Implications of Globalization on India
Bettysue Alsup
Western Governors University
Implication of Globalization on India
Emaciated Indians begging for money and food, babies crying from hunger, dirty cows roaming aimlessly in the streets, and vast dwellings that are unhealthy to live in; poverty impacts over 350 million people in India yearly. (Aman, 2009). The poverty affected Indian families reach out to gain the basic elements of life. Families Uneducated concerning money, nutrition, and health; they only see freedom from poverty without knowing and understanding the positive and/or negative consequences on how these culture changes will influence their livelihood. Thru decades, India’s culture has been gradually transformed by the globalization process by way of modernization (developing societies use ideas from industrial societies), innovation (discovery of ideas that is accepted by the society), and diffusion (using ideas from another society and creating culture loss) (Evans & Michaud, 2013). This essay will cover a few examples on globalization and the culture changes in economy, urbanization, health, and nutrition; all four correlate in respect to globalization and poverty.
India Cultures Impacted by Globalization
Economy, Urbanization, and Poverty
People throughout India are leaving their homes, families, and tribes to find a better life, due to lost land, lost jobs, and numerous other situations from economic growth. India in the past was an economically independent traditional country before globalization (Narayan, Rushdie, & Forester, n.d.). The Indian people were farmers, nomads, crafters, and food foragers; they shared land and were able to provide for their self and their community (Narayan et al., n.d.). Now, due to globalization and economy Indians are unable to provide for their families and community as in the past. These culture variations have left them no other measures, but to travel off to urban cities in hope for a better future for their family. The majority of the Indian families find this change distressing, due to losing traditional cultures and the quality of life for their families has only changed for the negative (Evans & Michaud, 2013).
Nutrition, Health, and Poverty
UNICEF states “One in every three malnourished children in the world lives in India”
(Unicef,n.d.). Malnutrition for these children begin before birth, due to 30% of India
women are malnourished, in poor health, and living below the poverty level (Unicef, n.d.).
Starvation in India dates back to 1460 and famine relief documentation dates back over 2000
years (Wikipedia, 2013). Major reasons for the malnutrition in India today are poor agriculture,
vast populations, poverty, and corrupt politicians. Today the India Government, voluntary
organizations, and missionaries have launched several programs to defeat malnutrition in
children; food banks, health services, supplementary food for mothers to be and children,
education concerning nutrition, and many more that are unnamed (Wikipedia, 2013). Even
though India’s economic status has improved greatly, and many programs have been put into
play to fight hunger and starvation the percentage of malnourished Indians is still immense.
Analyzing Nutrition, Health, and Poverty Dating back over 2 thousand years before the British Empire arrived in India, the Indian people were able to provide for their families and communities excluding certain setbacks from uncontrolled weather and climate changes that brought on famine (Narayan, Rushdie, & Forester, n.d.). Now several organizations work closely with the India
