Rough Draft: Slumdog Millionaire and Globalization

An Examination of Slumdog Millionaire and Globalization
Globalization is defined as “the integration of economic, cultural, political, and social systems across geographical boundaries.” Globalization is the enhanced interconnectedness of cultures and societies that can be contributed to the expansion of technology and the enhancing means of communication and trade. Complete globalization would mean that no country is isolated, but rather Western and Eastern societies would be weaved together. Fernando Coronil, author of “Towards a Critique of Global Centrism—Speculations on Capitalism’s Nature” examines globalization’s potential positive and negative outcomes. Although we know that globalization will affect the lives of individuals, the ultimate debate is whether or not globalization will enhance the lives of individuals and their countries.
Coronil explains an optimistic outlook on globalization by stating that “globalization offers the promise of a unified humanity no longer divided by East and West, North and South, Europe and its Others, the rich and the poor. As if they were underwritten by the desire to erase the scars of a conflictual past or to bring it to a harmonious end, these discourses set in motion the belief that the separate histories, geographies, and cultures that have divided humanity are now being brought together by the warm embrace of the globalization” (Coronil 352). This idea of bringing humanity together, coming to a reconciliation of a “conflictual past” can have both its positive and negative outcomes. For individuals that are struggling, in countries such as India, having the finances to support the Western ideals of education, for example, would have a positive outcome, and lead to opportunities that would enhance the lives of less fortunate people.
Globalization and its positive and negative outcomes can be examined by applying scenes from the movie, “Slumdog Millionaire,” directed by Danny Boyle. “Slumdog Millionaire” won the Best Picture Academy Award for the portrayal of life in the slums of India. For example, two young brothers, Jamal and Salim, live in the rural slums of India, and encounter obstacles in their everyday life, that most Western individuals would never encounter. Both children, Jamil and Salim are uneducated, and due to the need to survive, they must work in order to gain money. One of their jobs included working in a restaurant as servers and dishwashers. Child labor laws in India do not protect children in accordance with the child labor laws of the United States.
According to a Congressional Record, Dan Burton, explains that “Children under the age of 14 are forced to work in glass-blowing, fireworks, and most commonly, carpet-making factories. While the Government of India reports about 20 million children laborers, other non-governmental organizations estimate the number to be closer to 50 million. Most prevalent in the northern part of India, the exploitation of child labor has become an accepted practice, and is viewed by the local population as necessary to overcome the extreme poverty in the region” (The Exploitation of Child labor in India). While laws in India now prohibit the labor of children under fourteen years old, the laws do “nothing to protect children who perform domestic or unreported labor, which is very common in India. In almost all Indian industries girls are unrecognized laborers because they are seen as helpers and not workers” (Child Labor India). The lack of protection for women against child labor is evident in “Slumdog Millionaire” when Latika was forced to work as an exotic dancer who performed for men. Globalization, if applied to the devastating treatment of children in India’s workplaces, would give children rights that do not have in India, by integrating Westernized laws and prohibiting the exploitation of children. Furthermore, families would have more opportunities as well for work, therefore not relying on their children to work. Children then could receive an education and create goals that will fulfill their aspirations.
Simon Gikandi’s article, “Globalization and the Claims of Postcoloniality” addresses an issue of globalization that can be viewed in both a positive and negative perspective. Gikandi states that, “there no longer seems to be a clear relationship between cultural practices and localities” (638) meaning that cultural practices are no longer specific to the location of the individuals. Cultural values, traditions, and religious beliefs are all affected by globalization as novel ways of living are introduced to other individuals. In globalization, societies are being meshed together, perhaps leading to the loss of tradition. For example, if applying the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” to Gikandi’s statement that the lines between culture and location are diminished, if Jamil and Salim were introduced to Western traditions, they may be intrigued, and choose to live more Westernized. The transition from following one cultural tradition to another can have a positive effect if the traditions the individual followed prior were dangerous and life threatening, such as female genital mutilation, which is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as ‘all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons’” (Forward: Safeguarding Rights and Dignity). The article explains that women are subjected to Female Genital Mutilation, also known as FGM, “in parts of the Middle East, i.e. in Yemen, Oman, Iraqi Kurdistan, amongst some Bedouin women in Israel” (Forward: Safeguarding Rights and Dignity). Women that would have carried on this tradition with their daughters may otherwise decide to not carry on the tradition of female genital mutilation if they are educated on its harmful effects to the body, as well as exposed to other cultural traditions and lifestyles.