to tap on the resources of developing nations leaving them with barren forest and nobody left to exploit. The developing nations suffer here, the people of developed nations are able to continually keep their high consumption patterns, and yet the same cannot be said for those living in the developing nations.

However, it is clear that foreign investors not only are able to tap on the resources of the Amazon, they also exploit the people of the Brazilian nation; “The government acknowledges that at least 25,000 Brazilians work under “conditions analogous to slavery,” clearing land and working for cattle ranches, soy farms, and other labor-intensive industries. Some groups say the true figure could be ten times that amount.” (Butler 1) Workers are dehumanized and worked as “slaves”. This implies that the workers work in harsh conditions, are essentially overworked and reap little benefits from these foreign soy farms or cattle ranches.

Thus, developing nations like Brazil see not only their forest exploited but also their people as well. Globalisation and the attraction of foreign companies to the Amazon do not seem to benefit the people or its ecology.

Works Cited

Butler, Rhett A. “Amazon Destruction: Why is the rainforest being destroyed in Brazil?” 2008. 1 Nov 07.

<http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/amazon_destruction.html>

Technology and Global Society: Developed versus the developing

Prior to globalisation, developing countries have been known to be self-sufficient. Globalisation has brought cause the wave of information technology to spread around the globe. The above map shows the densities of internet connectivity around the world. It’s easy to see which countries are most connected, and which are left in the dark.

Simply with this map one can see the disparity of technology present in the world. Developed countries have a population that can afford the advancements of information technology but the same cannot be said about the developing countries. With reference to the map above, one can see that countries that are globally connected by the internet are the United States of American and European countries. South America and South East Asia do not seem to bear the same high connectivity in comparison with the developed nations.

Yet many developing countries are seeking ways to ‘get connected’ in this globalised world but will such a race to attain information technology lead to prosperity to the citizens of these developing nations? As a means to keep up with the development and the competitiveness of the developed nations, it seems as though the developing nations have no choice but to invest in technology. They are implementing technologies at the whims of the developed nations and the institutions they control like the World Bank.

Yet it is poignant to note that in Africa poverty is predominantly rural. “More than 70 per cent of the continent’s poor people live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for food and livelihood, yet development assistance to agriculture is decreasing. In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 218 million people live in extreme poverty.” (IFAD 1)Is it then worth it to spend millions on technological investments such as a global connection through the internet when there are millions suffering from poverty? UN debate on whether Africa is ready for the implementation of technology mentioned that “All the universities of sub-Saharan Africa taken together pay $3 million per month in connectivity. This money could be used more effectively elsewhere.” (UN 1) There is a need for a cost effective implementation of information technology in Africa or perhaps the use of such capital to improve the social conditions of people.

Also “highlighting the impact of technology such as mobile phones, Mr. Touré said telecom companies were making profits, farmers were getting the information they need, and teachers were receiving educational aid. “Mobile phones even have an impact on democracy. During elections, people have used mobile phones to get election results fast and in a transparent manner.” (UN 1) Thus the lives of people change with technology impeding on the lives of individuals. On a positive note, technology can allow the easy and quick connection between people.

Technology has not brought about equality in developed nations who have capital and the technical know-how in information technology. Why implement technology on developing nations when they do not seem to be beneficial to developed nations? Yet technology has brought about the ease and quick communication between individuals. With internet connectivity in nations like the USA, individuals can communicate with one another with just a click of the mouse through messenger chats and e-mails. However, at the same time technology isolates individuals. Communities in the Amazon see their family units becoming dislocated since the wave of the television has hit their households. Thus, technology is double edged in its implications on society.

Works Cited

United Nations, IFAD. “Rural Poverty in Africa.” 31 Jam 08. 26 Oct 08

<http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/english/regions/africa/index.htm>

UN News Centre. “Africa ready for information technology investment, UN summit told.” 30 Oct 07. 26 Oct 08.

<http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?Cr=information&Cr1=technology&NewsID=24477>

Population and Health: Disease more Detrimental to the Poor

Disease knows no boundaries; it can affect both developed and developing countries. Thus, diseases become global problems. To understand the social effect of disease, I will be taking a closer look on the global effects of Malaria on Sub-Saharan African and Singapore.

