How Has Globalization Affected Inequalities Between Societies? (Copy)
O Level Sociology – Cheat Sheet
3.3 How has globalisation affected inequalities between societies?
3.3.1 The Impact of Migration on Societies
| Concept | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Immigration | People moving into a country to live or work. |
| Emigration | People moving out of their home country. |
| Push Factors | Conditions that force people to leave their country (e.g. war, poverty, unemployment, persecution). |
| Pull Factors | Conditions that attract people to another country (e.g. jobs, safety, better education). |
| Increasing Cultural Diversity | Migration introduces new languages, religions, customs, and identities. Can enrich or challenge national identity. |
| Economic Consequences | |
| ✔ Migrants fill labor shortages and contribute to the economy | |
| ✘ May be blamed for job competition, pressure on services |
| Negative Perceptions of Migrants |
- Media and political narratives may label migrants as threats
- Leads to xenophobia, discrimination, and social division
- Some groups scapegoated for economic problems |
3.3.2 The Impact of Global Ecological Issues on Societies
| Issue | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Transnational Companies (TNCs) | Large corporations that operate across borders. Often exploit cheap labor and weak regulations in poorer countries, widening global inequality. |
| Climate Change | Caused by global emissions but disproportionately harms poorer nations (e.g. floods, droughts, crop failure). |
| Pollution | Industrial pollution (air, water, soil) affects health and environment, especially in developing countries with fewer environmental protections. |
| Urbanisation | Growth of cities due to industrialisation and migration. |
| ✔ Can create jobs and infrastructure | |
| ✘ Leads to overcrowding, slums, inequality in housing and services |
3.3.3 Sociological Explanations for Global Inequalities
| Perspective | Key Ideas |
|---|---|
| Marxism |
- Global capitalism exploits poorer countries for cheap labor and raw materials
- TNCs and global institutions (e.g. IMF, World Bank) serve interests of rich nations
- Wealthy countries maintain control through economic imperialism |
| Colonialism |
- Historical colonisation extracted wealth from colonised countries
- Created long-term economic dependency and underdevelopment
- Many global inequalities today are rooted in the legacy of empire |
| Feminism |
- Global patriarchy means women worldwide face lower wages, fewer rights, and limited access to power and education
- Globalisation can both empower and exploit women (e.g. sweatshop labor vs social media activism) |