“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

As children, How many of us answered the question depended on the scope of our imagination, not our economic status. Most of us were taught to believe that if we work hard, even if we are born less advantaged than others- we can achieve our dreams. Understanding the topic of Work and Economics on a global scale begins with examining our own reality – poor or privileged – and realizing that our economic status is not solely determined by how hard we work, but by social and economic factors such as equality of opportunity and education, and emotional and physical health.

Many people argue that globalization has served to bring the world closer together creating a more cooperative environment. The impact of... (more)

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

As children, How many of us answered the question depended on the scope of our imagination, not our economic status. Most of us were taught to believe that if we work hard, even if we are born less advantaged than others- we can achieve our dreams. Understanding the topic of Work and Economics on a global scale begins with examining our own reality – poor or privileged – and realizing that our economic status is not solely determined by how hard we work, but by social and economic factors such as equality of opportunity and education, and emotional and physical health.

Many people argue that globalization has served to bring the world closer together creating a more cooperative environment. The impact of new Information and Communication Technologies has changed the way people learn, work and live. Despite these advantages, the reality is that many people work hard and are underpaid for their labor. The current form of globalization primarily serves the interests of powerful nations and corporations who shape the terms of world trade. Many factory workers and field laborers are exploited by large companies and paid pennies for products that sell for large profits.

Globalization has opened new avenues for both employers and job seekers. One off-shoot of this is the practice of outsourcing jobs (hiring lower-paid service workers in foreign countries to do work previously done by higher-paid workers) has been a contentious issue in high-income countries, especially the United States. Many American citizens dispute this industry trend because it takes away jobs from Americans, while others dispute it for the ethical implications of exploiting overseas workers. But even in high-income countries like the United States, millions of workers earn minimum wage at full-time jobs and still cannot afford basic necessities. And when people are forced to work for low wages in poor working conditions, workplace safety and health is severely compromised. Another facet of this phenomenon is the need for creation of sustainable livelihoods which has become an important factor in the present day world , especially in developing countries and among disadvantaged populations. Sustaining the progress calls for an explicit consideration of future generations. Youth will inherit many of the environmental, economic and social problems created over the past decades and incorporating their opinions and concerns into policies at all levels is critical for a country’s progress.

Globalisation also stands as a major cause for unequitable distribution of Resources. Women and children are the major sufferers and are the most economically disadvantaged of all groups. Women comprise 70% of the world's 1.5 billion people living in absolute poverty. Women's contributions are essential to the functioning of an economy, but their labor is not valued in the same way as men's (especially if it involves work in the home such as raising children). Women’s work makes up a large component of the informal economy – work that does not receive compensation, but that is integral to a functioning economy. The Millennium Development Goals (UN campaign to eliminate extreme poverty by 2015) is an international response to improve economic and social conditions including access to early education, gender equality, sustainable development, and extreme poverty. For more please visit Understanding Poverty.

Sustainable Efforts,Income equality and equitable distribution remain integral components of all the topics explored in this section, as does the pursuit of meaningful work. We all need to make a living and safe, fairly compensated work is everyone’s right.