Globalization

Globalization is surprisingly an extremely controversial process that has been the hot topic of many debates for the last two decades. There are many supporters of globalization who firmly stand that international trade has benefited third world countries and helped them in developing faster and become wealthier. There are also critics of globalization who feel strongly and argue that globalization has not helped developing countries but in fact causes the exploitation of these countries for their cheap labor and/or natural resources.

The definition of globalization in this paper refers to global economic integration, or economic globalization. Economic globalization includes increases in foreign trade, exports and imports, and foreign investment.

In my research paper, I explore the issues surrounding globalization in more detail and focus on how international trade has affected the local people of certain countries. The four countries that will be of focus are China, South Africa, India, and Mexico. I will first give a brief history of each of the individual countries, before trade was liberalized, and later will compare and contrast past economic situations with the current economic situation of each country. By doing so, one can see both the positive and negative effects that globalization has had on the developing countries. Evidence of growing or contracting income inequality and wage equality is presented.

In narrowing my research to the direct impact on the local people from international trade, I am able to focus on residents from all different social classes. My research specifically addresses: the rural and urban poor, male jobs, female jobs and child labor. Changes in employment rates, job opportunities, and shifts