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01- Globalizations Concepts

Globalization Concepts

Table of Contents

  • 1- Defining World System Theory

  • 2- Unraveling the Concept of Globalization

1- Defining World System Theory

Overview of WST

  • World-systems theory (WST) represents extensive scholarship focused on global economic trends and their interconnections with regions and countries.

Key Arguments of WST

  • Development conditions and future potential of countries are primarily shaped by global economic processes and interrelationships.

  • Each country is part of a hierarchically structured world system with an integrated international labor division.

  • Global commodity chains link countries through the movement of raw materials, industrial parts, and consumer goods.

2- Unraveling the Concept of Globalization

Core of Globalization

  • Capitalism is the leading socioeconomic system, historically evolved as an international framework.

  • The process entails drastic transformations in production, consumption, technology, politics, and sociocultural practices, along with environmental changes.

Types of Discourses on Globalization (Held et al., 1999)

  1. Hyperglobalist

  2. Skeptic

  3. Transformationalist

2-1 The Hyperglobalist Thesis

  • Proposes globalization as a transformative epoch, questioning the viability of traditional nation-states in a global economy.

2-2 The Skeptic Thesis

  • Skeptics argue that many characteristics and manifestations of global capitalism have remained unchanged over decades, or even centuries.

2-3 The Transformationalist Thesis

  • Views globalization as a powerful force reshaping societies, economies, governance, and global order.

Commonalities Among the Theses

  • All theories acknowledge that capitalism has entered a distinctly 'globalizing' phase, with ongoing debate about its nature and outcomes.

  • Geographic analysis shows that most perspectives (except neoliberal) do not anticipate global convergence or a reduction in inequalities.

  • Growing inequalities stem from the transnational dimensions of production, exchange, and finance.

  • The transformationalist view suggests that some regions benefit from global connections, while others face marginalization.

Understanding Globalization as a Dynamic Process

  • Globalization is complex and multifaceted, encapsulating interrelated dynamics across four distinct areas:

    1. Social & Cultural Globalization

      • Refers to global interconnectedness of people, including movements of refugees, migrants, tourists, etc.

      • Examples: African refugees crossing to Europe, Central Americans migrating to the USA.

    2. Digital Globalization

      • Involves global mobility of ideas, data, and information, heightened by technological revolutions.

    3. Economic Globalization

      • Encompasses the global movement of goods and services, such as shipping containers and global commodity chains.

    4. Institutional Globalization

      • Characterized by interconnectedness of political entities and social institutions, exemplified by TNCs, NGOs, and international organizations like the UN and EU.

References

  • Dicken, P. (2015). Global Shift (7th ed.). London: Guilford Press.

  • Steger, M. (2023). Globalization (6th ed.). Oxford.