NCERT Textbook - Globalization and Social Change | Old & New NCERTs for IAS Preparation (Must Read) - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


Globalisation and 
Social Change
6
Chapter 6.indd   71 14 September 2022   12:04:33
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Page 2


Globalisation and 
Social Change
6
Chapter 6.indd   71 14 September 2022   12:04:33
Reprint 2024-25
No discussion on social change in the twenty-first century can take place 
without some reference to globalisation.  It is but natural that in this book on 
social change and development, the terms globalisation and liberalisation have 
already appeared in your earlier chapters. Recall the section on globalisation, 
liberalisation, and rural society in Chapter 4. Go back and read the section 
on the Indian government’s policy of liberalisation and its impact on Indian 
industries in Chapter 5. It also came up when we discussed Vision Mumbai and 
the new visions for global cities in Chapter 3. Other than your school books, 
you must have come across the term globalisation in newspapers, television 
programmes or even in everyday conversation. 
Read any newspaper regularly for two 
weeks and note down how the term 
‘globalisation’ is used. Compare your 
notes with others in the class.
Note down references to the term 
‘globalisation’ and ‘global’ in different 
kinds of television programmes. You 
can focus on news and discussions 
on political or economic or cultural 
matters. 
Activity 6.1
Social Change and Development in India
72
Chapter 6.indd   72 14 September 2022   12:04:34
Reprint 2024-25
Page 3


Globalisation and 
Social Change
6
Chapter 6.indd   71 14 September 2022   12:04:33
Reprint 2024-25
No discussion on social change in the twenty-first century can take place 
without some reference to globalisation.  It is but natural that in this book on 
social change and development, the terms globalisation and liberalisation have 
already appeared in your earlier chapters. Recall the section on globalisation, 
liberalisation, and rural society in Chapter 4. Go back and read the section 
on the Indian government’s policy of liberalisation and its impact on Indian 
industries in Chapter 5. It also came up when we discussed Vision Mumbai and 
the new visions for global cities in Chapter 3. Other than your school books, 
you must have come across the term globalisation in newspapers, television 
programmes or even in everyday conversation. 
Read any newspaper regularly for two 
weeks and note down how the term 
‘globalisation’ is used. Compare your 
notes with others in the class.
Note down references to the term 
‘globalisation’ and ‘global’ in different 
kinds of television programmes. You 
can focus on news and discussions 
on political or economic or cultural 
matters. 
Activity 6.1
Social Change and Development in India
72
Chapter 6.indd   72 14 September 2022   12:04:34
Reprint 2024-25
Activity 6.1 will help you notice the various ways the term is used. But we 
still need to be clear about what exactly does the term means. In this chapter 
we seek to understand the meaning of globalisation, its different dimensions 
and their social consequences. 
However, this does not mean that there can be only one definition of 
globalisation and only one way of understanding it. Indeed you will find that 
different subjects or academic disciplines may focus on different aspects of 
globalisation. Economics may be dealing more with the economic dimensions 
such as capital flows. Political science may focus on the changing role of 
governments. However, the very process of globalisation is so far-reaching that 
disciplines have to increasingly borrow from each other  to understand both 
the causes and consequences of globalisation. Let us see how sociology seeks 
to understand globalisation.
What Sociology does is use the sociological imagination to make sense of 
the connections between the individual and society, the micro and the macro, 
the local and the global. How is the peasant affected in a remote village? 
How is s/he connected to global changes? How has it affected the chances of 
employment for the middle class? How has it affected the possibilities of big 
Indian corporations becoming transnational corporations? What does it mean to 
the neighbourhood grocer if the retail sector is opened up to big transnational 
companies? Why are there so many shopping malls in our cities and towns 
today? How has it changed the way young people spend their leisure time? 
These are just few examples of the wide ranging and different kinds of changes 
that globalisation is bringing about. You will find many more instances whereby 
global developments are affecting the lives of people. And thereby affecting the 
way sociology has to study society.
