Are We Now Living in One World? Essay

The concept of the orb becoming as unmatched, is a concept which has been widely been contested by umpteen a(prenominal) writers on subjects much(prenominal) as new-fashionedisation, gentlemans gentleman-wideisation, and equality to name a few. It is preferably clear from out e preciseday lives in how some aspects of our lives ar decidedly bringd by new(prenominal) cultures, such(prenominal) as the availability of Indian takeoutsides on every high street. Robertson (1992) suggests that the instauration began to be ca use more integrated with the European voyages of disc all overy and colonisation in the 15th ampere-second.1 Turner (1994) has shown how there has been a orbicular economy since the seventeenth Century.2 Yet other theorists ask that it is a much more new development. In this essay I delimit to look at some of these theories and in particular look at theories of modernization, and planetaryization. Modernisation replaced the older traditional hol ds of societies ground on agriculture. Parsons (1966) has referred to the evolution of societies as a process of modernisation.This presumes all societies to be eventually picture gallery towards the modern stage. This foot be applied to the theory of world(prenominal)ization in that he is saying that all societies allow become similar and modern.3 Rostow (1971) used a similar model to explain human society, in his eyes it was both evolutionary and possessed an inner logic which leads societies to modernisation.4 In the opinion of Giddens (1990), globalisation originated from modernisation. It is a continuation of the trends from modernisation processes in 18th Century Europe. Modernisation is based on processes of disembedding. It dis-embeds feudal case-by-cases from touch on identities in space and cartridge holder. This is k outrightn as the time-space distanciation, which I shall examine in further detail shortly. It is used to explain the historic exit from traditional to modern societies and the part con disco biscuitd by globalisation in hotfoot up the modernisation process. 5 Giddens (1991) suggests that the modernisation process entails four major(ip) sets of institutional complexes of modernity. These argon administrative role, military power, capitalism and industrialism.6 Administrative power refers to the growth and development of the secular race utter based on rational and bureaucratic forms of administration of its population and righteousness and order. Capitalism and industrialism represent new forms of production based and centred on pulverisation and industrial production. Militarism is based upon technology and professional armies in modern societies.7 In France, the word for globalisation is mondialisation. In Spain and Latin America, it is globalizacion. The Germans say globaliserung. This shows how far the call has spread and how widely used it is. It is said by many writers such as Giddens (1999) and Beck (2001) that w e argon now living in a creationwide society which is forming around us. It is emerging in an anarchic haphazard, fashion carried on by a mixture of sparing, technological and cultural imperatives.8 Robertson (1996) defines globalisation as a concept, Which refers to both the compression of the world and the intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole9 Giddens (1991) takes the view that globalisation is an equalising process as it gives previously disempowered groups and nations the potential to trueise their goals.He has spoken of globalisation generating invalidate colonialism which manner that non- western countries influence developments in the west. Examples of this atomic number 18 the Latinising of Los Angeles, the emergence of a globally orientated high tech sector in India and the merchandising of Brazilian TV programmes to Portugal.10 For Giddens (1994) globalisation is a social process which results in, big and larger numbers of people living in c ircumstances in which disembedded institutions, linking local practises with globalised social messinessings, organise major aspects of day to day keep.11 However, he sees it as a contradictory and uneven process. He claims that it pulls away from local communities and uses the prototype of the weakening of the capacities and power from nation state of matters in the hands of supra matter political organisations.It is also said to push down(a) as it may present local communities with new possibilities and demands, such as the increase of caseist movements, for example, in Scotland.12 orbiculateisation is said to emanate from the sixties as this is when aspects of the modernisation process received added impulsion as a result of globalisation. In late modernity there is a world capitalist system which is dominated by Trans-National Corporations (TNCs) which operate independently of nation states. TNCs can be the dominant economic actor curiously in developing countries.1 3 In industrialism Giddens (1994) claims there has been a development of the International subdivision of Labour in which local industries are incorporated. Previously separate and obvious industries are now suck-to doe with in concern raw materials and comp starnts with from each one other.He also mentions how industrialisation now includes the service and culture industries. These industries are now internationalisticly based.14 The administrative powers of the nation state grow cod to the increasing internationalisation of state relations through the sharing and pooling of knowledges