Although globalization has promised an improved standard of living and economic development, it has been heavily criticized for its production of negative effects.
When buyers search for a product, they will usually choose the least expensive option, and occasionally US-made items cannot compete with the pricing of goods manufactured elsewhere.
In general, domestic laborers and businesses have a considerably harder time thriving while overseas pricing continue to be lower and far more competitive.
[7] Some scholars and critics say the Washington Consensus played a role in solidifying the United States as one of the core nation-states at the heart of the system of global capitalism in the post-Cold War era.
In the United States, there are high levels of economic and social inequalities feeding an ever-growing disparity between the upper and lower class.
Namely, former United States President Donald Trump, who announced he felt that America had lost its former high regard and had become a laughing stock on the world stage.
More broadly, many Americans have a feeling of being forgotten or swept up by globalization and its lasting effects, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center.
The power of transnational companies inflicts a major threat for indigenous tribes and other small colonies residing in larger nations opting towards globalization.
[13] An example of this occurring is large palm oil companies receiving land to develop from the government that is occupied by the indigenous tribes.
[15] In the name of free markets and with the promise of an improved standard of living, local authorities give up some of their political and social powers to international organizations.
As a result of the building of the dams, villages that heavily depended on the river lost their livelihood and their means of economic gains (i.e., fishing).
The globalization efforts in Thailand resulted in environmental impacts that affected the social and economic welfare of indigenous populations.
[17] Harmful effects from globalization are visible from reduced genetic diversity in agriculture from the loss of crop varieties and livestock breeds, loss of biological species, increase of "exotic species" which live outside their natural geographic range, pollution in Earth's natural elements such as air, water, soil, rapid climate change, exhaustion of resources, and social or spiritual disruption.
[18] The Garden Seed Inventory has listed all commercially available, non-hybrid vegetable varieties in the United States and Canada, and shows that beet roots, cabbage, and broccoli will diminish as a result of globalization faster than per capita income increases.
In the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, global trade and expansion was growing rapidly; however, this increase in new technology and exploitation of natural areas has led to a species lost comparable to the great extinctions of early geological times.
[19] The factors resulting in habitat destruction can be narrowed down to: exploitations of populations and natural areas for production or trade, increased housing, agriculture, overfishing, road building, mining, and dam construction.
[18] There are also subtle effects of globalization on wild species, expansions of ecotourism-based industries, changes in land-use practice, and competition for resources has increased contact between wildlife and humans.
[20] International trade relies on various means of transportation including trains, trucks, planes, boats, and ships, each emitting a large quantity of emissions.
The increased methods of transportation allows living organisms to latch on to the shipping containers and travel to a new location where it can grow invasive without the checks and balances present in its natural environment.
A 2006 study found that the invader garlic mustard virtually eliminated all mycorrhizal fungi colonization, which dramatically damaged the ability for native canopy species to regenerate.
Coal is most desired due to its cheap extraction price, local availability, and necessity in basic items such as steel, concrete, and electricity.
[35] Globalization is especially threatening to Arab nations because Islam is not simply a religious practice, but it dominates laws and social norms such as marriages and spending habits.
Since globalization is seen to be a way of secularizing a nation, Muslims also see it as a cultural and religious invasion, requiring the separation of religion and daily life.
They also oppose the creation of a new, global, hegemonic culture, referencing Quran 49:13 which states that God has purposefully divided mankind into different nations and tribes.
Language is a way of "mastering reality", providing intimacy and familitarity with the environment and the surrounding world, and enabling participation in the local community.
Therefore, Weber argues that language loss causes a displacement of an entire culture, depriving the affected peoples of their community and way of life.
He also argues that language is an example of human capital that allows individuals to increase the value of their productivity; being multilingual creates an industry on its own and brings both financial as well as non-financial benefits, such as wider horizons and social acceptance.
"[39] Peter Trudgill sustains that languages as partial barriers to communication are beneficial, as dominant cultures are unable to penetrate smaller so easily.
Surely we linguists know, and the general public can sense, that any language is a supreme achievement of a uniquely human collective genius, as divine and endless a mystery as a living organism.
[51][52][53][54] Cultures and communities, especially indigenous ones, that have lost their language experience heightened negative mental health effects, such as substance abuse, trauma, and depression.