GLOBALISATION : SOCIO-CULTURAL CHALLENGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

GLOBALISATION : SOCIO-CULTURAL CHALLENGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

Saumitra Mohan

The topic as given prima facie appears to be disconnected with each of the phrases mentioned therein but it actually is not. The changes which swept the worlds in the 1990s including unification of the two Germanys, the end of the Cold War and the end of the behemoth called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic brought in its wake many new realities to the fore. Globalization was one of them and World Trade Organization or WTO was only one of the myriad manifestations in which the process of globalization unfolded itself. The effect of this overarching reality was so cascading for everyone in the comity of Nations that it was very difficult for anyone to escape it, not even India which as a liberal-democratic state has always been open to changes from all around. By shutting itself out to something like globalization, India could have only isolated itself much to its own peril. So, it is only in the fitness of things that India not only accepts this reality but also braces itself up for the changes coming in its wake. Even though these changes have been multifaceted and visible at various levels, we would hare talk about its implications at the district level and the courses of action that the district administration would be called upon to take as the process of globalization unfolds itself further. Such a treatment of topic would be more relevant to us as bureaucrats, so before the evils of the globalization come knocking us at our doors, we better be equipped with our positive responses to it. But before we proceed further, it would only be in the fitness of things that we first have a basic idea as to what do we actually mean by globalization.

GLOBALISATION :

Globalization means different things to different people. It can be defined, simply, as the expansion of economic activities across political boundaries of nation states. More importantly, perhaps, it refers to a process of deepening economic integration, increasing economic openness and growing economic interdependence between counties in the world economy. It is associated not only with a phenomenal spread and volume of cross-border economic transactions, but also with an organization of economic activities which straddles national boundaries. The lure of profit and the threat of competition in the market drive this process.

The word globalization is used in two ways, which are a source of confusion and a cause of controversy. It is used in a positive sense to describe a process of increasing integration into the world economy and the characterization of this process is by no means uniform. It is used in a normative sense to prescribe a strategy of development based on rapid integration with the world economy. Some see this as salvation, while others see it as damnation.

Globalization is based on the concept that the globe is a single unit for decision-making. It means free movement of goods, services and capital throughout the world. It is accompanied by opening up of national economies to global markets with a simultaneous and corresponding reduction in the role of the State to shape national policies. However, in the context of globalization, the interaction between developed and developing counties poses some critical questions. To what extent should globalization be allowed to undermine the State's capacity to formulate policies, especially for the benefit of the poor? Should not globalization also connote free movement of labour? When there is not any discrimination between national and international capital, should there be differentiation between national and international labour? Further, globalization has brought in more knowledge-intensive and capital-intensive industries. The question is at whose initiative, and on whose terms? What will be the mechanism to check the adverse effects on a developing country's economy and society, if free inflow of capital is followed by free outflow as well?

As is well-known, structural change, an integral part of globalization, is a process of transformation of agricultural economies to industrially developed ones and the process is largely shaped by exposure to international markets both in terms of production and of consumption. Obviously, the crucial factor in garnering the benefits of the process depends on a country's ability to compete internationally. Since the world order is unequal, competition is necessarily unequal. The question naturally emerges as to how far can a developing country like India meet the challenges of unequal competition, and how far can it absorb the shocks of inequality in its socio-economic system? Since globalization is meant to work through domestic structural adjustment policies (SAP), by shifting emphasis from the State to the market, what would be the short-term and long-term impact on its people? Known evidences broadly confirm that the impact of SAP largely depends on a particular country's pre-existing circumstances, infrastructure and policy framework. How would it affect the teeming indigent masses, who form the majority of Indian people? Actually, the many consequences of India globalising itself impact us at various levels and the available alternative responses have to be seriously considered and thought of.

VARIOUS MANIFESTATIONS OF GLOBALISATION :

When one considers the phenomenon of globalization, a wide array of images comes to mind. One is of a very strong current, carrying everything on its course. Another is of a noisy and hostile vacuum cleaner that sucks up everything in its path, leaving an empty trail behind. These two images can either be viewed as very benign or as awfully malignant. For those who are riding the crest of globalization the process is pretty benign, while for those who are sucked up in the process, it is malignant. One of the forceful manifestations of globalization is its market-driven and technology-fuelled dynamic. The main characteristics in this realm include a creative dynamism of invention and entrepreneurial risk-taking and the breaking of old, honoured traditions when they get in the way. There are many interconnected, but distinct, processes wrapped up inside the notion of globalization. Over the past decade there has been.

