Abstract

Two Nigerian villages were surveyed to study the impact of globalization on the traditional Igbo society. Structural adjustment has impacted the two villages through economic reforms and programs such as reductions in government expenditures on social programs and the diminishing role of the public sector. As a result, the social capital and social cohesion, and the capacity for local economic development were diminished, and some village institutions were weakened. On the other hand, the institution of the extended family has allowed the two communities to form a symbiotic relationship that has helped maintain cultural traditions. The paper argues that the globalization policies of the international institutions based on the “weak” version of sustainability are over-simplified. By considering the importance of complex institutions in the development process, a more realistic picture emerges of the positive and negative effects of globalization.