Globalisation and the study

of society

Week 5

Wednesday

Lecture

Critical thinking: write down your answer to this question

• What is globalization?

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Aims• The context of modern societies

• Three Schools of Thought on the Globalization Debate

• factors contributing to globalization:

– Economic

– Social

– Political

– Environmental

• One culture?

• Self-study

Pre-modern Societies • Hunting and gathering societies

– 50,000 BC, almost disappeared– Small numbers; fishing, hunting, edible

plants– Some still exist in parts of Africa ; Brazilian

jungles and New Guinea– Modern institutions are far from ‘natural’

features of all human life.– No real inequalities of wealth and power

• Pastoral and Agrarian Societies– 20,000 yrs ago– Pastoral societies rely on livestock; agrarian

grow crops.– Many still exist in areas of Africa, the

Middle East and Central Asia – Cultivation supported larger communities.– Small and rural, some inequality, rule by

chiefs

Pre-modern Societies

• Non-industrial or Traditional societies

• 6,000 BC to 19th century, all now disappeared

• Settlements in millions, cities, trade and agriculture, kings

• Pronounced inequalities of wealth and power• Aztecs of Mexico

• Mayas of Yacatan Peninsula

• Incas of Peru

• Also empires• Chinese empire

• Roman empire

• Shows that long-term process of globalization has involved invasion, wars and violent conquest

• as much as cooperation and mutual exchange 5

Modern Societies

Industrial societies now dominate:

• Employment: factories, shops and offices (not agriculture)

• 90% live in towns and cities

• Urban life impersonal and anonymous

• developed and intensive political systems

• transport and communications lead to more integrated nation-state

24 hours of humanity:

• 23.56:00 – agriculture

• 23.57:00 – civilizations

• 23.59:30 – modern societies

How can we define globalisation?

• A process where;

– individuals

– groups

– nations

• become interdependent:

– economically

– politically

– socially

Social ChangesThree main influences:

• Cultural factors– Religious beliefs (Max Weber) (What do you remember?)

– Communication systems (invention of writing)

– Charismatic leadership (e.g. Gandhi)

• Physical environment– Climatic conditions and availability of plants and animals

(eg., Australia has hardly any plants suitable for cultivation, or animals that could be domesticated, so native population never stopped being hunters and gatherers).

• Political organization– Democratic ideology or military power

Three Schools on the Globalization Debate

• Theorists who write about globalization can be broadly grouped into three categories:– Sceptics

– Hyperglobalizers

– Transformationalists

• The extent to which it is valid to explain social, political and economic changes as ‘globalization’ is contested.

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Three Schools on the Globalization Debate:

Hyperglobalizers Sceptics Transformationalists

Global capitalism

Global governance

Global civil society

World less inter-

dependent than in

1890s

‘Thick’ (intensive and

extensive)

globalization

National governments

declining in power

National governments

power reinforced or

enhanced

National governments

reconstituted and

restructured

Driven by capitalism

and technology

Driven by

governments and

markets

Driven by combined

forces of modernity

Erosion of old

stratification

hierarchies

Increased

marginalization of

South

New architecture of a

world order

Political, cultural and economic forces of modernity: ways to engage with the Theoretical

Schools on Globalisation

• Global environmental issues

• Global cities and governance

• Life expectancy - ageing

• Families

• Globalisation and disability/ HIV- AIDS

• Inequalities

• Migration

• Religious Belief

• Mass Media

• International Organisations/ Global Networks

• Education – E-universities

• Organised crime/cybercrime

• Spread of Democracy

• Terrorism

Globalization

Factors contributing to globalization:

• Information and CommunicationsTechnology (ICT)

– Cable technology, satellites, information flows

• Economic Factors

– Weightless economy, transnational corporations, global commodity chains (Barbie), electronic economy

• Political Factors

– Collapse of Soviet Union, growth of international government and non-government organizations

Factors contributing to globalisation 1: Information and communications

technology

• For example; telephones, digital, cable and satellite TV, email, Internet

• Technology is cheaper than ever before

• Technology is more widely available than ever before

• But, access to this technology is uneven

World Internet Usage Statistics

The impacts of modern technology: the shift to a ‘global outlook’

1. Global Civil Society

For example, 24 hour news

media bring far-off events

into our homes:

• Environmental disasters

• War in Iraq

• China Earthquakes (2010)

The impacts of modern technology: the shift to a ‘global outlook’

2. Nationalism declines in importance in constructing sense of identity

– Cornwall (UK) to call themselves ‘Cornish’ or even ‘European’, rather than ‘British’

– Basque rather than Spanish

Cornwall’s flag: The cross of Saint Piran

Economic Factors

• Globalisation being driven forward by the continuing integration of the world economy.

