Globalisation
Making of the Modern World Lecture
Wednesday 13 January 2016
Giorgio Riello
g.riello@warwick.ac.uk
Agenda
1. Definition of Globalisation
- what is globalisation?
2. Does Globalisation have a history?
- when did it begin ? Does it come in waves of phases?
3. Dimensions of the phenomenon:
- economic, social, and what else?
1. Definitions of Globalisation
“Globalization constitutes integration of National economies into the International economy
through trade, direct foreign investment (by corporations and multinationals), short-term capital
flows, international flows of workers and humanity generally, and flows of technology”
Jagdish Bhagwati, In Defence of Globalization (Oxford, 2006), p. 3.
“[Globalization] is a reality that now affects every part of the globe and every person on it, even
though in widely differing local contexts.”
Bruce Mazlish, “Comparing Global History to World History,” Journal of Interdisciplinary History 28/3 (1998), p.
387.
“A progressive increase in the scale of social processes from a local or regional to a world level”
C.A. Bayly, ‘“Archaic” and A-Modern Globalization in the Eurasian and African Arena, c. 1750-1850', in A.G.
Hopkins, ed., Globalization in World History (2002), pp. 48-9.
2. When did Globalisation Begin?
a. Before 1500: Andre Gunder Frank in his Re-Orient (1998) argued that globalization started well
before 1500.
b. 16th Century: Dennis Flynn and Arturo Giraldez claims that globalization begun in 1571 when the
Spaniards settled down in Manila
c. End of the 18th Century: Christopher Baily claims in that globalization started with the collapse
of 18th century regimes
d. After 1820: Williamson and O’Rourke underline how the period from 1820 to 1870 in particular
was age of ‘free trade’, liberalization of the state and convergence of commodity prices
e. 1914-1945: was it a period of de-globalisation?
f. 1945-2013: Contemporary Globalisation. The key force of globalization after 1945 was the action
of institutions and governments and of markets after 1973
g. Post 2013: A second de-globalisation? Is it possible that we are going towards de-globalisation
once again?
3. The Dimensions of Globalisation
M
I
G
P
migration
T
Trade and
commodities
Capitals
Communication
cities and geographies
transport
Population and
inequality
Resources and the
environment
Economic crises
A
V
Ideas and ideologies
1
Business and
organisations
States and institutions
1
Human Rights
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