Should We as Consumers Resist Globalization?

Should we as consumers resist Globalization? In order for us to fully answer this question we must look at the advantages and disadvantages of Globalization from the perspective of the consumer. Seeing as every person on this planet at some point of another has been a consumer we should not have an issue giving an answer to the question. At this point it is good to point out that the United States has always been a melting pot for cultures throughout the world. We were founded on the concept that all men are created equal. In order for our country to grow, many different people immigrated to our country. These people would form businesses and help to grow the strength of our fledgling economy. These same people still had family members living overseas and at times wished they could get their products to them without any hassle. Today, shipping an item overseas may take a decent amount of time, but it can be done without any issue. Other businesses have taken it to the next level via Globalization. Instead of shipping the items to the consumer or asking them to come to a foreign country, the businesses have brought themselves to another set of consumers. Why would an average citizen be opposed to Globalization? First, let’s start with culture. Many foreign countries have rooted themselves very deeply in their cultures. The people will wear authentic clothing and eat authentic food to the region. With Globalization we are seeing cultures changed by the advancing companies into these foreign lands. In this chapter we saw protestors in Manilla opposing the new McDonald’s from opening. The United States culture is laid back and very opened minded compared to others throughout the world. Many countries see the new companies as a threat to what they have worked so hard to obtain. We can see this evidenced here in the United States. In the mid-1900’s there was an emphasis on family and building the American dream. As new technology came into the

References: 1. The Upside to Resisting Globalization. (Feb. 5, 2009). Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/business/06norris.html on June 21, 2012 2. Alex MacGillivray. A Brief History of Globalization:  The Untold Story of our Incredible Shrinking Planet.London: Avalon, 2006.