Understanding Globalization

Approaches to the Study of Globalization

• The presentation provides a glimpse into what globalization is all about.
• It discusses "globaloney" and its implications.
• It introduces three global critics (Rejectionists, Sceptics, Modifiers) and their perspectives.
• It explores three globalization processes (economic, political, and cultural).
• It concludes by discussing globalization as a process, condition, and ideology, referencing Jan Nedeerven Pieterse, Jan Aart Scholte, and Manfred Steger.

Learning Objectives

• To define globalization from academic, "globaloney," and ideological perspectives.
• To determine whether globalization is a concept, theory, or process.
• To understand if globalization is dynamic, relative, or multifaceted.
• To analyze if various approaches are hierarchical, supplemental, or complementary to the significance of globalization.

Globalization

• Globalization involves principles, selected historical descriptors, scholarly broad definitions, and generally accepted theories.

Globaloney

• Globaloney describes nonsensical ideas or talk about global issues, questioning the reality and novelty of globalization.
• Existing accounts of globalization are often considered incorrect, imprecise, and exaggerated.
• Globaloney represents an ideology imposed on material and cultural structures, described as a radicalization or acceleration of what already existed.

Critics on Globalization

• Three broad categories exist regarding critics on globalization:
  • Rejectionists
  • Sceptics
  • Modifiers
• Rejectionists:
  • Argue globalization's utility is not guaranteed.
  • Include critics that consider globalization as non-analytical and somewhat vague.
  • Seek resolution to these issues.
• Sceptics:
  • View globalization as limited in nature.
  • Represent an incoherent group of authors with differing positions.
  • Offer diverse perspectives and results.
• Modifiers:
  • Approach globalization within a narrow historical framework.
  • Dispute the novelty of globalization, noting its often historically imprecise application.
  • Seek solutions to the challenges globalization poses.
• Vague terms related to:
  • Nationalism (Calhoun
  • Various (Strange) link internet to hamburger
  • Too big (Weiss)
• Results Include
  • Economic: Internationalization
  • Political: States Dominance
  • Cultural: Fragmentation

Cultural Fragmentation (Hirst, Thompson, and Bromley Writings)

• Trade and foreign direct investment are increasingly dominated by the 'Triad economic blocks' (Europe, Eastern Asia, and North America).
• International processes are regionalized rather than globalized.
• The global economy functions as an economic model developed by and benefiting the economic elite.
• Criticisms of the hypothesis: standards too high/ argument assumes it's predominantly an economic occurrence

Globalization as a Process

• Encompasses economic, political, and cultural processes.

Economic Process

• The emergence of global and international trades contributes to national economic growth and development, citing the EU, IMF, World Bank, and Bretton-Woods Agreement.
• Improves accessing non-local products/ loans and budget enhance/ direct investment
• Two key aspects of economic globalization:
  • The changing nature of the production process.
  • Liberalization and internalization of financial transactions, expaning economic activities
• 1944 Bretton Woods Conference
• Neo-Liberalism
• Free Trade

Political Process

• Explores the political causes behind the massive flows of capital, money, and technology across territorial boundaries.
• Considers whether these flows challenge the power of nation-states.

Groups of Scholars

• 1st Group: Considers political globalization as intrinsically connected and is an expansion of markets.
  • Views the Worldwide Web as pivotal in the creation of a market global.
  • Economics have inner logic separated from political logic
  • Business has lost influence in global economy/politics.
• 2nd Group: Disputes that large-scale economic changes simply happen to societies in the manner of natural phenomena /Politcs
  • Stresses central role of Politics
  • Maintain the operation of Conventional Political Units
  • Example is Jan Aart Scholte who refers to the growth of supraterritorial relations between people
  • Politics is crucial for understanding globalization
• 3rd Group: Argues globalization is fueled by a mix of political and technological factors.
  • Gray:
  • Neoliberal Anglo American initiative has increased globalization in efforts for a global market
  • Spanish Sociologist:
  • Focuses on the information technology revolution, the bloom of cultural social movements and crisis of capitalism and statism
  • Castel:
  • Informational technology is indispensable to the effective implementation of processes of socio economic restructuring
• 4th Group: Approaches political globalization primarily from the perspective of global governance.
  • Globalization might boost democratic social forces
  • Anthony McGrew: globalization diminished the sovereignty of national governance
  • Held's view: multilayered from of democratic governance

Cultural Process

• Examines whether globalization increases cultural uniformity or cultural diversity and how consumerism impacts the environment.

Globalization as a cultural process

• Held and McGrew: “multidimensional process involving culture like technologies.
• John Tomlinson:
  • Globalization is affected by culture
  • Media has influence in shaping the societies, and identities
• Americanization:
  • It explains that globalization is written by Anglo-American values system  - It refers to the diffusion of American values, life style and goods
• McDonaldization:
  • George Ritzer: Refers to the emerging fast food industry is denyong expression of creativity and cultural difference
• Mcworld:
  • Benjamin R. Barber refers consumer capital that is shifting to the world forming a blank uniformity uniform market
• Glocalization and Hybridization/Creolization:
  • sub-globalizations on US cultural theme
  • Glocalization, a combination of blending global and local characteristics
  • Hybridization, mix of cultures in media.
• The West v Islam:
  • Jihad
• Cultural and Globalization: How it affect the environment:
  • Buddhists/Taoist emphasize on the interdependence of things.
  • Focuses on ecological and human need balances
  • induced climate
  • Biodiversity Decrease

Conclusion

• Globalization is ever-expanding, hence, approaches are available.
• It involves framing political agendas using the right approach for a deontological grasp.

Globalization as a Process Condition and Ideology

• Jan Nedeerven Pieterse's view on globalization: A recent phenomenon?
• Jan Nedeerven Pieterse claims:
  • The more recently you think Globalization has started, the more likely you have a
  • Westernized view.
• It depends on how we define Globalization:
  • Time
  • Economics and trade
• JNP views globalization as not a condition but a process for of the connectivity . Therefore, you can connect.

Globalization as a condition:

• Jan Aart Scholte's view on globalization: A recent phenomenon?
• Redundant concepts of globalization
• It discusses terms such as;
  • Internationalization – cross-border relations between countries
  • Liberalization – removing government-imposed restrictions on movements bet. countries to create "open" and "borderless” world economy
  • Universalization – 'global'
  • Westernization – colonization, Americanization, "westoxification
• It uses the terms to argue globalization is recent
• Scholte's claims:
  • Globalization is a contemporary phenomenon because the way in which global connections take place is different – time and space becomes irrelevant (=supraterritoriality)
• But Scholte uses it to come to a short-term vision
• on Globalization (by new factor.
• Supraterritoriality) and JNP to
• urge for a long view on Globalization (only.
• Transplanetory connections).

Globalization as an ideology

• Manfred Steger's view:
  • Globalization processes (Globalization) and condition (Globality) are connected to the ideology of global imaginary
• Steger's 6 claims why globalization is an ideology :
  • Globalization is about the liberalization and global integration of markets
  • Globalization is inevitable and irreversible
  • Nobody is in charge of globalization
  • Globalization benefits everyone (... in the long run)
  • Globalization furthers the spread of democracy in the world
  • Globalization requires a global war of terror