Malaria is a notable disease in Singapore. “More than 95% of all cases in Singapore are imported. The majority of imported cases were from people who visited endemic areas and foreign workers, mainly from Indonesia and the Indian subcontinent.” (Chiam, Oh and Ooi 358) Thus, due our global interconnectedness, disease can be spread prevalently. Although, malaria may be known as a ‘tropical disease’, it has not been known to breed excessively in Singapore. However, due to constant travel between countries by people, diseases such as malaria are seen to be transferrable between countries as we see 95% of malaria cases in Singapore as foreign imports.

The first case in Singapore – “the index case in this outbreak died from what the authors describe as “incidentally discovered” malaria in Singapore. She was a bedridden elderly woman who had not travelled outside Singapore and it is to the credit of the hematologist who reviewed the film that the diagnosis was made in someone without a travel or “contact” history. The secondary cases associated with this outbreak lived in the same condominium and had travelled to Malaysia.” (Tambyah 336)As we see close proximity of individuals due to the dense environment in cities can perpetuate diseases. Urbanization thus accentuates social diseases. This may not be so prominent for malaria but is clear for illnesses like SARS.

With better government policies and with better access to medical facilities, malaria in Singapore seems to be under control. The same cannot be said for developing countries in Africa. Statistics show that “Malaria is a leading killer of children under five and a major contributor to adult morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 300 million cases and more than one million deaths occur each year. An estimated 10,000 women and 200,000 infants die annually due to malaria infection, and severe malarial anemia accounts for more than half of these deaths.” (WHO 1) With high infant mortality rates due the high annual death of infants due to malaria, the life expectancy rates of the people in sub-Saharan Africa seem to be low. This has harsh implications on the social institutions in society due to a loss of its young population due to disease as compared to Singapore, due to access to medical cures, illnesses such as malaria are not terminal and thus do not have adverse effects on their working population.

Thus, we see that Malaria disproportionately affects people living in poverty. There is a sense of disparity and inequality here, disease may know no boundaries and affect people whether living in developed or developing countries, however they have harsher implications for developing countries. Those living in the sub-Saharan Africa have lesser knowledge and limited access to medical facilities. Also, they cannot afford better healthcare when they have diseases such malaria unlike their Singaporean counterparts. Aside from this, malaria usually breeds in stagnant water which is less prominent in developed countries unlike developing countries which cannot afford or are unable to educate their populations on the preventions of such diseases.

Works Cited

Chiam, P T L, Oh, H M L, Ooi, EE. “Localised Outbreak of Falciparum Malaria

in Singapore” Singapore Medical Journal. 2003. 17 Oct 08.

<http://www.sma.org.sg/smj/4407/4407cr1.pdf>

Tambyah, P A. “Local Transmission of Malaria in Singapore: An Important Public Health Message” Singapore Medical Journal. 2003. 17 Oct 08.

<http://www.sma.org.sg/smj/4407/4407e2.pdf>

“Malaria the world’s major tropical parasitic disease”. World Health Organisation. 17 Oct 08. <http://www.afrol.com/Categories/Health/backgr_malaria.htm>

Urbanism – India, New Delhi

Apart from China, India is another economic giant that is taking the world by storm. Statistics show that India’s economic growth has sustained an averaged of 8.5% for the past 4 years (OCED). It has a growing well educated population and the country has found its niche in the information technology industry. Much of India’s economic growth has to do with the liberalisation of India’s economy. This liberalisation has brought a flock of foreign investors that have arrived on India’s doorstep to jump onto the bandwagon of one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

While the material condition of life has improved, the human condition has deteriorated. Despite the growth of the economy, such growth does not seem to be inclusive making such economic growth essentially meaningless. The OCED reports that: “Still, many economists remain concerned that much of the growth is concentrated in areas like telecommunications, information technology and other services sectors — and that many Indians, especially in rural areas, have benefited little from the boom. (OCED, 1) Thus, India’s economic growth is one that clearly does not spiral and benefit the population per se. To have a greater understanding of the social problems of urbanism in cities, we can take a closer look at India’s capital, New Delhi.

