PR 1450 Introduction to Globalization

1
PR 1450Introduction to Globalization

• Lecture 1
• Globalization myths and realities
• Chris Rumford

2

• Everyone has encountered the term
  globalization, but what does it really mean,
  and how can we best study it?
• What do we study in a course on globalization
  that is not covered in international relations?
• Does globalization mean that the world has
  changed in important respects? If so, how?
• Is globalization a good thing or a bad thing?
• This introductory lecture aims to answer these
  and other questions.

3
What images does the idea of globalization
conjure up in your mind?

• Here are some possibilities
• International organizations such as the UN, WTO
  and World Bank
• the Internet
• global warming
• terrorism
• stock exchanges and banks

4

• These are all images associated with
  globalization but there are others, equally
  important. For example
• the World Cup (and other sporting world
  championships)
• the Olympic games (being the best in the world)
• McDonalds (same food the world over?)
• the university (students from all around the
  world)
• passports (freedom to travel the world)
• jeans (the whole world wears the same trousers)
• - all of which cause us to imagine the world as
  a single place

5
So what is globalization?

• Globalization is best thought of as the growing
  interconnectedness in the world. It is the result
  of a series of historical processes (economic,
  political, cultural) through which the world has
  become compressed, and which have led to an
  awareness that the world is becoming a single
  place
• This definition originated in the work of Roland
  Robertson, a leading globalization theorist
• It is also the definition which will guide us
  through this course

6
Myths about globalization

• There exist many myths surrounding
  globalization. For example
• that it is very new (since 1950s or 1980s)
• that it is all about economic interconnectedness
  (markets, money flows)
• that is spells the end of the nation-state
• that we now live in a borderless world
• that it is another name for Americanization
• that it is a threat to democracy
• that is a bad thing

7
These myths also lead to some very simplistic
explanations for what has caused globalization

• that it is the result of market forces and trade
  liberalization
• that is has been caused by the revolution in
  information and communication technologies since
  the 1970s
• that is it the project of a single global
  superpower
• At best these are only partial explanations

8

• Globalization has no one single cause, but the
  following have been very important
• voyages of exploration
• technological innovation
• mass communication
• supra-national regulation
• scientific standardization (e.g. time zones)
• expansion of trade and markets
• spread of ideologies e.g. religions
• developments of global events (e.g. Olympics)
• environmental consciousness

9
Key thinkers on globalization

• The work of the following is central to
  understanding globalization
• Jan Aart Scholte author of the best
  introductory text (although it is more than just
  an introduction)
• David Held offers the most comprehensive
  account of the multi-dimensionality of
  globalization
• Roland Robertson the most influential theorist
  of them all emphasises the relationship between
  the global and the local, and the historical
  dimensions to globalization
• John W. Meyer substantiated the idea that the
  world is becoming institutionally similar and
  that something like a world culture exists

10
Current issues

• Thinking about globalization has led to some
  big questions for the social sciences. E.g.
• Is the world becoming more similar? Are we all
  McDonalds eating, jeans wearing, Hollywood
  watching global inhabitants?
• Or, does globalization promote cultural
  difference? Do common scripts of difference
  exist?
• We will investigate these issues further as we
  work through the course

11
Impact of globalization on Political Science and
International Relations

• we can no longer assume that the nation-state is
  the most important actor on the international
  stage (international organizations and INGOs are
  also crucial)
• the world can be seen as a political system (but
  is not necessarily best seen as a system of
  nation-states)
• the interconnectedness of the world has important
  social and cultural dimensions (enterprises,
  INGOs, citizens)
• some political problems have a global dimension
  and cannot be solved by nation-states (e.g.
  global warming)
• it is possible that a world system predated a
  world of nation-states

12
Is globalization good or bad?

• The world needs more globalization, not less -
  Tony Blair
• What do you think he means by this?
• Theres only one thing worse than being overrun
  by big multinationals, not being overrun by big
  multinationals - Ulrich Beck
• What does this suggest about the dynamics of
  globalization?

13
Concluding comments

• Studying globalization is an intellectual
  challenge because
• it takes us beyond the conventional concerns of
  international politics and IR
• we have to think of new ways of studying the
  compression and interconnectedness of the world
  (new frameworks and concepts)
• we have to appreciate the importance of the
  growing consciousness of the world that people
  possess, and which can shape their thinking on
  politics and policy

14

• However, the fact that the world is becoming a
  single place, and we recognise it as such, does
  not mean that
• world peace will come about anytime soon
• we are heading towards a world state
• peoples of the world are more likely to agree on
  key issues
• nations and nationalism will cease to be
  important in the near future

15
Next week

• Next week we will look at political
  globalization the extent to which politics is
  instrumental in driving globalization, the ways
  in which processes of globalization impact upon
  politics, and whether global politics is
  possible.
• Dont forget to download your Course Outline and
  reading list http//www.rhul.ac.uk/politics-and-I
  R/For-Students/Reading_Lists.html
• and then do some serious reading in
  preparation!

16
Key references

• Scholte, J. A. 2005 Globalization A Critical
  Introduction 2nd Ed. (Palgrave) 330.9 SCH
• Held, D. et al 1999 Global Transformations
  Politics, Economics and Culture (Polity) 330.9
  GLO
• Lechner, F. and Boli, J. 2005 World Culture
  Origins and Consequences (Blackwell) 301.2 LEC
• Lechner, F. and Boli, J. (eds) 2004 The
  Globalization Reader 2nd Ed (Blackwell) 330.9
  GLO
• Robertson, R. 1992 Globalization Social Theory
  and Global Culture (Sage) 301.2 ROB