and computer hardware states can increase their powers of surveillance and control over populations.15 Military power has become globalised through the increasing alliances amid states, which empowers members of each alliance.16 This can be seen today in the alliance among the UK and the US in fight the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. The concept of ethnocentricism can see seen as a criticism of globalisation as most of the developments benefit the richer westbound countries rather than equalising wealth. Gilroy (1995) has illustrated this by saying that the wolfram has used the rest of the world, in particular regarding the use of slavery by which to modernise.17 Parsons saw the West as the sole source of modernisation, and globalisation is said to dedicate come from modernisation.18 Giddens (1999) speaks of how all giant multinational companies come from rich countries, most cosmos based in the US. It can also be seen that global mendicancy remains at scandalous levels and millions of people around the world bemuse little, if any, democratic rights. The share of the worlds population in global income has dropped from 2.3% to 1.4% from 1989 to 1999. The proportion taken by the richest fifth has risen from 70% to 85%. In Sub-Sahara Africa, 20 countries rescue lower incomes per head in real stipulations than they did twenty years ago. In many less pos itive countries, safety and milieual regulations are low or virtually non-existent. somewhat TNCs sell goods in these countries that are controlled or banned in developed countries, such as poor quality medical drugs, deleterious pesticides and high tar and nicotine cigarettes.19 Tanzanias debt of 4.5 billion is 152% of its GNP. 85% of the Zambian population lives in absolute poverty.20 The abandonment of the term third world can be an indicator of the alleged convergence of the world. The term originates from the public opinion that the group of countries it stood for would develop to modernity by a third travel plan that differed from that of the original world or the support. The first world refers to the countries involved in the industrial revolution and the capitalist route to modernity and the second world refers to the Soviet Block who took the socialist route to modernity. Harris (1986) claimed that the abandonment of the term was due to the increasing global integra tion and therefore the design of distinct worlds were out of date.21 This theory is supported by the fact that some countries previously referred to as third world are now economic rivals of the first world, such as Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore.22 However, again the statistics on deprivation, as shown above, conflict with this view. Global inequality is clearly not decreasing in all areas. The historical movement from traditional societies to modern ones and the part played by globalisation in speeding up the movement begun by the modernisation process is referred to as Time-space distanciation by Giddens (1991) and Time- Space Compression by David Harvey (1989). Traditional societies are said to be based upon social relations embedded in time and space. For example, time for a peasant, would be based upon the cyclical nature of the seasons due to their reliance on agriculture as a means of subsistence. This also meant that time to different societies were different, as th eir neighbours would use different measuringments of time.The invention of the clock is significant to this as it allows one measure of time to be universalised and not narrow and locally defined. This can flinch the sense of social distance between communities. The sense of time is now global, as there is now only one concept of time in the world. Distances appear to gather in shrunk as one community is using the same concept of time as one on the other side of the world.23. In this sense, it can be said that modernisation dis-embeds the case-by-case from their fixed identity in time and space. The two mechanisms Giddens (1991) claims are processes of disembedding are symbolical tokens and expert systems. Money is used as an example of symbolic tokens as it was not used in traditional times economic flip was based upon local and particularistic expressions of value.With modernisation comes bullion as a universal form of exchange. Money, as time, acts to make general and univ ersal what once were particularistic and local exchanges. As the accredited main form of exchange, money can make the world attend as one as it allows individuals to move between local contexts and can therefore chip in social relations across time and space.24 As modernisation created the notion of a national currency which diminished difference within national boundaries, thence globalisation removes differences between national currencies, for example, with the birth of the quotation card. The credit card is accepted around the world making it easier to spend money worldwide. The introduction of the Euro in many European countries in January 2002 is another example.25 Expert Systems are the result of scientific discoveries and technical knowledge which claim to be universal. They are not context dependent and therefore can establish social relations across time and space. An example of this is the current model of health care which is based on universal claims of skill and d ominates across the globe. Other models are ridiculed or labelled alternative, such as holistic therapies.26 A second shrinking of the world occurred gibe to Harvey in 