With the opening up of the market and removal of restrictions to the import 
of many products, we have many more products from different corners of the 
world in our neighbourhood shops. Since April 1, 2001, all types of quantitative 
restrictions (QR) on imports were withdrawn. It is no surprise now to find a 
Chinese pear, an Australian apple vying for attention in the local fruit stall. The 
neighbourhood store also has Australian orange juice and ready to fry chips 
in frozen packets. What we eat and drink at home with our family and friends 
slowly changes. The same set of policy changes affects consumers and producers 
differently. What may mean greater choices for the urban, affluent consumer 
may mean a crisis of livelihood for a farmer. These changes are personal because 
they affect individuals’ lives and lifestyles. They are obviously also linked to 
public policies adopted by the government and its agreement with the World 
Trade Organisation (WTO). Likewise macro policy changes have meant that 
instead of one television channel we have literally scores today. The dramatic 
changes in the media are perhaps the most visible effect of globalisation. We 
will be discussing this in greater detail in the next chapter. These are just few 
random examples but they may help you to appreciate the close interconnection 
Globalisation and Social Change
73
Chapter 6.indd   73 14 September 2022   12:04:34
Reprint 2024-25
Page 4


Globalisation and 
Social Change
6
Chapter 6.indd   71 14 September 2022   12:04:33
Reprint 2024-25
No discussion on social change in the twenty-first century can take place 
without some reference to globalisation.  It is but natural that in this book on 
social change and development, the terms globalisation and liberalisation have 
already appeared in your earlier chapters. Recall the section on globalisation, 
liberalisation, and rural society in Chapter 4. Go back and read the section 
on the Indian government’s policy of liberalisation and its impact on Indian 
industries in Chapter 5. It also came up when we discussed Vision Mumbai and 
the new visions for global cities in Chapter 3. Other than your school books, 
you must have come across the term globalisation in newspapers, television 
programmes or even in everyday conversation. 
Read any newspaper regularly for two 
weeks and note down how the term 
‘globalisation’ is used. Compare your 
notes with others in the class.
Note down references to the term 
‘globalisation’ and ‘global’ in different 
kinds of television programmes. You 
can focus on news and discussions 
on political or economic or cultural 
matters. 
Activity 6.1
Social Change and Development in India
72
Chapter 6.indd   72 14 September 2022   12:04:34
Reprint 2024-25
Activity 6.1 will help you notice the various ways the term is used. But we 
still need to be clear about what exactly does the term means. In this chapter 
we seek to understand the meaning of globalisation, its different dimensions 
and their social consequences. 
However, this does not mean that there can be only one definition of 
globalisation and only one way of understanding it. Indeed you will find that 
different subjects or academic disciplines may focus on different aspects of 
globalisation. Economics may be dealing more with the economic dimensions 
such as capital flows. Political science may focus on the changing role of 
governments. However, the very process of globalisation is so far-reaching that 
disciplines have to increasingly borrow from each other  to understand both 
the causes and consequences of globalisation. Let us see how sociology seeks 
to understand globalisation.
What Sociology does is use the sociological imagination to make sense of 
the connections between the individual and society, the micro and the macro, 
the local and the global. How is the peasant affected in a remote village? 
How is s/he connected to global changes? How has it affected the chances of 
employment for the middle class? How has it affected the possibilities of big 
Indian corporations becoming transnational corporations? What does it mean to 
the neighbourhood grocer if the retail sector is opened up to big transnational 
companies? Why are there so many shopping malls in our cities and towns 
today? How has it changed the way young people spend their leisure time? 
These are just few examples of the wide ranging and different kinds of changes 
that globalisation is bringing about. You will find many more instances whereby 
global developments are affecting the lives of people. And thereby affecting the 
way sociology has to study society.