A video on the “Urban growth in New Delhi” illustrates how beneath the glitter of such urban growth, there is a shocking reality when one takes a closer look at urban cities like New Delhi in India. With uncontrollable urbanism, the number of urban poor seems to be increasing while the number of rural poor is in fact decreasing. “In the past 20 years, the number of urban poor increased by an enormous 25 million. In fact, the city of New Delhi has 40% of urban population below poverty line.” (Spotlight) That means that they live with an income of below a dollar a day. That is to say beyond the industrial investment, not only is there still poverty but there is rising rate of people living in poverty in the cities. This makes the disparity between the rich and the poor more apparent in New Delhi and creates a sense of depression for the poor. Also, a large number of the urban poor live in unauthorised settlements like slums that have unhygienic conditions.

These unauthorised settlements lack proper amenities. “There is no proper water supply, the groundwater that these urban poor people tap into is depleting and there is a lack of proper sanitation. Such settlements have no proper electricity supply or sewage.” (Spotlight) And the urban poor who live in such deprived conditions often have to turn to informal occupations such as rag picking and the selling of gas mask. “There are a 100,000 vehicles added to the road each year making New Delhi the fourth most polluted city in the world.” (Spotlight) The pollution has paradoxically created jobs for the urban poor allowing them to sell gas mask. The city roads are also heavily congested.

New Delhi fulfils only half of the city’s demands of electricity and with this demand increasing, how can Delhi continue to support the needed amount of electricity? The growth in New Delhi is clearly not sustainable and almost half of its population lack even the basic necessities.

There are so many questions. Is New Delhi or even India’s economic growth sustainable? The future of the city seems somewhat uncertain. What does the future hold for a city like New Delhi whose urban poor is on the rise? This true reality reflects the sufferings of many despite the claims of India being one of the rising economic giants. The urban city system seems to be under pressure in such a developing country.

Works Cited

International Herald Tribune. “OECD says India’s current economic growth sustainable” 9 October 2007. 11 October 2008 <http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/09/business/AS-FIN-ECO-India-Economy.php>

Spotfilms. “Megacity Slums” 26 September 2008. 11 October 2008.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoo4YKqwFbM>

Politics of Identity and Globalisation: Singaporean Identity – Invention, Enforced and Propaganda

Identity is essentially a socially constructed term. Our identities are influenced by a multitude of factors such as our families, friends, schools, ethnicity, country and religion and somehow the list is never ending. Yet at the same time, this problematic term defines who we are and affects the way in which others treat us and vice versa. In this increasingly globalised world, our identities have become increasingly complex. By concentrating on the Singaporean identity, I will reflect how the government promotes a national identity as a means to serve their own agenda.

A speech by Mr Hawazi Bin Daipi, parliamentary secretary of education about Globalisation and its impact on social cohesion and rootedness lets us in on how national education in schools has fostered our Singaporean identity. He mentions that “in order to foster and strengthen a strong Singaporean identity among the youth, the government has implemented the National Education programme which aims to develop national cohesion, the instinct to fight for Singapore’s survival and instil confidence in its future. It aims to foster a sense of identity, pride and self respect as Singaporeans, to understand

Singapore‘s unique challenges, constraints and vulnerability. A strong national identity, healthy values and racial and religious harmony are needed to withstand the divisive impact of globalisation and the attractions of imitating the West.” (1)

We see in this portion of his speech that national education is used as a means to enforce a form of Singaporean identity. Identity here becomes a social construct as we are taught about what identifies us as Singaporean and what is not. We see ourselves in a binary of ourselves as Singaporean and not western.

“In his National Day Rally Speech, Our Minister mentor Mr Goh Chok Tong talked about quitters and stayers to remind us of our identity and our need to contribute to our homeland.” (Daipi, 1) Thus such a formation of national identity through the educational system is seen as a means to force us to see the need to stay, contribute and fight for our country because we are Singaporeans. The government uses identity to protect their positions against the complications of globalisation. Identity thus can be seen as an agenda by the Singaporean government to control its Singaporean population.