1847-8 with the economic crinkle of credit. As a consequence of the collapse finance capitalists across Europe attempted to centralise capital and credit markets. Time was therefore further compressed as capital investments could move faster through the new rationalised system. The further conquest of space was do possible as investments are make in forms of transportation such as the railways and shipping.27 This compression of space is given further impetus at the turn of the 20th century as investments are made in aviation and new media such as radio, photography and the cinema.28 fit to Harvey the revolution in electronic technologies, such as computerisation and the Internet have meant that time and space has been conquered, as instantaneous communication is a reality.29 in that location are many sceptics to who all talk of the word becoming as one is simply talk. Whatever the benefits, trials and tribulations, the global economy is not especially different from that which existed at previous periods. The world is the same as it has been for many years.They use the example of external shift, saying that for most countries only a small part of income originates in external championship. Most economic exchange is regional, such as the countries in the European Union mostly trade amongst themselves. The same is said to be true of the other main trading blocks such as the Asia Pacific and North America.30 Sutcliffe (1995), for example, claims that global development is infeasible since it would be economically unsustainable. He argues that development is going in the impairment direction, the underdeveloped countries would be go models for sustainable societies than the developed ones.31 Giddens (1999) criticises these views pointing out how globalisation sceptics are often on the old political left and they rely that globalisation is a notion proposed by those who wish to dismantle the welfare state and cut back on state spending. If the concept of globalisation is a myth then governments can still intervene in economic life and the welfare states can remain intact. 32 Giddens (1999) argues that the global marketplace is much more developed than even two or three decades ago and national borders are no longer of importance.He claims that, The era of the nation state is over.33 Nations are said to have lost most of the sovereignty and politicians have lost the power to influence events. However, Turner (1994) demonstrates how a high degree of economic globalisation occurred during the 17th Century.34 Other writers claim similar points saying that the world has reversed to how it was a century ago as in the late 19th Century there was a global open economy, with a great deal of trade occurring, including trade in currencies.35 Giddens (1999) criticises this say ing that the level of world trade today is greater than it ever has been and involves a much wider range of goods and services, that the most eventful is the level of finance and capital flows. He uses the example of electronic money, money that only exists on computers. Money can be transferred around the world at simply a click of a mouse. Over a trillion dollars is said to be turned over everyday in global currency, a massive increase from ten years ago. The money an individual has personally depends on the fluctuations in the global currency markets.36 grievous bodily harm weber wrote on the nation state and maintained that the power to declare war or peace was one of the essential features of a state. If it doesnt have a monopoly over was and peace, then it isnt a state.37 Beck (2001) takes this up saying that the power to decide between war and peace is no longer a matter for an individual state acting autonomously and uses the example of the war against terrorism to demons trate this.38 Developments in technology and communication theory are a factor in the debate. In the mid 19th Century Samuel Morse transmitted the first capacity by electric telegraph initiating a new phase in world history. Morse code was discontinued as a means of communications at sea on 1st February 1999. Now we have communications satellites, which were first launched just over 30 years ago and now there are over 200 satellites creating instantaneous communications across earth. Also other types of electronic communications have deepen over the past years. No dedicated transatlantic or transpacific cables existed until the late 1950s.These all play their part in making the world have the appearance _or_ semblance smaller and more accessible.39 The reach of media technologies also is a factor in making the world more as one. Celebrities may be more familiar to us than our next door neighbours. I could not tell you who my neighbours were yet many people around the world would be able to say, for example, who Brad Pitts wife is. Giddens (1999) expresses how far the media has reached and how cultures have globalised by using an example of a friend of his who studied village life in central Africa. On her arrival in a irrelevant area she was invited to a local home for an evenings cheer and instead of finding out the traditional pastimes of the community, they watched Basic Instinct on video, which hadnt reached British cinemas at this point.40 The ever-changing roles of women around the world and the changing structure of the family are also due to globalisation and making the world more similar.For example, Cherie Blair has recently launched a campaign to help the women of Afghanistan, as by our standards they have