Notes on Jan Aart Scholte - Globalization, Second Edition
Notes on select portions of Globalization
- Chapter 1: Globalisation Debates
- Chapter 2: Defining Globalisation
- Chapter 3: Globalization in History
- Chapter 4: Explaining Globalization
Chapter 1: Globalisation Debates
Summary
- “Global-ness” is everywhere now
- Globalisation is contested heavily, definition wise
Starting off
Common definitions
- There are a few common definitions of globalisation:
- Globalisation as Internationalisation: ‘global’ is just a synonym for cross-border relations between countries.
- Globalisation as Liberalisation: ‘global’ as the process of removing state-imposed restrictions for opening up a ‘borderless’ world economy.
- Globalisation as Universalisation: It means that experiences are universal worldwide.
- Globalisation as Westernisation: More often ‘Americanization’ – “imperialism of the west”. Think Universalisation, but the universal experience is American capitalism.
- Globalisation as Respatialisation: Entirely new concept – process(es) that help(s) transform our entire understanding of ‘social relations and transactions’ [pp. 16]
Common arguments
- Is it even real?
- Some critics dismiss it entirely as re-terminology of older concepts
- Some proponents over-inflate its influence and claim parallels to the introduction of the Printing Press
- Some are more measures
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Is it old or new?
Depending on the framework of definition, people are split over whether globalisation is novel or just a cyclic phenomena from centuries past. This also determines opinions on what people think about the future of globalisation.
- What drives globalisation?
- Idealist vs Materialist
- Individualist vs Structuralist
- Relationship between the analyst and the analyzed.
Continuity vs Change
Is globalisation changing our social fabric completely, or is it a continuation of what already was? We find out.
- How it affects Production:
- All-change: Globalisation has fundamentally reshaped visions and organisations. This is “post industrial civilisation” [pp. 23]. “Post capitalism”.
- No-change: Globalisation has the same central components of production. Marxists especially highlight how capitalism persists.
- Change-within-continuity: There has been some restructuring in surplus accumulation, but capitalism persists.
- Impact on Governance:
- Decline of the nation-state: Several commentators have said this [pp. 24]. TODO read at least some of these.
- States remain the prime regulatory force
- The State remains, but character shifts
- Changing Identity: Is globalisation making people more similar or more different?
- Cultural synchronization: Everything is homogenized. Americana and the English Language.
- Endured/increased cultural diversity: Glocalization, adapted global for local contexts. English is different everywhere.
- How does this impact Knowledge?: More specifically, structures of knowledge
- TODO
- ??
Liberation or Shackles?
Is globalisation good or bad? Progress or degradation? Pogtopia or hell?
- Security
- Equality
- Democracy
What are the responses?
- Neoliberalism
- Rejectionism
- Reformism
- Transformism
Chapter 2: Defining Globalisation
- Old definitions are invalid
- New social understanding
Self notes:
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Supraterritorial is about the social connection, and people are global in that sense,
Crit: but a lot of people have not left their village/town/city/state/country and don’t interact on the internet enough for personal social connections. Most people have access to other media, but it’s still an “other”. Cheering for the Olympics, yes, but cheering for your own country.
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Possible approach: Globalization is a geographical trend (p. 83), but needs political motivation to push it through. And it is most often locally applied. Assuming nations remain strong, they are more likely to push their vision of it than the one defined.
Chapter 3: Globalization in History
- Yes, lots of instances pre-1950s, but small scale instances.