H A revolution in information and communications technology.
H Extremely rapid growth in deregulated financial transactions and trading of foreign exchange.
H Internationalization of financial resources partially because of removal of controls on movement to capital across borders.
H Increasingly interdependence and integrated distribution of goods across the world.
H A significant burgeoning of trade.
H Continuing growth in the importance of large multinational companies.
H Shift in relationship between states and markets, and reduced ability of states to control markets.
H Dramatic increases in foreign direct investment.
H Increased communication due to technological advancements and reduced cost thereof.
H Expansion of international financial markets.
H Reorganization of production methods by MNCs and related globalization of production assets.
While these processes are a reflection of humanity's advancement and are irreversible, there are, nevertheless, three discernable elements that are cause for concern:

1. The powerful wealthy are establishing the character, priorities and values of the emerging world order. The global free market economic system based on cut-throat competition, efficiency and productivity is, all too often, at the expenses of an increasingly disadvantaged sector. This is creating problems that, in the long term, will threaten world order and economics;

2. A single, lucrative market, which is increasingly the site of heated contest, is emerging in the process. Alternatively stated, globalization processes are dramatically extending the reach and depth of the international political economy. In the process, many poorer countries are being drawn further into the global economic system, but the terms of inclusion are dictated by, and are in favour of, the wealthy. Others face the spectre of exclusion from economic activity;

3. International markets increasingly favour the economics of scale and collective capacity. Competitors with the greatest capacity – those that can instantaneously mobilize vast resources and or co-ordinate economic strategy across a range of domains – will ultimately be the only ones able to compete. Accordingly, prosperous regions are striving for more pervasive political and economic interconnection and integration and poor regions are increasingly being left behind.


Combined together, these three characteristics are resulting in the simultaneous integration but also subordination of poor countries in the international political economy. At the dawn of a New World Order, there are serious questions over whether developing states will be able to survive these processes. Poor counties and regions of the world face the danger of permanent marginalisation. In economic terms, they find themselves consistently 'out-competed' in international markets by the wealthy and powerful.

Global recession and generally depressed international markets for primary export products continue to stifle the export-oriented development drive of most developing nations. They have been forced to accept worsening terms of trade for fear of complete exclusion from international economic activity. For the wealthy, continents such as Africa remain the source of oil and scare non-renewable-resources.

Simply put, in this New Age, the poor face the danger of perpetual irrelevance. Most developing nations find themselves caught between the Devil and the deep sea, with no choice but to pull the Devil by the tail all the time. Such nations have, on the one hand, internal problems to contend with and, on the other, an unstoppable globalising process, which only exacerbates such problems. In short, these economically embattled nations arte made to face two hostile forces, one external and the other internal.

CONSEQUENCES :

1. Shift of power from states to markets leaving states sensitive to changes in the global economy and vulnerable in the sense of few alternatives to these changes to minimize sensitivity.
2. Increased power of non-state actors like MNCs, banks, individuals, civil society leading to democratization or pluralisation of power.
3. Multiplicity of issues connecting societies.
4. Increased power of capital at the expense of monetary policies and national policies in general.
5. Continuing importance of politics and power conceptions.
6. Increased discrimination and privileging of those who participate against those who do not.
7. Changes in the technology of production as manifested in computer-directed, high-quality, lean production.
8. Greater competitiveness.
9. Emergence of complex systems of global production.
10. Increasing number and variety of inter-corporate alliances.
11. Globalization raising questions about integration and homogenizing of the dominant culture.
12. Integration and homogenizing of culture deepening divisions between participants and non-participants.
13. Unequal distribution of benefits.
14. Backlash against globalization.