Our Singaporean identity is problematic as it is a formulated one. It is used as a tool for political agenda and forced on us through the education system. We are forced to become an “obedient” population because of national education and the laws of our society. Foreigners also begin to judge us by our identity as an “obedient population”. We fail to see ourselves as individuals or even as a person with multiple identity influences as the state forces us to see ourselves as one cohesive society of Singaporeans. This can be seen as a form of social control by the political government on the people.

Also because of this Singaporean identity, we stereotype and oppress others that we see as people who deviate away from our identity like opposition party members such as Chee Soon Juan. Lastly, we become fearful of those who do not maintain the same identity such as foreigners who migrate to Singapore. We become anxious as we see them as competitors to our rights. Hence, the term identity is not only problematic but can be seen as a source that creates problems.

Work Cited

Bin Daipi, Hawazi. “Globalisation and its impact on social cohesion and rootedness.” Ministry of Education. 5 November 2002. 2 October 2008.

<http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2002/sp05112

Democracy: Singapore – Democratic or Authoritarian?

The People’s Action Party (PAP) has dominated Singapore’s political scene for the past 43 years and more, even before Singapore had its independence. So in essence do we have a democratic system? We have more than one existing political party vying against each other, our economy practices a free market system, the government encourages foreign investment and the public elects the government. Yet the country is essentially dominated by an authoritarian government.

 

The video entitled “Singapore and Democracy” reflects Minister Mentor Lee Kwan Yew’s views on democracy with regard to Singapore. He illustrates how his authoritarian governance has led Singapore to become what it is today. Control by the PAP government has led to the attraction of foreign investment which has been a major factor for the growth of the Singapore economy. This is especially so as the Singapore government, pertinently Minister Mentor Lee Kwan Yew has set up the building blocks to turn Singapore into a modern city. We have top class infrastructure, educational facilities and a well educated population despite the limits we face in terms of natural resources. Through education, Lee says that English has become the common language or the working language for Singaporeans. From a country of different races and cultures brought together by the British during colonialism, the PAP has managed to build a sense of nationalism amongst Singaporeans. This may not have happened without Lee’s authoritarian politics. Lee advocates Hobbes style of governance who “believed people needed a strong government, and this was best seen in a strong and mighty king, or a leviathan.” (Sernau,188)

 

The question is how long will this style of government work? Is our so called open and democratic system enough? This can turn into an issue with the large and growing middle class Singaporeans who are well-educated and thus more critical towards politics in Singapore. It can be said that Lee Kwan Yew has ruled in an authoritative manner as he mentions in the interview “Democracy and Singapore” that because of his ruling style certain liberties of Singaporeans have been lost. He goes on saying that the media is in much control by the government, there has to be a permit to have a publication, there is a limit on the freedom of assembly. The government essentially has control on us through the restraining what we speak and what we do. He carries on to say that without remorse, economic progress would not be possible without these personal interventions. Surely Singapore has elections but ruling party holds tight political control. We are democratic, every legal aged Singaporean has the right to vote and the majority of us do vote for PAP. Their governance on Singapore is not a coerced one.

 

But we can see that democracy and globalisation is in conflict in Singapore. Singapore is clearly interconnected with the world in economic and political aspects. The country has minimal economic barriers, Singapore is open to foreign investment and trade and is a contributing member to the United Nations.  However, internally our country is not as democratic as we think. Even with elections, the opposition party, the Worker’s Party is comparatively weak as compared to the PAP. PAP controls the Singapore’s political arena and Lee Kwan Yew has continued his strong control over Singapore since its independence like an authoritative leader and even he admits that our liberties have been minimised. And yet without free rights, we have managed to have phenomenal economic growth as compared to our Asian neighbours. The question is will Singapore will see greater democracy with the growing educated population or is our education the reason for the maintenance of our obedient population? 

 

 

Works Cited

 

Sernau, Scott. Global Problems: The Search for Equity, Peace and Sustainability. United States of America: Pearson Education Inc., 2006.

