GLOBALIZATION AND THE GLOBAL SOUTH

STRUCTURAL FORCES AND PATHWAYS TO EQUITABLE TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

This study explored the multifaceted impact of globalization on the Global South, focusing on regions across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and parts of the Middle East. Drawing on theoretical frameworks including dependency theory, world-systems theory, and neoliberalism, it critically examined globalization’s influence across economic, political, cultural, and environmental domains. The findings revealed a dual dynamic: while globalization spurred economic growth through foreign investment, technology transfer, and access to global markets, it also deepened structural dependency, deindustrialization, and sovereign debt crises. Politically, globalization eroded national autonomy through neoliberal conditionalities imposed by institutions such as the IMF and World Bank, yet simultaneously catalyzed the emergence of dynamic civil societies and regional coalitions. Culturally, it contributed to Western hegemony and identity erosion, while also enabling the global dissemination of Southern art, music, and literature. Environmentally, globalization drove resource extraction and ecological degradation, exacerbated by unmet climate finance pledges to the Global South. The study utilized exclusively secondary data sources, including academic literature, policy reports, and international organization publications. It concluded that globalization’s outcomes in these regions were profoundly ambivalent—generating both opportunities and systemic vulnerabilities. Recommendations include reforms of global institutions, advancement of South–South cooperation, equitable trade arrangements, debt justice, and inclusion of indigenous and local perspectives in governance. Ultimately, the study called for a socially transformative approach to globalization—anchored in justice, equity, and sustainability—to foster more inclusive development across the Global South.