Writing Task: Argumentative Essay (C 1)

Student: Mario Rodríguez Pantoja

Group: AE 

Has Globalisation Led to Increase Nationalism?

Never before has it been so easy for all different regions and cultures of the planet to contact and exchange goods and ideas. As a result of this, customs and habits until recently considered exotic, or exclusively local, have become common heritage of humanity. This process of greater rapprochement and incessant commercial exchanges between distant world areas - known as globalisation - is for many people a major cause of the rapid erosion of cultural diversity, and at the same time, the reason why xenophobia and nationalism bloom worldwide. However, the problem does not appear to be in globalisation itself, but in the way it has been taking place.

It is widely known that the contemporary process of globalization has had a neoliberal character and as the writer Naomi Klein states, under neoliberal policies of deregulation, privatisation, austerity and corporate trade, the overwhelming majority has seen their living standards declined precipitously. Indeed, a significant proportion of the working class has lost their jobs and pensions, and much of the social safety net that made them less vulnerable in the past has disappeared because of neoliberal policies.

For those people in the richest countries who saw employment stability and adequate salary as their birthright, these losses mentioned above are unbearable. All of the rising far-right parties in Europe and America speak directly to that pain, says Naomi Klein. Their proposal is to recover the ‘glorious past’ of their nations by bashing immigrants and people of colour, vilifying Muslims, and degrading women.

In my opinion, a globalisation contrary to neoliberalism would be perfectly viable and positive for all. I am referring to a globalisation able to fashion policies that fight institutionalised racism, economic inequality and climate change at the same time. I strongly believe that nationalist and xenophobic tendencies are perfectly avoidable with policies that promote equality and fraternity among people.