Seek to Establish the Relationship Between Globalization and Nationalism (Research Paper Sample)

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Globalization versus Nationalism
In several ways, globalization affects nationalism, but it doesn’t mean that it’s the end of individual states sovereignty (Daphne & Kaplan, 2013). In the words of Larsson (2001), globalization can be defined as the increased interaction between different nations regarding communication between citizens, culture, and trade. Nationalism is a shared feeling among people of the same geographical locality of independence for their culture and ethnicity which holds those people together. They feel that they have the right of possessing their land and keeping away one who seems to be a threat to their independence and sovereignty (Herb & Kaplan, 2008). Each country across the world today is independent regarding some aspects such as leadership. With globalization, the face of this independence is changing every day. Countries are coming dependent on each other in many ways such as trade and increased communication. In some regions, people can sell their goods without any tax being imposed on the goods being sold. This essay will be answering one critical question; does globalization undermine nationalism?
In the words of Spencer & Wollman (2002), people of a nation can exercise sovereignty if they all have some sense of solidarity regarding their values which they believe in and their custom. The aspect of nationalism started long ago even before globalization. People started fighting for their beliefs and boundaries at the onset of civilization. It is a nationalism that caused many wars in the 20th century including the First World War. Nations could rise and fight with others to protect their sovereignty. With the emergence of globalization, countries are now more connected than never before (Steger, 2009). People are crossing boundaries and moving from one country to another. Nations are still keen to counter globalization by having strict conditions for those moving into their countries (Herb & Kaplan, 2008). This is regarding having a valid visa card and getting permission from the immigrant authorities. Some nations are not at all accepting citizens of different countries because of their nationalistic measures. All in all, the various aspects of globalization discussed below have adverse effects on globalization.
Since trade seems to be at the forefront of globalization, it will be the first issue of discussion in this paper. Trade can be defined as the exchange of goods and services for a mutual benefit among the different parties involved (Bridges, 2002). From the recent statics by credited organizations such as the World Trade Organization and the World Bank shows the level of international trade being very high. Countries are buying regarding Agricultural products, industrial goods and oil is there like never before. In some countries, especially those that are landlocked, importation of products is paramount. They have no other choice except importing. Others have to import products since they don’t have the capacity of producing useful goods and machinery such as the cars. The primary reason as to why countries trade is that no country can provide all the products its citizen’s needs (Bridges, 2002). Therefore, nationals of different countries must purchase which consequently leads to globalization. In this aspect, nationalism is affected since people have to cross boundaries while trading.
The aspect of technology is inevitable when someone talks of globalization. It is through technology that the interaction among people in different nations has become so rampant in the modern world (Steger, 2009). For instance, it is through technology that the mobile phone was invented. The mobile has enabled someone living in an Asia communicate with someone in Europe at a glance. In the past, things were different; it was impossible for people to communicate such easily and fast between people in different continents. In another scenario, it is technology that some countries can manufacture essential products like tractors. These products are then exported to other nations which do not have very high levels of technology something which increases interaction between different countries. Over the years, technology has grown tremendously in some countries like China (Steger, 2009). They have the capacity to construct things like electric trains and super highways. Since not every country has such levels of technology and tactics especially countries in Africa, their expertise is needed there. This makes some of the nationals to move out of their country to go and help others in foreign countries something which leads to globalization and consequently crossing of nationalism boundaries.
The aspect of people searching opportunities in foreign nations is critical in this discussion. Nowadays, the number of foreigners who have come to seek for opportunities in each country has increased significantly (Daphne & Kaplan, 2013). People are moving from their motherland to look for ‘greener pastures.' According to Bridges (2002), the level of opportunities across different nations is not always the same. To start with, the standard of employment opportunities across countries is very different; some nations have job opportunities whereas others don’t have. Secondly, the demand for your product might be very high in an individual country while in another nation, might be very low due to some factors such as cultural beliefs. Others may want to expand the market for their products, and therefore they move to other countries to seek a market for their products. Thirdly, people are moving from their motherland due to harshly unfavorable conditions such as war, and extreme weather conditions. They move to other countries seeking for more favorable conditions for living. All these factors, they contribute to globalization and consequently to a reduced level of nationalism among countries.
Nations across the world are becoming interdependent than never before; the fate of some countries is linked to the fate of another sovereign state (Steger, 2009). This whole scenario is the primary feature of globalization, and it is entirely possible for those countries that try to avoid any ties with other nations to follow behind (Herb & Kaplan, 2008). However, all countries are keen not to go to the extreme part of globalization that might diminish their independence. To achieve this, states have some strategies that are well placed. One primary strategy is in the field of leadership. There are enacted laws that allow only those people who are citizens by birth to vie for various leadership positions of the country such as the presidency. Noncitizens are not given any chances to contend for the same. This ensures that even if globalization has enabled people to move from their motherland and move into foreign countries where they acquire the citizenship, the nationalism of that nation is still protected by preventing foreigners from the ruling.
Steger (2009) argues that globalization has become the antithesis of nationalism since it means that there are no boundaries but all nations are just one globe. The world is simultaneously evolving; it is continuously growing much closer and apart at the same time. The borders of different states are becoming less important (Larsson, 2001). This means that due to globalization, the long-lived aspect of nationalism is no longer keeping citizens together and drawing a visible boundary between different countries. Furthermore, the time when nationalism was at its peak has already passed. Its power and relevance have reduced significantly in the recent years. In the past centuries, nations had very clear well lay national borders, strong traditions and a sense of nationalism among people and very limited ways of contacting others living in a different country. Nowadays, things are very fast and are integrated together such that it is almost impossible to identify people regarding their nationalities. This is all possible because of globalization. If the aspect of globalization isn’t there, nationalism could have maintained the same significance it had in the past centuries (Herb & Kaplan, 2008).
Globalization has led to the integration of culture across the world (Larsson, 2001). The world has come from the scenario of national culture to mixed cultures. This has resulted in a homogenized global culture than nationalism. In the past, people of different nations had their cultural beliefs which they all embraced. They had a way of doing certain things like festivals, a unique way of dressing and a unique way of building houses. People used to envy their culture and pushed away anyone who could come to interrupt their way of life. This was one important symbol of nationalism. With the growing aspect of globalization, things have changed. Through the quite visible levels of interaction, people have exchanged their cultural beliefs and style of living. According to Spencer & Wollman (2002), people are now accepting the culture of foreigners provided that it looks up to date and trendy. They are now changing their traditional and nationalistic ways of doing things. For instance, people are now building their houses and conducting their national ceremonies in a way similar to that of other nations.
According to Daphne & Sophia (2013), both globalization and nationalism have a mixed relationship. Nationalism has led the rise and growth of globalization while in turn, globalization has promoted nationalism. The reason behind this is that each nation individually participates and gives something remarkable to the globe in a successful collective action. Each independent country in the world has its unique contribution towards the current state ...