• In contrast to previous eras, the global economy is no longer primarily agricultural or industrial in its basis;

– Knowledge/weightless economy

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Economic factors

• Fast and easy capital transfers

• A post-industrial economy based on new technologies

• National boundaries much less relevant to trade

• Growth of ‘trans-national corporations’ (TNCs): Coca-Cola, Mitsubishi

• Can you think of any more example?

• ‘Weightless economy’ one in which products have their base in information:– Computer software

– Media and entertainment products

– Internet-based services

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Transnational corporations

• ExxonMobil, for

example, reported its

revenue up 32% to

$100.7 billion:

– greater than the annual

GDP of all but just 38 of

the world's economies.

(USA Today, ‘Big Oil Tanks Up, 2005)

The ‘electronic economy’

• Banks, corporations, fund managers can move money internationally

• Increasing integration means financial collapse has disproportionate effects on other countries

– USA sub-prime mortgage crisis / UK credit crunch

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Political factors

• End of Cold war/ collapse of Soviet-style communism

• Growth of regional and international forms of government (UN, EU)

• Growth of international governmental organisations(IGOs) e.g. International Civil Aviation Organisation(from civil aviation to broadcasting to the disposal of hazardous waste)

• Growth in international non-governmental organisations (INGOs): e.g. Greenpeace

Social factors

• The rise of individualism• People are bound by

tradition less and less• Redefinitions of social

class, family, gender roles, sexuality, personal identity, relations to work, and to other people

• Can you see these ideas resulting from globalization?

Three Schools of Thought in the Globalization Debate

• The extent to which it is valid to explain social, political and economic changes as ‘globalization’ is contested by these three schools.

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Economic Globalization: ‘Barbie’

• ‘Global Barbie’ is clearly an example

of economic globalization. ( A global commodity chain: ‘the worldwide networks of labour and production processes yielding a finished product.’)

• Barbie is also a symbol of cultural globalization; her popularity is constructed and maintained?

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Critical thinking

• Is there the possibility of moving towards a global culture?

A Global Culture?

Five forces we have already mentioned:

– Television brings British and American culture

to world audience

– Unified global economy with structures

spanning continents and countries

– Global citizens who identify with cosmopolitan

culture rather than own nation

– International organizations

– Electronic and instantaneous communications

Americanisation?

• Some discourses describe as globalisation as ‘Americanisation’

• Reflects discourses of anti-American sentiment– Right-wing religious groups

may repeat such discourse

– Call to arms

– Expression of frustration at global capitalism’s failures (Fair Trade?)

Assessing the evidence for ‘Americanisation’: economics

• The world’s biggest economy

• US economy has a disproportionate impact on all other economies

• Many TNCs (trans-national corporations) are US-based (e.g. Ford, Walmart [ASDA])

• Profits are repatriated – what does this mean?

Assessing the evidence for ‘Americanisation’: politics

• Export of American political ideas through discourse (democracy, liberty)

• Deployment of US military power across the world (e.g. Iraq)

A nice piece of propaganda!

• Different cultures are adopting American habits and customs (e.g. fast food) More examples?

• Different cultures are adopting American cultural products (e.g. music, movies, fashion)

Assessing the evidence through TNCs

• By the 21st century, few economies in the world stood beyond the reach of transnational corporations . . .

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McDonaldization – George Ritzer

• Modernised rationality principle (Weber)

“The process by which the principles of the fast food organisation come to dominate the rest of society”

1. Efficiency

2. Predictability

3. Calculability

4. Non- human rather than human technology

McDonaldization

1. Efficiency – the optimal method of performing a task (fastest way to get from point a – b)

2. Predictability – standardizing uniform services –same product every time – highly routine – every burger is the same

3. Calculability – objective is quantifiable not subjective, quality = quantity, getting a large amount of products for a small amount of money

4. Non- human rather than human technology –people are irrational – pre-packaged, pre-measured – human employees are not required to think

Evaluation

• What evidence is there for the three schools of thought on globalisation?

• How convinced are you by Ritzer’s updated version of the rationality principle, McDonaldization?

• Do you think globalising forces will lead to one culture, economically, politically, and socially?

Self-study

• Essential reading:– Cornell notes; before lecture

– Homework reading; before seminar • Remember that seminars are the next week following

the lecture

• Homework Forums:– Add to the discussion

• Practical application of theories and revision

• Revise for formative test in lectures:– FHL Test paper 1 Wednesday 6th November

– FB1 Test paper 2 Friday 8th November