Globalization
What are we talking about?
Globalisation
Globalization is not a very distinct concept
We follow Steger in his introduction to the concept
The reason for this is that it gives us an easy overview of the
conceptual discussion.
Steger states that opponents to the concept either
advocates a one-dimensional view (political, economical or
cultural) changes or
they underestimates changes in the last decades
Globalization
• To avoid priority for a special sector in defining globalization Steger just
refers to social relations.
• His definition is just:
• ”Gloalization refers to the expansion and intensification of social
relations and consciousness across world-time and world-space”.
Globalization
• The main point is:
• ”Globalization is not a single process but a set of processes
that operate simultaneously and unevenly on several levels
and in various dimensions.” (end of ch 2, page 36)
• The definition is arrived at as i kind of combination of five
different definitions from different scholars of economics,
sociology, political science, internstional affairs and literature.
Globalization
• Globalization is given a historical periodization:
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Prehistoric period (10000 BCE-3500 BCE)
Premodern period (3500 BCE-1500 CE)
Early modern period (1500-1750)
Modern period (1750-1970)
Contemporary period (1970-)
Globalization
• The historical periodization is not easy to understand on what
it is based.
• Maybe it can be understood in terms of:
• 1) population and population growth
• 2) geographical considerations of centre-periphery and tracks
of influence
Globalization
• The disposition of the argument is then related to five topics:
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1) economy
2) politival structure
3) culture
4) environment and ecology
5) ideology and popular movements
Globalization
• The economic issues dealt with in Stegers book is
concentrated to modern times. It deals with
• a) the emergence of the global economic order
• b) the internationalization of trade and finance
• c) the rise of TNC (transnational corporations)
• d) the increasing role of international economic institutions
(IMF, World Bank, and WTO)
Globalization
• Coming to the political issues Stegers main focus is in role of
the nation-state
• His starting-point is the rise of the system of sovereign states
which he after David Held dates back to the westphalian
peace in 1648. (se page 60)
• Has globalization undermined national sovereignity?
• Tendencies work in diverse directions even if ”globalising”
trends in various ways undermine national sovereignity.
Globalization
• Political globalization seems to work in directions of a new
global governance.
• The global governance are characterized by a complicated
network of
• A) supraterritorial institutions (local, regional and so on)
• B) global institutions (UN,WTO etc)
• C) NGOs
• D)TNCs
• E) national governments
Globalization
• This gives rise to a new system of governance (Illustrated on
page 69). Hierarchical decisions becomes less important in
relation to networking, market and quasi-market solutions as
well as negotiations.
• An important question in relation to these tendencies is the
consequences for the meaning of democracy and popular
impact on decision-making.
Globalization
• The cultural dimension of globalisation faces the trends
regarding whether people round the world grow more alike or
whether it sharpens differences.
• It confronts some tendencies that try to uniform consumption
patterns such as MacDonalds or IKEA with tendencies of new
hybrids as a result of ”cultural meetings”.
• Steger also emphasize the role of media globalization. It has
brought about increased commercial influence on the mass
culture that seems to be more uniform.
• However, Steger doesn´t reflect on the role of internet and
computer networking.
Globalization
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An interesting section relates to the globalization of languages
Influencing factors relates to
1) number of languages
2) Carrying of languages by moving people
3) Foreign language training and tourism
4) Internets impact on communicative language
5) International scientific publications
Globalization
• The ecological dimension of globalization relates to all
environmental consequences of global social interaction
• The growing consumption as result of economic growth and
increased global population is the starting-point.
• The green-house effect is the prime illustaration of the global
character of the problem
Globalization
• In a figure on page 90 the main factors of global
environmental degradation is stated
• Environmental dangers are listed
• 1) Transboundary pollution
• 2) Food insecurity diseases
• 3) Global warming
• 4) Genetically modified organisms
• 5) Hazardous Waste and industrial accidents warfare
• 6) Loss of biodiversity
Globalization
• The ecological challenges need global regulation and decisionmaking. Steger notices that even if the problem are huge and
some results have become disappointing the number
international agreements all the same has increased.
Globalization
• Coming to the end of the book Steger reflects on ideologies
and attitudes to globalization.
• The reactions vary strongly and he tries to divide them into
three categories:
• A) market globalism
• B) Justice globalism
• C) Jihadist globalism
Globalization
• This chapter is short-handed
• The merit is that he underlines the contradicting reactions on
globalization both regarding
• a) increasing inequality and
• b) traditional and religious values
• To get a more diversified view on these questions you are
encouraged to read A. Sen, Identity and violence, which also is
part of course literature.