Online blog writing assignment 1/ What is globalization? /MENGRU LI

Summary

Globalization is defined as four main aspects: economic, political, social, and cultural. The author suggests that many sociologists overlook the social dimension within it. In fact, the dissemination and diffusion of social interaction and communication methods around the world is crucial in the process of globalization. In addition, the author emphasizes that attention to the environment is a part of contemporary human culture. Immanuel Wallerstein raised the issue of the form of globalization, where the world may become a single "system" that is now more or less actual in different ways. However, apart from the issue of imperialism, the formal problems of globalization can be directly solved.

 

An important and decisive feature of globalization is increasing connectivity (interconnectivity). This article argues that the increasing global awareness operates in a complex way, which can be said to go hand in hand with the increasing connectivity.

 

In addition, the author emphasizes the multidimensional patterns of globalization: the international-systemic aspect,  the concept of humanity, individual selves, and the nation-state.And globalization is seen as a purely macro process that cannot exclude individuals or their daily lives from the realm of global change.Among them, the author believes that nation-state should actually be seen as an aspect of globalization and mainly consider the constantly changing nature of nation-state.More and more themes and issues have been found in the composition of human beings. For example, the relationship between human and animal life has been themed in many aspects. The author mentions the possibility of discovering significant changes in oneself, especially in the process of individualization. And it is emphasized that this social dependence on individuals is a phenomenon that can easily transform into manipulation of individuals and their identities. In terms of social system, the current international system is in a confusing and chaotic state. When it comes to the international system, environmental issues are also of great importance, and there is also the existence of apocalyptic theories.

 

Globalization is actually an inevitable and increasingly self limiting process. But it also has the characteristic of self adjustment. In our era of high connectivity and global consciousness, historians and historically conscious social scientists are exploring the antecedents of globalization, coupled with depicting the various stages of globalization, resulting in a new understanding of globalization from both spatial and temporal perspectives.

 

Interesting item

 

In the case mentioned in this article, Thomas and Znaniecki’s "The Polish Peasant in Europe and America", I am very interested in exploring neglected social interactions.

As far as I know, the work "Polish Farmers in Europe and the United States" attempts to depict the changes in social attitudes and behaviors of Polish farmers during the huge transformation from rural life in Poland to urban life in Chicago, USA. This can also be seen as a cross-cultural study examining how Polish immigrants shifted from a culture that adheres to traditional values to a cultural atmosphere dominated by capitalism.

Polish farmers still maintain contact with their hometowns through letters after immigrating to the United States, and through these letters, convey their spiritual and traditional cultural connections with their domestic families or families. This social interaction is not only about emotional connections, but also reflects a form of cross-cultural communication. It shows one of the ways people maintain cross-border connections in the era of globalization, which is through remote social interaction through communication technology. The author believes that each letter is a “bowing letter”(The Polish Peasant in Europe and America, p. 25)and represents a symbol of unity. This unity is part of traditional Polish culture and helps Polish farmers quickly adapt to American society and culture during the early stages of immigration. Although this unity maintains emotional connections with domestic families, it is extremely important for them to establish a foothold and continue to develop in the United States at the beginning of immigration.

 

Discussion angle

 

In the form of globalization, I would like to propose another discussion point on the issue of nation states and globalization.From the perspective of the COVID-19 since 2019, the nation-state has not been hit by globalization, but has formed an obvious backlash against globalization. So I believe that the relationship between globalization and nation states is a "symbiotic relationship" that promotes and contradicts each other.

Through globalization, modern communication technology has helped shape the appearance and governance of nation states, but in turn, nation states have also promoted the development of information storage, transmission, and processing capabilities, thus giving globalization the impetus to accelerate its development. From this perspective, the driving force of globalization comes not only from the benefits of capital, but also from the political nature of nation states.

So, although both are inevitable outcomes triggered by the development and expansion of capitalism, due to insurmountable national sovereignty and national strength, it will be difficult for the nation state to be replaced for a considerable period of time, and they will interact and promote each other in the process of historical development.

Refer to 'Globalization and Nation State: Rethinking the Relationship'