What is The Contemporary World about?

Globalization and its impact on individuals, societies and

communities, challenges and responses.
The course aims to introduce the state of the world today and the
new global order.
To examine the phenomenon of globalization from a variety of
perspectives and its effects on:
 traditional cultures and communities
 Nations and political institutions
 Local, national and regional economies.
Why Globalization Became a Popular
Idea?
• Global communications
• Cultural homogenization and spread of
capitalism
• Consciousness of global problems
• Decline of the idea of nation-state
• Economic interdependency
(Martell 2017)
Global communications

Global or international
communication is the
development and sharing of
information, through verbal and
non-verbal messages, in
international settings ...
https://www.mastersincommunications.com/
Cultural homogenization and spread of capitalism
The process of cultural
homogenization in the context
of the domination of the
Western (American), capitalist
culture is also known as
McDonaldization, coca-
colonization, Americanization
or Westernization and
criticized as a form of cultural
imperialism and neo-
colonialism. ... https://en.wikipedia.org/
Consciousness of global problems
Mother earth is considered as one of the most beautiful planets in the Universe.

Earth is the only planet in our galaxy that has enough water and environment to support
plant, animal and human life. Unfortunately global human society is suffering due to various
problems, which should be solved before it is too late. Most of the problems are created and
generated by the human, especially so-called civil society. Nature needs care and love and
people must take care of our beautiful planet if human want to survive on the earth.
Unfortunately directionless and purposeless technological and scientific developments
damage nature and create the ecological and environmental imbalances.
Climate of the world is changing very fast, catastrophes are taking place almost every day,
unknown hazardous diseases are appearing every now and then.
These are the consequences of irrational use of planet’s resources. The only hope is that
every person is capable of influencing the world in some way and that this influence would be
positive. After all if we don’t look after our planet we will die and humanity will disappear
from the earth.
Dr. Surendra Pathak
Director Research, Dean Social Sciences and Professor, CVMS, IASE
Deemed University, Rajasthan, India.
20 MALE CELEBRITIES SPEAKING OUT ABOUT DEPRESSION
 Decline of the idea of nation-state

After decades of globalisation, our political system has become obsolete – and spasms of resurgent
nationalism are a sign of its irreversible decline. By Rana Dasgupta

What is happening to national politics?

Every day in the US, events further exceed the imaginations of absurdist novelists and comedians; (Absurdist fiction
takes form most commonly in a novel, play, poem, or film, that focuses on the experiences of characters in situations
where they cannot find any inherent purpose in life, most often represented by ultimately meaningless actions and
events that call into question the certainty of existential concepts such as truth or value.)

Politics in the UK still shows few signs of recovery after the “national nervous breakdown” of Brexit.

France “narrowly escaped a heart attack” in last year’s elections, but the country’s leading daily feels this has done
little to alter the “accelerated decomposition” of the political system.

In neighbouring Spain, El País goes so far as to say that “the rule of law, the democratic system and even the market
economy are in doubt”; in Italy, “the collapse of the establishment” in the March elections has even brought talk of
a “barbarian arrival”, as if Rome were falling once again.

In Germany, meanwhile, neo-fascists are preparing to take up their role as official opposition, introducing anxious
volatility into the bastion of European stability. (Neo-fascism is a post-World War II ideology that includes significant
elements of fascism. Neo-fascism usually includes racial supremacy, populism, authoritarianism, nativism, and anti-
But the convulsions in national politics are not confined to the west.
Exhaustion, hopelessness, the dwindling effectiveness of old ways: these are the themes of politics
all across the world.

This is why energetic authoritarian “solutions” are currently so popular: distraction by war (Russia,
Turkey); the magnification of presidential powers and the corresponding abandonment of civil
rights and the rule of law (China, Rwanda, Venezuela, Thailand, the Philippines and many more).

In each country, the tendency is to blame “our” history, “our” populists, “our” media, “our”
institutions, “our” lousy politicians.

And this is understandable, since the organs of modern political consciousness – public education
and mass media – emerged in the 19th century from a globe-conquering ideology of unique
national destinies.
 Economic interdependency
Economic interdependence is a consequence of specialization or
the division of labour.

The participants in any economic system must belong to a

trading network to obtain the products they cannot produce
efficiently for themselves

For example, the United States today depends on China to

provide it with many goods or
the auto industry relies on the steel industry and the computer
industry to make many of the components found in its cars.
An example would be the creation of the auto industry in America. As it developed it
became reliant upon Southeast Asian nations to provide rubber to make tires for cars
since rubber was not produced in America..
 Concepts of Globalization

Internationalization?

Globalization = Liberalization?

Universalization?

Westernization?
 Internationalization

• “Internationalization involves
the growth of transactions and
interdependencies between
countries” (Martell, as cited in
Mazo, 2018).
Source: http://www.thedronevalley.com/services/internationalization/
Apple, a company that produces consumer
electronics such as computers, tablets, mobile
phones, etc.

Apple sells its products around the world, but the

headquarters and all product development are located
within the U.S.

The corporate headquarter controls the operation.

Economies of scale enjoy top priority, the brands are highly
standardized. However, adaptation to specific local market needs is
limited, which may result in problems with local acceptance.

Example: Apple applies this strategy to its iPhones and iPads.

Design, production and marketing are controlled by one single
unit worldwide.

