Globalization

1. Globalization What are wetalkingabout?

2. Globalisation Globalization is not a verydistinctconcept WefollowSteger in his introduction to the concept The reason for this is that it gives us an easy overview of the conceptualdiscussion. Stegerstates that opponents to the concepteither advocates a one-dimensionalview (political, economical or cultural) changes or theyunderestimateschanges in the last decades

3. Globalization • To avoidpriority for a special sector in definingglobalizationSteger just refers to social relations. • His definition is just: • ”Gloalizationrefers to the expansion and intensification of social relations and consciousnessacrossworld-time and world-space”.

4. Globalization • The mainpoint is: • ”Globalization is not a single process but a set of processes that operatesimultaneously and unevenly on severallevels 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, internstionalaffairs and literature.

5. Globalization • Globalization is given a historicalperiodization: • Prehistoric period (10000 BCE-3500 BCE) • Premodern period (3500 BCE-1500 CE) • Early modern period (1500-1750) • Modern period (1750-1970) • Contemporary period (1970-)

6. Globalization • The historicalperiodization is not easy to understand on what it is based. • Maybe it can be understood in terms of: • 1) population and population growth • 2) geographicalconsiderations of centre-periphery and tracks of influence

7. Globalization • The disposition of the argument is thenrelated to fivetopics: • 1) economy • 2) politival structure • 3) culture • 4) environment and ecology • 5) ideology and popular movements

8. Globalization • The economicissuesdealt with in Stegersbook 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 increasingrole of international economic institutions (IMF, World Bank, and WTO)

9. Globalization • Coming to the politicalissuesStegersmainfocus is in role of the nation-state • His starting-point is the rise of the system of sovereignstateswhichhe after David Held dates back to the westphalianpeace in 1648. (se page 60) • Has globalizationundermined national sovereignity? • Tendencies work in diverse directionsevenif ”globalising” trends in variouswaysundermine national sovereignity.

10. Globalization • Politicalglobalizationseems to work in directions of a new global governance. • The global governance are characterized by a complicatednetwork of • A) supraterritorial institutions (local, regional and so on) • B) global institutions (UN,WTO etc) • C) NGOs • D)TNCs • E) national governments

11. Globalization • This gives rise to a new system of governance (Illustrated on page 69). Hierarchicaldecisionsbecomes less important in relation to networking, market and quasi-market solutions as well as negotiations. • An importantquestion in relation to thesetendencies is the consequences for the meaning of democracy and popular impact on decision-making.

12. Globalization • The cultural dimension of globalisationfaces the trends regardingwhetherpeople round the world growmorealike or whether it sharpensdifferences. • It confrontssometendencies that try to uniform consumptionpatternssuch as MacDonalds or IKEA with tendencies of new hybrids as a result of ”culturalmeetings”. • Stegeralsoemphasize the role of media globalization. It has broughtaboutincreasedcommercialinfluence on the massculture that seems to be more uniform. • However, Stegerdoesn´treflect on the role of internet and computer networking.

13. Globalization • An interestingsectionrelates to the globalization of languages • Influencingfactorsrelates to • 1) number of languages • 2) Carrying of languages by movingpeople • 3) Foreignlanguagetraining and tourism • 4) Internets impact on communicativelanguage • 5) International scientificpublications

14. Globalization • The ecological dimension of globalizationrelates to all environmentalconsequences of global social interaction • The growingconsumption as result of economicgrowth and increased global population is the starting-point. • The green-houseeffect is the primeillustaration of the global character of the problem

15. Globalization • In a figure on page 90 the mainfactors of global environmental degradation is stated • Environmentaldangers are listed • 1) Transboundary pollution • 2) Food insecuritydiseases • 3) Global warming • 4) Geneticallymodified organisms • 5) Hazardous Waste and industrialaccidentswarfare • 6) Loss of biodiversity

16. Globalization • The ecologicalchallengesneed global regulation and decision-making. Stegernotices that evenif the problem are huge and someresultshavebecomedisappointing the number international agreements all the same has increased.

17. Globalization • Coming to the end of the bookStegerreflects on ideologies and attitudes to globalization. • The reactionsvarystrongly and hetries to dividethemintothreecategories: • A) market globalism • B) Justiceglobalism • C) Jihadistglobalism

18. Globalization • This chapter is short-handed • The merit is that heunderlines the contradictingreactions on globalizationbothregarding • a) increasinginequality and • b) traditional and religiousvalues • To get a morediversifiedview on thesequestions you are encouraged to read A. Sen, Identity and violence, whichalso is part of courseliterature.