on globalization

Globalization has been equated with mutual benefit between nations through business and employment opportunities. If a business seeks to expand its market, it can begin selling its product in another country to tap into the money flow of that particular economy. If a country has a suffering economy, it can encourage its citizenry to seek work in another country and send a fat check back home to support the family that the person leaves behind. This allows money from another country to enter the suffering economy.



When one looks at such an issue, on the surface everything seems peachy. Everyone gets what they want so all is well. This is not always the case. In particular, I will look at the case of migrant workers who leave their countries in search of work in order to provide for their family who stays behind. A woman might leave her country because of the opportunities in another country such as the United States. A Filipino woman can come to America and be a maid and make 15 times what a schoolteacher would make in the Philippines. She can work as a live in nanny and have rent covered, reducing her living expenses so that she will have more money to send back home, thus securing a better economic future for her family. But what about the kids? In countries where it is common place for families to work outside of the country, delinquency rates are high among kids, the child suicide rate is also high, and the kids seem to perform poorly in school. This might help out economically speaking, but it also tears families apart.