Ashworth College Implications of Globalization Discussion Paper

 Globalization and Its Ethical Implications [WLOs: 1, 2, 3, 5] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 5]

Prepare: Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum, review the following Week 1 and Week 2 required resources that focus on globalization, ethics, and moral reasoning. This will assist you in examining your own development of ethical and moral responsibilities as they relate to your Final Paper and its topic.

Read these articles from Week 1:

• From Globalism to Globalization: The Politics of Resistance
• Globalization, Globalism, and Cosmopolitanism as an Educational Ideal
• Transnationalism and Anti-globalism

Read these articles from Week 2:

• Introduction to Global Issues
• A Global Ethics for a Globalized World
• Virtue Ethics and Modern Society
• Classical Stoicism and the Birth of a Global Ethics: Cosmopolitan Duties in a World of Local Loyalties

Reflect: The change of our world from a local economy to a national economy to a global, international economy means that increasingly diverse populations will have to work together to achieve common goals. However, as the economy becomes increasingly global, local economies and people may suffer economic disadvantage or may find themselves marginalized from the rest of the world. Globalization creates ethical dilemmas for which we will need to find solutions.

Write: For this discussion, address the following prompts:

• Explain the implications of globalization.
• Identify at least two ethical issues that go along with the global societal topic you have chosen for your final essay.
• Explain how globalization contributes to or affects these ethical dilemmas.
• Propose solutions to these ethical dilemmas that are feasible financially, socially, and culturally.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length, which should include a thorough response to each prompt. You are required to provide in-text citations of applicable required reading materials and/or any other outside sources you use to support your claims. Provide full reference entries of all sources cited at the end of your response. Please use correct APA format when writing in-text citations (see In-Text Citation Helper” rel=”noopener”>In-Text Citation Helper) and references (see Formatting Your References List).

Respond to Peers: Review your classmates’ posts, and respond to at least two of your peers by Day 7. In each response, provide comments on your classmate’s topic idea and ask a question that prompts your classmate to think more critically about how to explore the research topic in more detail. Each participation post should be a minimum of 75 words.Megan Covey

Aug 7, 2021 at 11:03 PM

• Explain the implications of globalization.

The implication of globalization has many different definitions; however, I have gathered that globalization is the idea corporations move to foreign countries to utilize other resources and people to expand one’s company.

• Identify at least two ethical issues that go along with the global societal topic you have chosen for your final essay.

My global societal topic is air pollution and its effect on pediatrics. Two ethical issues with pollution, factories putting pollutants in the air is one ethical dilemma, and others would be cars, trucks, and other gas vehicles. Another moral issue is a natural problem, wildfires (especially in California). 

• Explain how globalization contributes to or affects these ethical dilemmas.

When it comes to companies manufacturing worldwide and causing pollution, this contributes to globalization and ethical dilemmas. These companies are moving into other counties, polluting their air and causing issues in children’s development by polluting the air with toxins. 

• Propose solutions to these ethical dilemmas that are feasible financially, socially, and culturally.

Going to an electric vehicle may help the situation, but I wouldn’t say I like the idea of forcing all people to give up their gas vehicles. I would also say having more brush cleanup crews in California. I live in California and have witnessed areas burn to the ground because of all the brush and dead items. Luckily, I’m in the neighborhood where they keep these places clean and the brush to a minimum with goats and cleanup crews, but we need more, especially right before fire season.

Another ask would be for companies to go to a more clean energy resource to reduce pollution. 

Individuals can help walk/biking to work, drive clean energy vehicles, or take public transportation. These are all big asks, but every little bit helps.

“These fall into three categories: developing energy resources in ways that reduce emissions; increasing the ef?ciency with which energy is used, and making changes in land-use practices. Many of these efforts will have the added bene?t of reducing local and regional pollution, for example, from airborne particulate matter and from ozone and sulfur dioxide.” (Bhargava, 2006, Pg. 228)

Resource- 

Bhargava, V. K. (2006). Introduction to global issues. In V. K. Bhargava (Ed.), Global issues for global citizens: An introduction to key development challenges,1-22. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Reply

Sonja Bethune (she/her/hers)

Aug 10, 2021 at 2:48 PM

Megan,

Pollution is a great topic to discuss. There are many issues happening in society, and most people are not aware of how to prevent pollution in other countries. In some of the world’s worst polluted places, babies are born with birth defects, children have lost 30 to 40 IQ points, and life expectancy may be as low as 45 years because of cancers and other diseases (Bradford, 2018). I agree that many people are affected by pollution and that everyone needs to contribute to make the environment a better place. The ethical issues you chose are important. Do you believe if there were more advertisements on television commercials, billboards, and radio stations, the pollution rate would decrease?

References

Bradford, A. (2018, February 27). Pollution facts & types of pollution. Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/22728-pollution-facts.html

Cindy Welch

Aug 10, 2021 at 7:43 PM

Week 2

Discussion 1: Ethical Considerations of Globalization

Explain the implications of globalization.