With the opening up of the market and removal of restrictions to the import 
of many products, we have many more products from different corners of the 
world in our neighbourhood shops. Since April 1, 2001, all types of quantitative 
restrictions (QR) on imports were withdrawn. It is no surprise now to find a 
Chinese pear, an Australian apple vying for attention in the local fruit stall. The 
neighbourhood store also has Australian orange juice and ready to fry chips 
in frozen packets. What we eat and drink at home with our family and friends 
slowly changes. The same set of policy changes affects consumers and producers 
differently. What may mean greater choices for the urban, affluent consumer 
may mean a crisis of livelihood for a farmer. These changes are personal because 
they affect individuals’ lives and lifestyles. They are obviously also linked to 
public policies adopted by the government and its agreement with the World 
Trade Organisation (WTO). Likewise macro policy changes have meant that 
instead of one television channel we have literally scores today. The dramatic 
changes in the media are perhaps the most visible effect of globalisation. We 
will be discussing this in greater detail in the next chapter. These are just few 
random examples but they may help you to appreciate the close interconnection 
Globalisation and Social Change
73
Chapter 6.indd   73 14 September 2022   12:04:34
Reprint 2024-25
that exists between your personal lives and the apparently remote policies of 
globalisation. As mentioned earlier, the sociological imagination enables to 
make this connection between the micro and the macro, between the personal 
and public.
The sociologist or social anthropologist cannot study society as though 
it was an isolated entity. The compression of space and time has changed 
this. Sociologists have to study villages, families, movements, child rearing 
practices, work and leisure, bureaucratic organisations or castes taking this 
global interconnection into account.  Studies will have to take into account the 
impact of WTO rules on agriculture and therefore on the farmer. 
The effect of globalisation is far reaching. It affects us all but affects us 
differently. Thus, while for some it may mean new opportunities, for others 
the loss of livelihood. Women silk spinners and twisters of Bihar lost their 
jobs once the Chinese and Korean silk yarn entered the market. Weavers and 
consumers prefer this yarn as it is somewhat cheaper and has a shine.  Similar 
displacements have come with the entry of large fishing vessels into Indian 
waters. These vessels take away the fish that used to be earlier collected by 
Indian fishing vessels. The livelihood of women fish sorters, dryers, vendors 
and net makers thereby get affected. In Gujarat, women gum collectors, who 
were picking from the ‘julifera’ (Baval trees), lost their employment due to the 
import of cheaper gum from Sudan. In almost all cities of India, the rag pickers 
lost some of their employment due to import of waste paper from developed 
countries. We will see later in the chapter how traditional entertainers are 
affected.
It is obvious that globalisation is of great social significance. But as you saw 
its impact on different sections of society is very different. There are, therefore, 
sharply divided views about the impact of globalisation regarding its effect. 
Some believe that it is necessary to herald a better world. Others fear that the 
impact of globalisation on different sections of people is vastly different. They 
argue that while many in the more privileged section may benefit, the condition 
of a large section of the already excluded population worsens. There are yet 
others who argue that globalisation is not a new development at all. In the next 
two sections we look at these issues. We find out a bit more about the kind of 
global inter-connections that India had in the past. We also examine whether 
indeed globalisation has some distinctive features and if so what is it.  
6.1 Are Glob Al Interconnect Ions  
n ew to w orld And to Ind IA
If globalisation is about global interconnections we can ask whether this is 
really a new phenomenon. Was India or the different parts of the world not 
interacting with each other in earlier times? 
Social Change and Development in India
74
Chapter 6.indd   74 14 September 2022   12:04:34
Reprint 2024-25
Page 5


Globalisation and 
Social Change
6
Chapter 6.indd   71 14 September 2022   12:04:33
Reprint 2024-25
No discussion on social change in the twenty-first century can take place 
without some reference to globalisation.  It is but natural that in this book on 
social change and development, the terms globalisation and liberalisation have 
already appeared in your earlier chapters. Recall the section on globalisation, 
liberalisation, and rural society in Chapter 4. Go back and read the section 
on the Indian government’s policy of liberalisation and its impact on Indian 
industries in Chapter 5. It also came up when we discussed Vision Mumbai and 
the new visions for global cities in Chapter 3. Other than your school books, 
you must have come across the term globalisation in newspapers, television 
programmes or even in everyday conversation. 
