HPAS/Allied Mains 2022 Answer Writing Challenge Day 16: Model Answer

Question: Discuss the concept of globalization and its impact on Indian society.                                         8 Marks

Answer:  

Introduction – Globalization is the free movement of knowledge, people, capital, goods, and services across boundaries. Globalization is described as the process through which societies and economies are integrated through cross border flows of ideas, communication, technology, capital, people, finance, goods, services and information.

Body Part – Globalization has a huge impact on cultural, social, economic and political life of Indians.

4. Impact on Women – Through globalization, women have gained certain opportunities for job options and to recognize women’s rights as a part of the human rights. Their empowerment has given considerable opportunities and possibilities of improving employment conditions through global solidarity and co-ordination. Globalisation in context of status of women implicates the relegation of the stereotypic pattern of duties of the women like rearing and caring the children to the back ground and taking up the various diversified occupation and thus making their living quite vibrant and alive.
5. Impact on Family System – Increasing mobility of younger generation in search of new employment and educational opportunities has weakened the family relations. It has led to disintegration of the joint family. Gradual change in family structure from joint/extended families to nuclear family pattern. New forms of family are emerging: for example Single parent households, live-in relationship, female headed households, dual-career family (both husband and wife are working) etc. This affected the earlier idealized notion of ‘family’ as the caring and nurturing unit for children, the sick and elderly. With more women joining the workforce system, the care of aged within families has Declined. Traditional authority structure has changed. The head of the family- father/grandfather have started losing their authority to the bread winner of the family. In nuclear families, there has been a change in marital rules and distributions of powers.
6. Impact on Caste System – Due to globalization, there has been expansion of economic opportunities, education and liberal thoughts, which has resulted in weakening of the caste system. Inter caste marriages are becoming more common and are being accepted gradually. Traditional division of labour was breaking down due to industrialization; this was given a boost by globalization. Increasing use of modern communication facilities, increased interaction between members of different castes has led to decrease in feeling of Casteism. Globalization has resulted into growing urbanization, which has facilitated secular pattern of living and hence impacted “separation of contact” aspect of caste system.
7. Rise of Consumerism and Individualism – The rapid expansion of globalisation and capitalism has also given rise to consumerism which has now begun to target vulnerable segments such as teenagers. Consumerist culture has also led to the objectification of women in advertisements. There is concern that competitiveness introduced by globalization is leading to more individualistic societies. The institution of marriage is breaking down at fast rate. There are more people approaching divorce courts instead of maintaining marital life. Globalization has considerable impact on the religious situation of India. Globalization has brought about raising a population who is agnostic and atheist.
8. Economic Impact of Globalization – The benefits of the effects of globalization in the Indian Industry are that many foreign companies set up industries in India, especially in the pharmaceutical, BPO, petroleum, manufacturing, and chemical sectors and this helped to offer great opportunities for employment to Indian people. Also, this helped to reduce the level of unemployment and poverty in the country. It is observed that the major forces of globalization in India have been in the development of outsourced IT and business process outsourcing services.

Conclusion – Globalization is a value neutral term somewhere it has benefited the Indian society by bringing the ideas of equality and inclusiveness. Somewhere, it has increased the individualism, consumerism, depression, loss of identity etc.