Class 12: Globalization and

Governance & Intro to Theories

Sociology 2
Copyright © 2008 by Evan Schofer
Do not copy or distribute without
permission
 Announcements
• Intro to “theories of globalization”
• Readings for next week
• Topic: Globalization and Governance
• Looking at the politics of globalization; and global politics!
 Upcoming Readings
• Readings for next week address theories of
globalization
• Note: readings are dense/hard. They are written by
academics and for academics. I’ll help you get through them
• Issue: What is a “theory”?
• Type #1: A specific claim or argument that leads to
empirical predictions
• Example: Economic law of “supply and demand”
– A theory… (“laws” are just theories that work well)
• Claim: prices reflect equilibrium of supply and demand
• We can “test” this theory with experiments…
 Theories
• Type #2: A theory is a set of general imageries
about how the world works
• “Big ideas” that guide researchers and help to generate
specific (Type 1) theories
• Example: Marxist theory: not just a single prediction
• Marxism combines:
• 1. Observations about the nature of capitalism
– e.g., base/superstructure; exploitation of labor
• 2. Identification of important dynamics
– e.g., dialectics, shift from feudalism to capitalism, etc.
 Theories
• Marxism combined:
• 3. Development of new concepts
– e.g., Alienation, false consciousness
• 4. Complex predictions about the future
– e.g., capitalist revolution, socialism
• 5. Normative evaluations
– This broader kind of “theory” is useful because it
generates a rich description of the world
• And produces many specific claims to be tested
• But, it isn’t easy to prove “right” or “wrong”.
 Theories of Globalization
• Some major views on the international system:
• 1. Modernization theory
• 2. World Systems Theory
• And “dependency theory”, a common variant
• 3. “World Polity Theory”
• Also called “neo-institutional theory”
• 4. Realism
• 5. Various responses to Realism
• “Complex Interdependence”, others…
Background: Modernization Theory
• Modernization theory
• An evolutionary theory predicting how societies develop
• See Chirot and Hall article on WST…
– Argument: All societies naturally pass through certain
stages of development
• All societies start out as “traditional” hunter-gatherers
• Then, they develop agriculture; towns & cities grow
• Eventually, they become “modern” industrial societies
– Movement from one stage to the next is driven by
things like population growth & new technologies
• Society becomes more complex; greater division of labor.
 Responses to Modernization Theory
• Chirot, Daniel and Thomas D. Hall. 1982.
“World-System Theory.”
• Frank, Andre G. 1969. “The Development of
Underdevelopment.”
• World-system theory: Seeks to explain why
many countries have failed to modernize
• (Oversimplified) argument: Wealthy countries in the global
economy are exploiting poor ones
• Poor countries are trapped in a state of “underdevelopment”
• Readings: Chirot, Frank
 Responses to Modernization Theory
• Meyer, J., J. Boli, G. Thomas, and F. Ramirez.
1997. “World Society and the Nation-State.”
• Jepperson, R. 2002. “The Development and
Application of Sociological Neoinstitutionalism.”
• World Polity Theory: Seeks to explain why poor
countries look surprisingly similar to rich ones
• Similar governments, education systems, etc.
• (oversimplified) Argument: Part of globalization is the rise of
a global culture
• Global culture shapes the actions of people & governments…
leading to surprising amounts of global conformity.
 Globalization and Governance
• Definitions:
• Governance: Ruling, governing, or managing
• Sovereignty: Supreme power over a body politic;
freedom from external control (Webster)
• Related term: autonomy
 Globalization and Governance
• Issue #1. Economic globalization poses new
challenges for national governance:
• Due to globalization, it may be harder for states to control
markets, multi-national corporations, etc.
• And, states may be constrained in policy choices
– Ex: The golden straightjacket
• Issues to reflect on: Is state sovereignty in decline? Is the
state becoming irrelevant?
 Globalization and Governance
• 2. Economic globalization may shift the balance
of power within countries
• Issue: Will free markets result in the dominance of
conservative parties?
• Or, will globalization eventually spur a strong response
from the left?
– Related issue: Who supports globalization and who
opposes it?
• Will globalization generate strong counter-movements?
 Globalization and Governance
• 3. In addition to economic globalization, there
has also been globalization of governance
• International treaties and organizations (e.g. the WTO)
increasingly govern what goes on in the world
• Issue to reflect on: Is this good or bad?
• Some argue that globalized governance is the only way to
control a global economy
• Others fear the concentration of power in global
institutions, and the demise of the nation-state.
• Issue to reflect on: Who should be involved in
global governance?
• Citizens? Government leaders? MNCs? Protest groups?
 Globalization and Governance
• 4. In addition to globalization of economy and
governance, there is also globalization of citizen
organizations, protest, and social movements
• This is often referred to as global civil society
• Questions:
• Does global civil society wield much power?
• Can it counteract the power of global capital?
Key Players in Global Governance
 Video: Commanding Heights
• Issue: Who “writes the rules” of global
governance?
• Episode 3, Chapters 15-end