Globalisation

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The conflict perspective theory highlights the negative, and the continuously changing society. The society is ever changing and experiences some negative occurrences in the process of the circumstances of such transformations. According to this argument wealthy individuals are perceived to be considerably powerful and capable of forcing social orders upon the less wealthy members of society. The notion according to this perspective is also evident in globalisation where powerful and more developed countries that are capable of influencing a majority of the political and economic decisions that are made in their respective trade blocs or in their general global platform. A less developed nation is less likely to influence a decision made by their counterparts regarding policy making, especially if they are contrary to perception. Such issues bring about dissatisfaction among nations and thus brood hostilities that result in economic sanctions, war, and terror activities.

Symbolic Interaction Theory

This argument focuses on the use of symbols. According to Andersen (2007), sociologists should take into account symbols of everything they come across, their meaning and the way individuals interact with each other through such understanding. People associate different representations with specific meanings, and they respond according to their subjective interpretation. Through globalisation, organisations and individuals within nations have come across many symbols out of which they have had to generate a meaning. Symbols such as the national flags of various countries, different trade blocs, and regional blocs have meanings that are recognised by many people. However, where the meaning is not understood by everyone, individuals tend to work out the meaning on their own.

Symbols have become a way of communication since many symbols have been coined to portray different meanings. Examples of symbols used for communication are dress codes, stamps, and signs. People apply meanings to different symbols, and when a seal of the office of the president is used to smear authority in a document, people will associate the use of that symbol with presidential assent to whatever the contents of that particular document was. Some of the unwanted aspects of globalisation include the rise of terror groups across continents. Terrorist orgaisation have their own symbols, of which in most cases are not known to many, however individuals apply their own negative interpretations to such symbolic associations such as the Muslim hijab.

Anything may be regarded as a symbol as long as it brings out a meaning other than the common one (Ritzer, 2013). For example, the currency that is generally accepted as a means of exchange. Every nation and its citizens have meaning and value associated with their currency which constitutes them as symbols of value that are used to exchange goods and services. Globalisation has seen the rise of interregional trade among nations with different currencies. However, the fact that the units of exchange differ has not barred trade among such nations. Meaning and value have is attached to currency, and it is possible to tell how much value of one currency equals the value of another. Globalisation involves analysis and interpretation of the world around us, and such interpretation is what brings about international trade as people get to realise the deficits they have and, therefore, must import. Meetings and conventions held between nations to debate on conventions are all aspects of symbols within globalisation.

The symbolic interaction theory suggests that our identity is shaped by social interaction. Essentially, human beings are able to construct their self-identities by observing how others relate with them and such an examination provides one with the ability to attain a reflection of themselves (Dillon,2014). Globalisation is ultimately about relationships between countries and how nations and their citizens socialise. Countries are always keen to notice how other nations relate to one another so that they may understand their complexities within the international community. If a country always suffers bans and sanctions from other nations, that country will have an assessment and realize that its image is not acceptable, and adjustment is necessary. Through the manner in which international governments treat them, they can tell what they are.

Conclusion

As discussed above, sociology provides a platform of various ways through which the subject of globalisation can be understood. As the functional theory depicts the society as Independent nations have contributed to the growth of the world as they pursue their own goals and objectives.

Theories in Sociology have been used to understand and explain various areas that involve human interactions and development. The arguments in the theories are based on the way human beings interact with each other as they go about their daily business. The theories also explain institutional and system interrelationships and how they are linked to achieving a common objective. Globalisation involves the interaction among countries and it is a system of interconnected nations, people, and organisations. Functionalists argument of sociology emphasises the relationship between the parts of a society and how those aspects are functioning. Similarly, globalization entails a relationship between different countries. The argument of the theories of sociology that apply to the aspects of globalisation. As the functional theory depicts the society as independent systems that strive to succeed individually and at the same time leads to the success of the whole society, so is the components of the world that engage in globalisation.

References

Andersen, S. 2007, Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society, Cenage Learning, US.

Dillon, M. 2014, Introduction to Sociological Theory, John Wiley and Sons, UK.

Giddens, I. 2016. Introduction to Sociology.

Ritzer, G. 2013. Sociological Theory, 9th Ed, McGraw Hill, NY.

Robertson, R. 1992. Globalization: Social Theory, Sage, UK.

Rossides, S. 2016. Social Theory