Globalization and Inequality

Although some have asserted that we are now living in a post racial society, that “race is no longer a major factor in determining one’s life chances” [if supportFields]><span style='mso-element: field-begin'></span>CITATION Fit172 \p 458 \l 1033 <span style='mso-element: field-separator'></span><[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif], several factors keep that assertion from being a reality in today’s society. The pervasiveness of hate crimes and ethno violence, for example, is a major indicator of how we do not yet find ourselves in a post racial society. Hate crime is a legal term referring to serious crimes motivated by the things such as race, ethnicity, skin color, national origin, etc. [if supportFields]><span style='mso-element: field-begin'></span>CITATION Fit172 \p 484 \l 1033 <span style='mso-element: field-separator'></span><[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif] Ethno violence can be defined as those acts motivated by group prejudice with the intention to cause physical or psychological harm. [if supportFields]><span style='mso-element: field-begin'></span>CITATION Fit172 \p 484 \l 1033 <span style='mso-element: field-separator'></span><[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif] Ethno violence can encompass acts of intimidation, harassment, vandalism and property damage, and physical attacks. Hate groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and other white supremacy groups, and hate crimes have seen an increase since the election of former President Barack Obama. The election of Donald Trump to the presidency, starting with the rhetoric of his presidential campaign, has also sparked an increase in hate groups and ethno violence. Trump’s political platform routinely called for banning Muslim entrance into the United States, deportation of undocumented Mexican immigrants, and the building of a wall along the US-Mexico border.

Feelings of animosity and resentment towards immigrants are not new in American society. The National Origins Act of 1924 discriminated against immigrants from southern and Eastern Europe, as well as virtually excluding immigrants from Asian countries, by establishing a national quota system on immigration. This legislation stayed in effect until the passage of the Immigration Act of 1965, which opened up legal immigration to all nationalities. This led to massive immigration from the Caribbean, Asia, and Latin America, making up about three-quarters in the 1970s and 1980s, and currently accounts for about 80 percent of new immigrants. (Fitzgerald, 2017, p. 477) This did not change the levels of discontentment among Americans towards immigrants however, if anything, it simply redirected it towards the new arrivals. For instance, the fear of immigrants taking up jobs and public resources still persists by many white Americans who fear that their cheaper labor will result in job loss or the undermining of the wage standard in all jobs. According to Bonacich: “One approach to this problem is to consider an apparent anomaly, namely that ethnic antagonism has taken two major, seemingly antithetical forms: exclusion movements, and so-called caste systems.” (Bonacich, 2014, p. 696)

Globalization has also brought to light implications of race and ethnicity discrimination in today’s society. This new global society does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon so studying its effects is becoming profoundly important. While in theory it has the potential to reap huge benefits to people globally, it is also criticized for destroying native cultures and increasing poverty. As Stiglitz summarizes:

The countries that have managed globalization on their own, such as those in East Asia, have, by and large, ensured that they reaped huge benefits and that those benefits were equitably shared; they were able substantially to control the terms on which they engaged with the global economy. By contrast, the countries that have, by and large, had globalization managed for them by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international economic institutions have not done so well. The problem is thus not with globalization but with how it has been managed. [if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>CITATION Mac14 \p 1132 \l 1033 <span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]

In all of globalization’s opportunities and faults, perhaps one of the greatest outcomes has been the discussion it has created on ethnic inequality and poverty. It has brought awareness to global inequity and started a necessary discussion on how these issues may be addressed.

Bibliography

Bonacich, E. (2014). A Theory of Ethnic Antagonism: The Split Labor Market. In D. B. Grusky, Social Stratification: Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective. Boulder: Westview Press.

(2017). Chapter 12: A Postracial Society? In K. Fitzgerald, Recognizing Race and Ethnicity: Power, Privilege, and Inequality. Boulder: Westview Press.

Stiglitz, J. E. (2014). Globalism's Discontents. In D. B. Grusky, Social Stratification: Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective. Boulder: Westview Press.

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