Globalization: The Human Consequences

Globalization is a process that involves rapid social change in world economy, in politics, in communications, and in culture to unify the world into one culture. Zygmunt Bauman writing style in Globalization: The Human Consequences, is rather bold and canny, that makes his writing so attractive. As the book progresses, Bauman allows his readers to think and to re-examine themselves and their world through his work. Bauman provides us with polarising consequences of globalization and how it causes the splitting of populations when he says, “globzalization divides as much as it unites” (Bauman, 1998). Globalization leads to several psychological consequences and Bauman provides us with the following powerful consequences which are the psychological
The story is narrated around several years of the Ibo clan of Nigeria and focuses on the influence of Christian settlement on the clan. Later in the book, conflict does arise between the white European colonists and the tribe members because the colonists are enforcing cultural homogenization rather than adapting to the tribe’s culture. There happens to be a conversation between Obierika and Okonkwo where Okonkwo is upset about the white men coming into their land and completely disregarded their Ibo tribe’s values and customs and began to homogenize the land. He says, “The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceable with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart” (Achebe, 1994). With the colonists taking over the land, the most powerful man in the tribe Okonkwo is left without any
Many of the tribe members had converted to Christianity because it offers them a status they would not have otherwise had. In the end, Okonkwo is not able to reverse the advances made in his tribe he ends up hanging himself and is shunned by the people of his clan. Okonkwo’s suicide was a representation of how far life for the Ibo clan had deteriorated since the arrival of white settlers. Things Fall Apart is just not a story because it has happened and continously happens in our world today due to globalization. Cultures that once were a close group of individuals and tribes who worked together for the common good and there was no hate or no crime, are now or have already become deteriorated. In the book, Achebe clearly depises globalization as it attempts to homogenize the world. Achebe brings to light the unique and importance of the triba culture and points out that civilization is not always better than