The Poor Under Globalization In Asia Latin America And Africa

This volume uses thirteen case studies to analyze the impact of economic globalization on poverty and inequality in different regions of the developing world.

Globalization is defined in economic terms to mean freer flows of trade, foreign direct investment and finance, and liberalization of trade and investment policies. Impacts of globalization and information technology are examined in terms of growth and productivity, poverty and income distribution, and employment. Experiences of Africa, East and Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Latin America in the era of globalization are discussed. It is argued that benefits of freer trade and capital flows need to be managed carefully in order to minimise the costs and maximise gains.

In TheEffects of Globalization in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, Kema Irogbeargues the forces of globalization, which include the IMF/World Bank, WTO, and Western media technology, are subordinated to the interests of multinational corporations under the tutelage of a lone superpower in strangling the development efforts of poor countries. Irogbe subjects the operations and the existing relationships among these international governmental and nongovernmental actors to the test of empirical reality and logical plausibility by drawing from the experiences of a varied selection of marginalized countries, such as Venezuela, Guatemala, Mexico, Brazil in Latin America; Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana in Africa; and Iraq, Iran, India, Afghanistan, and Vietnam in Asia. The book argues that globalization is a sophisticated lexicon for the pursuit of a homogenized political, economic, and cultural world order, which is a recipe for unending global crises.

Relationships between social policy and human development are the subject of much research and theorizing. The literature in this area, however, examines these issues strictly within national contexts. What influence will international agendas such as NAFTA, the World Summit for Social Development, and Habitat II have? Transnational Social Policies specifically addresses the worldwide trend for national policies on human and social development to be increasingly influenced by agendas that are international, or "transnational," in nature. In doing so, the book examines the underlying international developmental, ethical, economic, and political issues shaping national policies in health, education, and employment in the developing world. This book's focus on the "transnational" character of the social policy debate makes it a truly unique and original contribution to the literature. It will appeal to the academic community, worldwide, in international development, public policy and administration, and social work; policymakers, researchers, and practitioners in the field of public (social) policy; and the international community of individuals and organizations working in international social development.

This book is based on an exceptional event in December 2000 which brought together civil society from poor countries and OECD experts. It emerges that globalisation can have a positive impact in poor countries, but only if policies encouraging more equitable distribution of resources are adopted.

Globalization is characterised by persistent poverty and growing inequality. Conventional wisdom has it that this global poverty is residual - as globalization deepens, the poor will be lifted out of destitution. The policies of the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO echo this belief and push developing countries ever deeper into the global economy. Globalization, Poverty and Inequality provides an alternative viewpoint. It argues that for many - particularly for those living in Latin America, Asia and Central Europe - poverty and globalization are relational. It is the very workings of the global system which condemn many to poverty. In particular the mobility of investment, and the large pool of increasingly skilled workers in China and other parts of Asia, are driving down global wages. This poses challenges for policy makers in firms and countries throughout the world. It also challenges the very sustainability of globalisation itself. Are we about to witness the implosion of globalisation, as occurred between 1913 and 1950? Using a variety of theoretical frameworks and drawing on a vast amount of original research, this book will be an invaluable resource for all students of globalization and its effects.

Essay from the year 2010 in the subject Politics - Topic: Globalization, Political Economics, grade: 1,7, King`s College London, language: English, abstract: The period from the end of the World War II to the mid-1970s saw world-wide sustained and high economic growth. Within a generation Western European society was transformed from predominantly agrarian to post-industrial. Latin America, Asia and Africa also were heading towards higher growth rates. During the 1980s, a new period of integration of national economies led to the intensification of international economic interconnectedness and developing economies were expected to overcome the between-country income gap through openness-growth link. This was seen as the manifestation of neoliberalism as new forms of international economic relations emerged such as industrialisation and the new international division of labour. However, as recent studies point towards increasing world poverty and inequality, scholars have re-examined the validity of the neoliberal argument. After years of implementing prescribed reforms, some developing countries and regions, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, have not experienced the expected growth. Chapter 2 summarizes the implications of the policy-paradigm inspired by the Washington Consensus. Chapter 3 identifies current trends in global poverty and inequality with attention to the different measures used to interpret world economic well-being. The next chapter analyses the openness-growth-inequality-poverty nexus. The final chapter seeks to recognize causes of poverty and inequality transmitted by the globalization process. The factors of poverty and inequality path dependence are grouped in four categories: economic openness and technological progress; macroeconomic policies; financialisation of the economy; and international financial institutions.