 

War and Terror: Was Global, Now Regional

Wars from WWI to the Cold War involved a global stratum. The Cold War between the United States of American (USA) and the Soviet Union (USSR) spanned for decades. However, the remnants of its devastating effects are still left behind in various regions.

Once such example would be the ongoing conflict between Russia and its smaller neighbour, Georgia. We may not longer see global conflicts as that of the past maybe with the exception of terrorism but war is still apparent at a smaller scale but with better technology.

 

It is poignant to note that Georgia was one of the non-Russian republics of the USSR and within Georgia there was a disparity between the main Georgian population and its two minority populations, the Abkhazians and the Ossetians. An article by CNS news mentions that “both of those minority populations were given autonomy by the Soviets – not complete autonomy, but control over their language and control over their education, all while residing within the Republic of Georgia but when the USSR collapsed, those minority groups pressed for more autonomy and came into conflict with the Georgian government, which really did not want to give them autonomy.” (Winn, 1) Thus, USSR did not lay the foundations for Georgia before it fully attained it independence. This led to an internal strife between the majority and minority groups in Georgia. After which, it escalated into low-level armed conflicts have developed between the South Ossetian forces and the Georgian forces in the last few months.
  

When Russian peacekeepers were killed in the process of the conflict, Russia moved their way into the nation’s internal warfare. Also, Russia has been said to be supportive of the Ossentian forces. The article also pointed out with reference to the internal conflict that “These escalated to such a point that the Georgian forces decided to intervene dramatically, using new, modern equipment that they received from Israel and the United States, with the hope of bringing South Ossetia under its control.” (Winn, 1) We then see that global arms trade has the possibility of escalating warfare to grave extent. Modern war equipment is highly dangerous and destructive but yet countries are promoting its use and trading equipment. Worse of all is the fact that they are using these modern war equipments to fight amongst their own population as we see in Georgia’s case.

 

Globalisation has not only led to the trading of goods for mass consumption but has also led to the trading of goods for the purpose of destruction. As we see that Georgia can attain its war equipment easily by importing them from USA and Israel with the former being one of the largest spender on military means. The breaking of barriers through free trade can truly be questioned if it only ends up promoting conflict. An organisation known as “United for Peace” mentions that “Since the late 1990s, world military spending has been on the rise and is now nearly $1 trillion a year.” (Staples, 1) If only half of that was spent on solving the social problems of society like poverty and providence of healthcare to eradicate disparities both between and within countries then social problems may be on the fast track of being solved.  

 

 

 

Work Cited

 

Winn, Pete. “Russia-Georgia Conflict Not Easily Solved – Experts Say.” CNS News. 13 August 2008. 13 September 2008.

<http://www.cnsnews.com/public/Content/Article.aspx?rsrcid=34023>

 

Staples, Steven. “How Globalisation Promotes War.” United for Peace. 13 September 2008.

 <http://www.unitedforpeace.org/downloads/Globalization_and_War.pdf>

Crime and Globalisation: Is capitalism good?

With the dominance of capitalism and the promotion of free trade, the barriers of national economies have been broken down at a great extent. Globalisation has brought about the expansion of market economies and connected the world at an ever impressive rate. However, such change has it negative elements as well. Ironically, in a world of progression, criminal activity is still pertinent in every society. Even worse is the fact that crime just like a multi-national corporation has organised itself and has swept the global world.

From the mafias in Italy to the triads in Hong Kong, comes a new type of organised criminal organisation known as Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS 13). CBS news reports that “They’re not confined in the United States. You can find them in five countries. And now even in Europe. Also it has spread across the U.S., with an estimated 10,000 members organized in loosely-knit cliques, or cells.” (“CBS news”) And it takes part in all kinds of illegal activities from drug trafficking, extortion and murder. However, “ Not only does MS-13 conduct investigations of its own, but like a corporate organization, most cliques have regular meetings where they discuss recruiting, money and murder – what they call a “greenlight”. “ says the news report. (“CBS news”) Thus, it seems that alongside the growth of international corporations like Wal-Mart and Microsoft also comes the growth of organised criminal activity groups like MS-13. Not only does such organised criminal activity act like Multi-national Corporation, it grows like one as well. This is a true irony. Thus, we must question the good of economic growth in our society. Are societies really progressing when the price we pay for the liberalisation of our economies comes with more threatening criminal activity?

