Online blog writing assignment 1 / What is globalization? / Cho Minseok (조민석)
Summarize
Globalization is a multifaceted phenomenon, shaped by various historical and contemporary events. It intertwines increasing global connectivity with a rising global consciousness. While its economic and political aspects are often emphasized, cultural nuances are equally pivotal. An understanding of its four intertwined dimensions - economic, cultural, social, and political - offers a comprehensive view.
Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" sheds light on the intricate nature of global conflicts, pointing to differences in civilizations and worldviews. Meanwhile, Wallerstein's perspective on world systems underscores the form globalization has taken, highlighting the roles of nation-states, global politics, individuals, and humanity at large.
The notion of "glocalization" captures the symbiotic relationship between global and local influences. While glocalization posits that globalization will be inherently self-limiting due to the necessity of local adaptations, theories like Ritzer's "grobalization" suggest an unceasing trend towards globalization. This dichotomy between local adaptations and global impositions sits at the heart of globalization debates.
A historical perspective of globalization connects the present with our understanding of the past. As we continually redefine historical narratives, a tension arises between global processes and local identities. Determining the phases of globalization remains an intricate endeavor, interweaving the spatial and temporal aspects of our global journey.
In essence, globalization is more a conceptual framework than a concrete entity. Its understanding requires a balanced approach, steering clear of over-relying on cultural relativism and undisciplined critiques. While the phenomenon has its critics and proponents, a balanced and rigorous analysis ensures a nuanced and informed discourse, preventing the term "globalization" from being used as a catch-all for all global issues.
Observations
From the form of globalization, the text provides a comprehensive exploration of Immanuel Wallerstein's perspective on the modern world-system, notably highlighting the pivotal role of capitalism in determining the current form of globalization. It offers a nuanced, multifaceted approach to globalization, which contrasts the common perception of it being a mere economic phenomenon. Significantly, the material repositions the nation-state within the globalization discourse. Instead of portraying it as a diminishing entity due to global forces, it's posited as crucial to the foundational structure of globalization itself.
Moreover, the content captures the complex interplay between individual identity and global forces. There's an interesting tug-of-war depicted between the increasing state-led manipulation of personal identities and the growing empowerment of individuals to define and shape their own identities, especially in the digital realm. The ongoing global debate juxtaposing creationism against Darwinian evolutionary theory is also touched upon, representing a fascinating intersection of science, religion, and cultural beliefs.
A particularly striking deviation from standard narratives is the framing of the nation-state as indispensable to globalization. Contrary to the prevalent discourse that underscores the declining influence of nation-states in the face of globalizing forces, this text underscores their central role and evolving nature in the global landscape. Additionally, the emphasis on the individual's role in the global story, especially concerning self-presentation and digital identity, presents a unique lens that is often overlooked in conventional debates and discussions.
Questions and Concerns
Problematic Areas:
The piece briefly touches on Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" without delving into its criticisms and potential biases. Huntington's thesis has faced critique for its over-simplification of cultural differences and potential promotion of cultural divisions.
The text mentions cultural relativism and undisciplined critiques but does not explain them. Readers unfamiliar with these concepts might find them problematic due to the lack of context.
Discussion Angle:
How does the current era of digital technology and the rise of social media platforms influence the concepts of glocalization and grobalization? Are we seeing a convergence or a divergence of global and local cultures due to these technological advancements?
Hello Cho Minseok.
ReplyDeleteI see that you seem to be very interested in Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations," so I would like to add my opinion on this book.
Before the disintegration of the Soviet Union, almost all theoretical theories and even ways of thinking in the field of international politics in the last century were based on the Cold War pattern. However, after the collapse of the confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union, Huntington proposed that the root cause of international conflicts and conflicts was not ideological opposition, but civilization.
According to my understanding, the civilization mentioned by Huntington is the highest cultural belonging of humanity, used to divide different groups of people. Huntington believes that the future world will not have a unified universal civilization, but will have 7-8 different civilizations coexisting. It is difficult to change one's self-awareness on the issue of civilization, which leads to deep-seated and unavoidable conflicts among civilizations.
In the process of globalization, there is increasing communication and interaction among different civilizations, and the commonality of various civilizations in their pursuit of values, lifestyles, and production methods is also becoming stronger. This seems to represent that different civilizations should be easier to coexist harmoniously. In Huntington's view, it is precisely globalization that exacerbates the conflict between civilizations. Just like putting a group of people with completely different perspectives together, allowing them to have close contact and interaction, the emergence of contradictions and disputes will also be inevitable.
So Huntington believes that after the end of the Cold War, the global political landscape will be restructured within the boundaries of culture and civilization. Small countries in each civilization sector, either for the sake of identity or self-protection, will closely unite with the core countries in the civilization, forming a concentric circle pattern with the civilization sector as the boundary. Conflicts and confrontations between countries will also persist.