Read any newspaper regularly for two 
weeks and note down how the term 
‘globalisation’ is used. Compare your 
notes with others in the class.
Note down references to the term 
‘globalisation’ and ‘global’ in different 
kinds of television programmes. You 
can focus on news and discussions 
on political or economic or cultural 
matters. 
Activity 6.1
Social Change and Development in India
72
Chapter 6.indd   72 14 September 2022   12:04:34
Reprint 2024-25
Activity 6.1 will help you notice the various ways the term is used. But we 
still need to be clear about what exactly does the term means. In this chapter 
we seek to understand the meaning of globalisation, its different dimensions 
and their social consequences. 
However, this does not mean that there can be only one definition of 
globalisation and only one way of understanding it. Indeed you will find that 
different subjects or academic disciplines may focus on different aspects of 
globalisation. Economics may be dealing more with the economic dimensions 
such as capital flows. Political science may focus on the changing role of 
governments. However, the very process of globalisation is so far-reaching that 
disciplines have to increasingly borrow from each other  to understand both 
the causes and consequences of globalisation. Let us see how sociology seeks 
to understand globalisation.
What Sociology does is use the sociological imagination to make sense of 
the connections between the individual and society, the micro and the macro, 
the local and the global. How is the peasant affected in a remote village? 
How is s/he connected to global changes? How has it affected the chances of 
employment for the middle class? How has it affected the possibilities of big 
Indian corporations becoming transnational corporations? What does it mean to 
the neighbourhood grocer if the retail sector is opened up to big transnational 
companies? Why are there so many shopping malls in our cities and towns 
today? How has it changed the way young people spend their leisure time? 
These are just few examples of the wide ranging and different kinds of changes 
that globalisation is bringing about. You will find many more instances whereby 
global developments are affecting the lives of people. And thereby affecting the 
way sociology has to study society.
With the opening up of the market and removal of restrictions to the import 
of many products, we have many more products from different corners of the 
world in our neighbourhood shops. Since April 1, 2001, all types of quantitative 
restrictions (QR) on imports were withdrawn. It is no surprise now to find a 
Chinese pear, an Australian apple vying for attention in the local fruit stall. The 
neighbourhood store also has Australian orange juice and ready to fry chips 
in frozen packets. What we eat and drink at home with our family and friends 
slowly changes. The same set of policy changes affects consumers and producers 
differently. What may mean greater choices for the urban, affluent consumer 
may mean a crisis of livelihood for a farmer. These changes are personal because 
they affect individuals’ lives and lifestyles. They are obviously also linked to 
public policies adopted by the government and its agreement with the World 
Trade Organisation (WTO). Likewise macro policy changes have meant that 
instead of one television channel we have literally scores today. The dramatic 
changes in the media are perhaps the most visible effect of globalisation. We 
will be discussing this in greater detail in the next chapter. These are just few 
random examples but they may help you to appreciate the close interconnection 
Globalisation and Social Change
73
Chapter 6.indd   73 14 September 2022   12:04:34
Reprint 2024-25
that exists between your personal lives and the apparently remote policies of 
globalisation. As mentioned earlier, the sociological imagination enables to 
make this connection between the micro and the macro, between the personal 
and public.
The sociologist or social anthropologist cannot study society as though 
it was an isolated entity. The compression of space and time has changed 
this. Sociologists have to study villages, families, movements, child rearing 
practices, work and leisure, bureaucratic organisations or castes taking this 
global interconnection into account.  Studies will have to take into account the 
impact of WTO rules on agriculture and therefore on the farmer. 