MS 13 is not the only global criminal threat around. Asian societies like Hong Kong have triads and even Vietnam has their own criminal groups. And they too are taking a global stance. According to the 2004 Criminal Intelligence Service Canada’s (CISC) Annual Report, “Asian-based organized crime (AOC) will continue to pose a major threat in Canada through its multiple, sophisticated criminal activities, its significant criminal influence in many areas across the country and its supply of illicit drugs to other organized crime groups.” The report also continues to say that “across the country, Vietnamese-based criminal groups remain extensively involved in multiple residential marihuana grow operations with distribution within Canada and to the U.S.” (“CISC”)

Asian based criminal activity have seen to reach the west. In Canada, “AOC groups remain involved in payment card fraud, illegal gaming, loan-sharking, prostitution and human smuggling/trafficking. The groups are also involved in the importation, production and/or distribution of a variety of illicit drugs, including heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, marihuana and ecstasy.” (“CISC”) Such criminal activity has led to a growth of a black economy that the economic growth statistics do not count. These organised criminal groups are like epidemics spreading at an international level and yet governments cannot stop them.

The growth of these international criminal organisations shows that their activities are not the police’s problem but a problem of the society. They affect the individuals in the society. Governments know about the threats of these groups but the problem is to find solution. CBS also says that deportation is US strategy to remove these criminals from the streets. “Under a nine-month-old program called “Operation Community Shield,” more than 1,600 gang members, including almost 800 members of MS-13, have been arrested and hundreds have been deported.” (“CBS news”) However, deportation only shifts the problem from one country to another. It may be pertinent to look at the root problem that caused the growth of these gangs which is the alienation, displacement and poverty and find away to create more economic opportunities for the less skilled members of society.

Works Cited

Criminal Intelligence Service Canada. “Highlights of the 2004 Annual Report on Organized Crime in Canada ”. 2004. 5 September 2008

<http://www.csgv.ca/counselor/assets/OrganizedCrimeHighlightsCISCReport.pdf

>.

Rather, Dan. “ The Fight Against MS-13” CBS News. 4 December 2005. 5 September 2008. <http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/01/60minutes/main1090941_page3.shtml>

Work and Family: Women

Globalisation has certainly brought about the emancipation of women in many societies around the world. Many women are now not only educated but are also able to hold high post jobs that were once male dominated. This, however, may not necessarily be true for all women. Also, because of such emancipation, women are not only marrying later, they are also starting a family at a later age. This is also true as there is a need for them to be financially stable before they start up their own family unit.

However, this had led to the overburdening of women. This is pertinent in Singapore. More and more women in Singapore are becoming highly educated. And there comes a point of time when women find it difficult to find a balance between work and family, choosing one almost always seems to be at the cost of sacrificing the other. Also, women are now overburdened because they have to take on a “second shift” after a long day of work. This is so as aside from their daily jobs, they have to bother about the domestics of their household. A recent news article in the Straits times shows how pregnancy can be tough in certain jobs. The articles reports that Anne Lim, a well-paid investment banker decides to leave her job due to the erratic schedules and frequent travelling that makes it virtually impossible for an expectant mother like her. (Lim, B23) Thus, she has decided to leave her job and enjoy the joys of motherhood instead. However, mothers like her might end up feeling unfulfilled having to give up their high achieving jobs.

Another issue is that because of their families, women tend to be hindered in rising up the corporate ladder even though they are just as qualified and capable as men. They are not allowed to rise up in position because of their family commitments. Being a mother means that they cannot take up certain jobs positions especially the ones that have an unpredictable nature such as investment bankers, lawyers and front line sales jobs. The article reports that medical work and laboratory task involving radiation or chemicals expose dangers for expectant mothers. (Lim, B23)

Women in the end have to choose between improving their quality in life (the joy of motherhood) or advancing in their career. However, couples with a low combined household income may not have such an option. They cannot have the luxury of staying at home to look after their children like families in the upper middle and higher income groups. According to a general house survey by the Singapore Statistics Board, 6,131 families have both husband and wife working but their monthly household income is only between $1,000 to $.1,499. (“National Statistics Board”)With such low monthly incomes neither of the parents can stop working to look after their children or maybe to the extent that such families cannot afford to have children with the high standards of living in Singapore.