SOCIO-CULTURAL CHALLENGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :

The onward march of the juggernaut of globalization and its attendant manifestations have also been seen in areas other than economics and here we would focus mainly on its socio-cultural implication for the district administration.
World Wide Web or Internet has emerged as the principal carrier of the message of globalization and the district administration has to brace itself up for its many insidious effects, which would soon be surfacing at their level to transform as a major administrative challenge. Internet has dented the concept of nation-state by eroding whatever importance was left to the geographical boundaries between the states by allowing facile access across the length and breadth of this globalised world. Today, district administration has to guard against the sundry pathological manifestation of Internet including in the form of broken families as facilitated and expedited by the online licit and illicit amorous affairs and the consequent psychosomatic diseases they engender. Also, the many snoopy software that peep right into our bedrooms and spy on us on the sly have also been a cause for concern and have been giving rise to many familial, social and cultural problems. Similarly, the district administration has to be chary about destructive cracking and hacking of the many strategically or economically crucial websites in its jurisdiction. Such hacking may have negative implications for the socio-culture life of the district and may negative compromise the capability of the district administration itself in the form of striking on its various managerial or administrative measures.
The local administration also need to provide for the various counseling centers so as to inform, guide and educate its clientele about and against myriad negative influences stemming from the web. It would help people adjust better to the new emerging realities of the world.
The voluminous information flowing through World Wide Web may create problems of different kind for the local administration e.g. law and order problems by spreading canards or rumours negatively impacting the social and cultural life. So, here the district administration need to be always on its toes to counter any such attempt by way of counter, positive and pro-active information drive using various media. Problems generated because of Internet would be more in times to come, so the local administration need to do anticipatory preparation to counter the challenges flowing there from rather than being caught unawares.
Again, the problem emanating because of the liberalization, privatization, and free trade that globalization brings in its wake also require customized approach by the district administration. First and foremost, it is most likely that the people rendered jobless because of increasing competition or new technology from outside need to be looked after and cared for by the local administratio0n. Such people not only face many personal problems at the social and cultural levels but also need economic support to sustain their lives. Here, the administration has to actively guard against any pessimism or negative mental state from taking over such people which, if not guarded against, may surface in increased crime rate. So, it has not only to assist such people through proper counseling but also through retraining and rehabilitating them through skill-building, capacity-building and productive training.
Also, the local administration need to take measures to protect and cushion sundry threats, to the indigenous local culture by way of positive promotional campaign of the local culture and inducing pride therein without promotion prejudices and antagonism against the alien culture. Here, the effort should be to tackle and counter such cultural invasion from a position of strength rather than overly reacting and shutting it completely as in today's globalised world such ostrich approach to new ideas ought not to be advisable.
While the District Administration needs to raise its effort by the bootstrap in successfully meeting the various challenges, it also needs to grab the opportunities offered in the grab of these chanallenges. The District Administration need not only work at all those levels as suggested but it would also need to redefine and rediscover itself to come true to the various expectations from it.
But before the District Administration can actually do all which have been suggested and prescribed to face the new reality of globalization and WTO, it would first need to concentrate on its primary task of providing a safe and secure atmosphere in its jurisdiction. So, an effective law and order machinery become a desideratum before one can actually hope to reap the various benefits emanating from globalization. The District Administration itself should be fast and effective together with an improved social infrastructure including a better health system and a better education system with focus on basic education. The upshot of it all is that the Administration should ensure the improvement of human resources in the district. Also, with population increasing dangerously, the District Administration should be more watchful here as it could erode developmental advantages. Also, the District Administration should work towards ensuring social security in its area including an improved public distribution system and a better disaster management system.
Moreover, the District Administration should play a principal role in the decentralization of democratic power and work for the better functioning of the panchayati raj institutions so as to ensure better delivery of development and modernization of agriculture so as to increase agricultural productivity and spur development in the countryside. Here, it should also ensure better extension of new technologies to the far-flung areas.
Again, the Administration should work towards better management of water resources as well. With new players coming in, it is important for the district administration to encourage and institutionalise an interface with NGOs and the civil society.
Only after the District Administration is able to prepare the basic ground and provide a positive infrastructure in terms of a sound law and order machinery, skilled and healthy human resources, and a dynamic civil society, could it expect to deal successfully with the realities of globalization and WTO. Last but not the least, if only the District Administration could concentration well on the area of its core competence by way of ensuring good governance instead of stretching itself way beyond its capabilities, it would have more than met all its own responsibilities vis-à-vis the ubiquitous and irreversible process of globalization and WTO.