The effect of globalisation is far reaching. It affects us all but affects us 
differently. Thus, while for some it may mean new opportunities, for others 
the loss of livelihood. Women silk spinners and twisters of Bihar lost their 
jobs once the Chinese and Korean silk yarn entered the market. Weavers and 
consumers prefer this yarn as it is somewhat cheaper and has a shine.  Similar 
displacements have come with the entry of large fishing vessels into Indian 
waters. These vessels take away the fish that used to be earlier collected by 
Indian fishing vessels. The livelihood of women fish sorters, dryers, vendors 
and net makers thereby get affected. In Gujarat, women gum collectors, who 
were picking from the ‘julifera’ (Baval trees), lost their employment due to the 
import of cheaper gum from Sudan. In almost all cities of India, the rag pickers 
lost some of their employment due to import of waste paper from developed 
countries. We will see later in the chapter how traditional entertainers are 
affected.
It is obvious that globalisation is of great social significance. But as you saw 
its impact on different sections of society is very different. There are, therefore, 
sharply divided views about the impact of globalisation regarding its effect. 
Some believe that it is necessary to herald a better world. Others fear that the 
impact of globalisation on different sections of people is vastly different. They 
argue that while many in the more privileged section may benefit, the condition 
of a large section of the already excluded population worsens. There are yet 
others who argue that globalisation is not a new development at all. In the next 
two sections we look at these issues. We find out a bit more about the kind of 
global inter-connections that India had in the past. We also examine whether 
indeed globalisation has some distinctive features and if so what is it.  
6.1 Are Glob Al Interconnect Ions  
n ew to w orld And to Ind IA
If globalisation is about global interconnections we can ask whether this is 
really a new phenomenon. Was India or the different parts of the world not 
interacting with each other in earlier times? 
Social Change and Development in India
74
Chapter 6.indd   74 14 September 2022   12:04:34
Reprint 2024-25
t he e Arly y e Ars 
India was not isolated from the world even two thousand years ago.  We have 
read in our history textbooks about the famous Silk route, which centuries ago 
connected India to the great civilisations, which existed in China, Persia, Egypt 
and Rome. We also know that throughout India’s long past, people from different 
parts came here, sometimes as traders, sometimes as conquerors, sometimes 
as migrants in search of new lands and settled down here.  In remote Indian 
villages often people ‘recall’ a time when their ancestors lived elsewhere, from 
where they came and settled down where they now live.    
It is interesting to note that the greatest grammarian in Sanskrit namely Panini, 
who systematised and transformed Sanskrit grammar and phonetics around the 
fourth century BCE, was of Afghan origin. …The seventh-century Chinese scholar  
Yi Jing learned his Sanskrit in Java (in the city of Shri Vijaya) on his way from China to India. 
The influence of interactions is well reflected in languages and vocabularies throughout Asia 
from Thailand to Malaya to Indo-China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Korea and Japan. …
We can find a warning against isolationism in a parable about a well-frog- the ‘kupamanduka’- 
that persistently recurs in several old Sanskrit texts…The kupamanduka is a frog that lives its 
whole life within a well, knows nothing else, and is suspicious of everything outside it. It talks 
to no one, and argues with no one on anything. It merely harbours the deepest suspicion of 
the outside world. The scientific, cultural and economic history of the world would have been 
very limited indeed had we lived like well-frogs. (Sen 2005: 84–86)
Box 6.1
Global interactions or even a global outlook are thus not novel developments 
unique to the modern period or unique to modern India. 
c oloni Alism And the Glob Al c onnection  
We began our story of social and economic development in modern India from 
the colonial period. You will recall from Chapter 1 that modern capitalism had 
a global dimension from its very inception. Colonialism was part of the system 
that required new sources of capital, raw materials, energy, markets and a 
global network that sustained it. Often globalisation today identifies large-scale 
movement of people or migration as a defining feature. You know, however, 
that perhaps the greatest movement of people was the migration of European 
people who settled down in the Americas and Australia. You will remember how 
indentured labourers were taken away in ships from India to work in distant 
parts of Asia, Africa and Americas. And the slave trade that carted thousands 
of Africans away to distant shores. 
i ndependent i ndi A And the World 
Independent India retained a global outlook. In many senses this was inherited 
from the Indian nationalist movement. Commitment to liberation struggles 
Globalisation and Social Change
75
Chapter 6.indd   75 14 September 2022   12:04:34
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