Globalization And Income Inequality

Globalization has facilitated a connection between social, economic, and cultural factors among communities (Bhavsar & Bhugra, 2008). The implication from this type of cohesiveness greatly affects human relationships and behaviours at various levels (Bhavsar & Bhugra, 2008). This paper will critically analyze various manifestations of globalization and argue that these implications have negatively affected mental health. This will be argued on the basis of the following subtopics: 1) the significance of income inequality, 2) the shift from manufacturing to service sectors, and 3) the impact of outsourcing jobs. With the rise of globalization, inequality has become a frightening issue that continues to expand. Globalization has contributed

There has been a shift from mainly manufacturing sectors to predominantly service sectors, as well as many parts of the world experiencing economic recessions (Bugard, Brand & House, 2009). Individuals that work in the service sector may find that their work is less physically demanding but may require more thought, have an increased work load and involve higher stress environments. All these factors have resulted in organizations reducing the number of permanent employees that they employ through layoffs and organization closures (Bugard et al., 2009). An individual who is constantly worrying about the status of their job may experience a high level of stress related to the unknown future. Individuals who are unsure about the certainty of their job experience anticipation about the problems that can occur with job loss, mental strain of being in a powerless position and overall an uncertainty about the future (Bugard et al., 2009). Experiencing job loses or uncertainty about future employment can be detrimental to one’s mental wellbeing as this may lead to increased levels of stress depending on how the individual copes with these feelings. Worker responses to job insecurity effects many components of the individual including emotional responses such as anxiety or depression, physiological factors including an elevated heart rate or increased levels of catecholamine’s in the body and behavioural coping strategies such as; drug use, absenteeism and lack of concentration (Bugard et al., 2009). If job insecurity remains a constant factor through an individual’s life, a combination of these factors may result in a more severe response (Bugard et al., 2009). The longer an individual has to cope with these responses to job insecurity the greater the likelihood that these responses will have adverse reactions on mental health and