Market-specific adjustments are usually limited to details such

as the power cable, which must satisfy different voltages
varying from county to country.
 Liberalization
• Liberalization “refers to the
removal of constraints on
movements of resources
between countries—an open,
borderless world” (Martell, as
cited in Mazo, 2018). Source: http://www.publishyourarticles.net/knowledge-hub/business-
studies/what-are-the-impact-of-globalization-and-liberalization-on-business-and-
industry/943/

Liberalization is a broad term that usually refers to fewer government regulations and
restrictions, mainly on economic activities. Liberalization is a change in the economic
philosophy of a state.
 Universalization

• Universalization “involves the

dispersion of objects and
experiences to all parts of the
earth…” It sometimes refers to
standardization and
homogenization (Martell, as
cited in Mazo, 2018).
Source: https://rundle10.wikispaces.com/Universalization

Cite: K. Sathish Kamar
M. Ed
Alagappa University , India
Example:
Appeals Court
Backs Harvard on Affirmative
Action: cite Inside Higher ED
Edward Blum, president of Students
for Fair Admissions, which sued
Harvard on behalf of Asian American
applicants, said, “While we are
disappointed with the opinion of the
First Circuit Court of Appeals, our hope
is not lost.
This lawsuit is now on track to go up
to the U.S. Supreme Court, where we
will ask the justices to end these unfair
and unconstitutional race-based
admissions policies at Harvard and all
colleges and universities.”
(cite Inside Higher ED)
 Westernization
• Westernization “is a particular
type of universalization, of
Western structures such as
capitalism, industrialism,
rationalism, urbanism,
individualism, and democracy, or
put more critically, colonization”
(Martell, as cited in Mazo, 2018).

Source: https://doubleburdenofdisease.wordpress.com/westernization-blessing-or-
curse/
Globality, Globalization, and Globalism

• As a concept, globalization should not be confused with

globality and globalism (Mazo 2018).
 Globality
• “Globality…signif[ies] a future social condition
characterized by the existence of global economic,
political, cultural, and environmental
interconnections and flows that make many of the
currently existing borders and boundaries
irrelevant.” (Steger, as cited in Mazo, 2018).
• Globality is not static. It is not a determinate
endpoint. It may give rise a new development
(planetarity?).

Source: https://www.globality.com/en-us/
Globalism
• Globalism is a political belief system—an ideology that justifies
cultural, social, economic, and political globalization.
• As an ideology, globalism has six (6) core claims. (Steger as cited in
Mazo, 2018)
Globalism: Claim # 1
• “Globalization is about the liberalization and global integration of
markets.” (Steger, as cited in Mazo, 2018)
• “The driving idea behind globalization is free-market capitalism—the
more you let market forces rule and the more you open your
economy to free trade and competition, the more efficient you
economy will be.” (Thomas Friedman in Steger, , as cited in Mazo,
2018)
Globalism: Claim # 2
• “Globalization is inevitable and irreversible.” (Steger, as cited in
Mazo, 2018)
• “Globalization is inevitable and inexorable and it is accelerating . .
Globalization is happening, it’s going to happen. It does not matter
whether you like it or not, it’s happening, it’s going to happen”.
(Frederick W. Smith in Steger, as cited in Mazo, 2018)
• If globalization is inevitable, we have to embrace it. It’s not a matter
of embracing or not embracing it; it’s a matter of embracing it now
or later.
Globalism: Claim # 3

• “Nobody is in charge of globalization” (Steger, as cited in Mazo,

2018)
• ‘self-regulating market’
• “The great beauty of globalization is that no one is in control. The
great beauty of globalization is that it is not controlled by an
individual, any government, any institution’. (Robert Hormats in
Steger, as cited in Mazo, 2018)
• That no one is in charge of globalization means that no one
particular group of country has special interest on it.
Globalism: Claim # 4
• “Globalization benefits everyone” (Steger, as cited in Mazo, 2018)
• “Free trade and free markets have proven their ability to lift whole societies out
of poverty—so the United States will work with individual nations, entire regions,
and the entire global trading community to build a world that trades in freedom
and therefore grows in prosperity.” (President Bush in Steger, as cited in Mazo,
2018)
• Since globalization benefits everyone, all countries should embrace it.
Globalism: Claim # 5
• “Globalization furthers the spread of democracy in the world (Steger, as
cited in Mazo, 2018)
• “Indeed, a careful discourse analysis of relevant texts reveals that
globalists tend to treat freedom, free markets, free trade and democracy
as synonymous terms.” (Steger, as cited in Mazo, 2018)
• For Francis Fukuyama, ‘the level of economic development resulting from
globalization is conducive to the creation of complex civil societies with a
powerful middle class. It is this class and societal structure that facilitates
democracy.’ (in Steger, as cited in Mazo, 2018)
Globalism: Claim # 6
• “Globalization requires a global war on terror.” (Steger, as cited in
Mazo, 2018)
Globalization
• “[T]he term globalization should be used to refer to a set of social
processes that are thought to transform our present social condition
into one of globality.” (Steger, as cited in Mazo, 2018)
• Globalization is the social process that gives rise to the social
condition of globality.
Globalization for Steger (2003)
• Globalization refers to a multidimensional set of social
processes that create, multiply, stretch, and intensify
worldwide social interdependencies and exchanges while at
the same time fostering in people a growing awareness of
deepening connections between the local and the distant.
 Globalization: A Very Short Introduction
Fifth Edition

Manfred B. Steger

Manfred B. Steger is Professor of Sociology at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and Global Professorial
Fellow at Western Sydney University.

He also served as a globalization consultant for the U.S. Department of State. (an executive
department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the nation's foreign policy and
international relations)

He is the author or editor of twenty-seven books on globalization and social theory, including The Rise
of the Global Imaginary (Oxford University Press, 2008);

the award-winning Globalisms: Facing the Populist Challenge, 4th ed. (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020);

and Globalization Matters: Engaging the Global in Unsettled Times (with Paul James, Cambridge
University Press, 2019).
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford.
It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship,
and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark
of
Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries
© Manfred B. Steger 2013
The moral rights of the author have been asserted
First Edition published in 2003
Second Edition published in 2009
This Edition published 2013