Thus, women’s roles have been changing in the family unit as women are increasingly joining the workforce. This has in turn affected the family unit as fathers also have to contribute to the household. This can be seen by the growing notion of house husbands as seen in Western countries and East Asian countries like Korea and Japan. According to recent figures from the Office for National Statistics, there are more than 200,000 fathers in the UK choosing to give up their careers and raise their children at home. (Appleyard, 1) Rather than wives, husbands would stay home to look after the household and the children while their high flying wives worked.

The Global Assembly Line: A Case Study on Wal-Mart

Globalisation has brought about a spatial division of labour. To promote greater efficiency, firms can move their production centres to countries where they can tap on raw materials like cheap labour. One such conglomerate is Wal-Mart whose size and market control in the global market is seen as exceptional. Wal-Mart sells a wide variety of goods from electronics to apparel at the cheapest prices.

However, such cheap bargains do not come without a cost. Such large corporations like Wal-Mart, Nike and Adidas are known to exploit their workers. Thus, it can be questioned as to whether such firms are exploitative or have they enhanced the development of the economically less developed countries like Brazil, China and many of the South East Asian Countries. To get a better understanding of the effects on such conglomerates in developing countries, I will be looking closely at the Zhifeng factory that produces goods for Wal-Mart.

Zhifeng factory in China produces goods for large firms such as Wal-Mart and Shears. A report by the National labour committee on Zhifeng factory shows that its workers are heavily exploited as cheap labour. Cheap labour cost would mean a low production cost. Such low production costs are the reason for the low prices of Wal-Mart’s goods. However, workers at the Zhifeng factory are not only paid poorly, they work long hours. Workers have to work a seven day week and have limited rest time. Also, no proper amenities or medical benefits are provided to workers. At the factory, the base wage is just 54 cents per hour. Also, there is no cafeteria to provide the workers with food that they end up sitting on the roadsides during their break time. Last but not least, 93% of their base wage is spent on just renting a one room apartment and food that little of their wage can be saved. (“National Labour Committee”, 4)

As Senau mentions, modern industrial workers laboured at routine, deskilled, repetitive tasks on minute parts of products that meant nothing to them and that they themselves maybe could never afford. And the truth was, they could never advance, no matter how hard they worked. Work was not just harsh; it was meaningless. (Senau, 38) This is definitely true for the factory workers at the Zhifeng factory. Not only do the workers have to survive on insufficient wages for their livelihood, they also have limited time to attain ample rest due to their long working hours. Their job scope only involves menial task which do not impart any skills or knowledge in any sense. In this sense, globalisation has seemingly brought about the exploitation of the poor and unskilled workers. The expansion of the assembly line to a global one has only led to the predicament of the labour force in developing countries.

Corporations may argue that workers gain discipline. However, I believe that this is not true. Workers do not attain skills or any form of technical know-how whilst performing menial tasks, neither can they improve their livelihoods with such low wages. Without time and money, they cannot educate themselves or take time to learn additional skills so that they can be promoted. Thus, they are inevitably stuck in completing menial tasks which is meaningless and harsh on their health and well-being. They become part of a mere mechanical process and are unable to develop skills to better their livelihoods. Thus, while large corporations expand their businesses and increase their profits, their workers in the developing countries attain little of the benefits that these firms reap. This creates further disparity between the wealthy and the poor nations and the wealthy individuals (owners of the conglomerates) and the poor (poor labourers in factories).

Works Cited

Wal-Mart in China – Another Wal-Mart Bargain Made in China. 18 December 2007. The National Labour Committee. 22 August 2008.

<http://www.nlcnet.org/article.php?id=503>

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