Globalization is the influence on globalism and the effects on the interconnective relationships both culturally and economically, which dynamically influences interdependence.  My research question is: Does the level of education influence health?  How globalization affects health is multifactorial.  Through globalism and subsequent globalization, migration occurs from underdeveloped countries to developed countries.  Migration from developing countries brings diseases such as tuberculosis and the SARS virus that are irradicated in the receiving country along with the associated financial burden (Lee, 2004). For example, California has more immigrants than any other state, with 2.3 million undocumented immigrants.  Twenty-nine percent of these immigrants lack a high school education (Johnson et al., 2021).  Research has demonstrated a correlation between education and health.  Those with more education live longer, healthier lives than those with fewer years of schooling (Center on Society and Health, 2015). Finally, immigrants and their families are less likely to have health insurance, work-in jobs with higher workplace injury risk, and the nature of available workplaces them at a higher risk for COVID-19 (Cha, 2021). Therefore, migration is the result of globalization which presents socioeconomic considerations including healthcare and the education of immigrants.

Identify at least two ethical issues that go along with the global societal topic you have chosen for your final essay. Explain how globalization contributes to or affects these ethical dilemmas.

The majority of global citizens believe healthcare is a basic human right.  Many countries provide universal healthcare for their citizens.  While legislation in the United States, such as Obamacare, has attempted to bridge the gap in healthcare coverage, disparities continue to exist.  There are a disproportionate amount of uninsured and older undocumented immigrants in the immigrant population that do not qualify for health coverage (Cha, 2021).  The ethical issue is whether undocumented immigrants deserve to receive financial aid, including health coverage, when they enter the country illegally.  In states already strapped with higher than average financial burdens, providing care to undocumented immigrants is a controversial subject.  On one side, to be a global citizen, ethically, healthcare should be provided as a fundamental human right regardless of citizenship status.   However, one could argue that providing aid, including healthcare to undocumented (illegal) immigrants, taxes the system and removes funds to care for the disenfranchised citizens, such as the homeless.  Caring for the citizens should be a priority. To continue to support undocumented immigrants will encourage continued illegal migration

The other ethical consideration of globalism and healthcare is the migration of healthcare workers from poorer countries to richer countries. While this movement assists understaffed health systems, it causes a negative balance in the underdeveloped country (Lee, 2004).  For example, 18 percent of the 14.7 million people in the United States working in healthcare are immigrants. 1.5 million of these immigrants are doctors, nurses, and pharmacists (Batalova, 2020). Thus, it could be considered unethical for the United States to recruit and employ health care workers from underdeveloped countries to fill shortages that ultimately impact care in the healthcare worker’s native country.

Explain how globalization contributes to or affects these ethical dilemmas.

Globalization affects the nation’s economy, which contributes to the level of education and healthcare citizens receive.  Migration, both legally and illegally, is usually mitigated for a promise of a better life.  Poverty, lack of employment, poor working conditions, and lower salaries all play a part in the motivation of immigrants to migrate.  However, because immigration for the unskilled worker is arduous, channels are available to illegally enter the United States and thus burden the states fiscally.  Subsequently, this subset is usually undereducated with a limited skill set, further impacting job opportunities and lifestyle choices, which overall affect their health.

For the skilled worker, such and physicians and nurses, shortages allow for a legal avenue of immigration with a promise of better wages and working conditions.  Healthcare systems provide immigration and housing assistance, reducing barriers for these skilled workers to migrate from their native country to the United States, leaving their native healthcare system with a deficit.   

Propose solutions to these ethical dilemmas that are feasible financially, socially, and culturally.

Globally, healthcare should be considered a basic human right.  Nevertheless, who pays for the cost of this right is controversial. The disparities in the United States of healthcare coverage make it difficult for those who have high out-of-pocket healthcare expenses to agree to cover undocumented immigrants.  On the other hand, if immigration reform could address illegal entry into the United States and provide an avenue for immigrants to enter without placing a financial burden on the states, the ethical issue of healthcare would be absolved.  Years ago, you could enter the United States with a sponsor who was financially responsible for the immigrant.  These sponsors provided jobs and lodging until they were able to provide for themselves.  Reinstituting sponsorship for immigrants and affordable healthcare coverage available for sponsors to purchase could lessen the burden we see today to care for and educate undocumented immigrants.

Secondly, the migration of skilled healthcare workers should be treated as any import-export with policies to prevent abuse that results in the depletion of skilled workers in underdeveloped nations.  Health systems need to evaluate why there is such a healthcare worker shortage in America which necessitates migration from underdeveloped countries. On the other side, understanding the reasoning for migration could help underdeveloped countries maintaining their workforce. Bidirectional education could enhance relationships and preserve the workforce.

References:

Batalova, J. (2020, May 14). Immigrant healthcare workers in the United States. Migration Policy Institute. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/immigrant-health-care-workers-united-states-2018

Center on Society and Health. (2015, February 13). Why education matters to health: Exploring the causes. https://societyhealth.vcu.edu/work/the-projects/why-education-matters-to-health-exploring-the-causes.html

Cha, P. (2021, May). Immigrants and health in California. Public Policy Institute of California. https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/immigrants-and-health.pdf

Johnson, H., Perez, C., & Mejia, M. (2021, March). Immigrants in California. Public Policy Institute of California. https://www.ppic.org/publication/immigrants-in-california/

Lee, K. (2004, 2004/02/01). Globalisation: what is it and how does it affect health? [https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb05855.x]. Medical Journal of Australia, 180(4), 156-158. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb05855.x