Demonstrates that globalization develops through its local consequences.
Helping to clarify the understanding of the phenomenon of globalization and its
contradictions, and contributing to the debate about globalization. Aimed at
students and professionals in sociology, human geography and cultural
studies.'Globalization' is a word that is currently much in use. This book is an
attempt to show that there is far more to globalization than its surface
manifestations. Unpacking the social roots and social consequences of
globalizing processes, this book disperses some of the mist that surrounds the
term. Alongside the emerging planetary dimensions of business, finance, trade
and information flow, a 'localizing', space-fixing process is set in motion.
What appears as globalization for some, means localization for many others;
signalling new freedom for some, globalizing processes appear as uninvited and
cruel fate for many others. Freedom to move, a scarce and unequally distributed
commodity, quickly becomes the main stratifying factor of our times. Neo-tribal
and fundamentalist tendencies are as legitimate offspring of globalization as
the widely acclaimed 'hybridization' of top culture - the culture at the
globalized top. A particular reason to worry is the progressive breakdown in
communication between the increasingly global and extra- territorial elites and
ever more 'localized' majority.; The bulk of the population, the 'new middle class', bears the brunt of
these problems, and suffers uncertainty, anxiety and fear as a result. This
book is a major contribution to the unfolding debate about globalization, and
as such will be of interest to students and professionals in sociology, human
geography and cultural issues.