no rights. Ulrich Beck (1992) writes about reflexive modernisation and in an bind published online for the impertinent Statesman he writes about how this is bringing the world together. Reflexive modernisation is a description of contempor ary society in which we become conscious(predicate) of the risks and dangers of industrial technological society and in which increase knowledge about how to deal with this creates more awareness of dangers and risks.41 He applies this to the recent terrorist attacks to show how, The warring camps and nations of the world united against the common foe of global terrorism.42 Old rivalries of the US, such as with Moscow and Beijing are forgotten and a real cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians is enforced. He pontificates that arts common fear is now making new bonds and dissolving the boundaries of national and international politics creating the globalisation of politics in which states are moulded into multinational co-operative networks.He also shows how foreign and municipal policy, national security and international co-operation are now interlocked. Since 11th September, terrorist sleepers have been identified in Hamburg, Germany, and many other places. Therefore German domestic policy is now an important part of US domestic and foreign policy. So are the domestic foreign, security and defence policies of France Pakistan, Great Britain, Russia and so on.43 There are very many arguments suggesting that the world is becoming as one.Other arguments I have not gone into are the growing awareness of the global environment and the ways people all over the world are severe to help, such as with the South American rainforest and the widespread famishment of Africa. Global tourism is also making us more aware of our world and the ease of travel to far away places makes the world seem as if it is smaller than when the first voyage of discovery crossed the Atlantic Ocean. The spread of the English language around the world and the films and television programmes seen by hundreds of millions of people in different countries also contribute.The world is also better connected both economically and politically with global financial markets and the demes ne Trade Organisation, also the creation of international political communities such as the European Union and the United Nations make the world more integrated. However, we will not live in one world until the problems of inequality between rich and poor are solved. Also until many aspects of difference are recognised and accepted, especially regarding religious difference as this is still a major cause of disagreement in the world today.Bibliography* Beck, U. (1992), Risk indian lodge Towards a New modernity, London, Sage * Beck, U. (5/11/01) The Fight for a Cosmopolitan emerging, The New Statesman Online, (http//cgi.sociologyonline.force9.co.uk/cgi-bin/frame/FrameIt.cgi?Url=http//www.newstatesman.co.uk/200111050022.htm& textbook=Back+to+Socio- tidings&Title=SociologyOnline+Link&FooterLocation=2&FooterFontFace=Verdana&FooterFontSize=3&ShowRemoverFrame=1&Link=http//cgi.sociologyonline.force9.co.uk/Files/socio-news/SocioNews.shtml&FooterBgcolor=2c448b&FooterTextColor=ffffff&Allo wResize=0&FrameBorder=0) 20/11/01 * Fitzgerald, T., http//www.sociologyonline.co.uk/GlobalParsons.htm 20/11/01 * Giddens, A., (1990), The Consequences of Modernity, Cambridge, legislation. * Giddens, A., (1991), Modernity & self-identity ego and Society in the Late Modern progress, Cambridge, economy. * Giddens, A., (1994), Beyond Left & Right The Future of Radical governance, Cambridge, code * Giddens, A., (1999), Runaway World How globalization Is Reshaping Our Lives, Profile Books. * Giddens A., (1999) Runaway World, bedevil 1 Globalisation, London, BBC Reith Lectures, http//news.bbc.co.uk/hi/ side of meat/static/events/reith_99/week1/week1.htm 20/11/01 * Gilroy, P (1993), The Black Atlantic Modernity & Double Consciousness, London, Verso. * Harris, N., (1986), The wipeout of the leash World impudently Industrialising Countries and the Decline of an Ideology, Harmondsworth, Penguin. * Harvey, D. (1989) The Condition of Postmodernity, Oxford, basil Blackwell. * Parsons, T., (1966) Societies evolutionary and Comparative Perspectives, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall. * Robertson, R., (1992)Globalisation sociable Theory and Global Culture, London, Sage. * Rostow, W., (1971) Stages of Economic Growth A Non-Communist pronunciamento, Cambridge University Press. * Sutcliffe. B., (1995), Development afterwards bionomics, in Timmon Roberts, J., and Hite, A. (eds.) (2000), From Modernisation to Globalisation Perspectives on Development and affectionate shift, Oxford, Blackwell * Turner, B.S. (1994) Orientalism, Postmodernism & Globalism, London, Routledge * Weber, M., (1919), Politics as a Vocation, in From Max Weber Essays in Sociology, ed. Gerth, H.H. and Mills, C.W. London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1948 * http//www.sociologyonline.co.uk/GlobalWTO.htm 20/11/01 1 Harris, N., (1986), The End of the Third World Newly Industrialising Countries and the Decline of an Ideology, Harmondsworth, Penguin. 2 Turner, B.S. (1994) Orientalism, Postmoderni sm & Globalism, London, Routledge. 3 Parsons, T., (1966) Societies Evolutionary and Comparative Perspectives, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall. 4 Rostow, W., (1971) Stages of Economic Growth A Non-Communist Manifesto, Cambridge University Press. 5 Giddens, A., (1990), The Consequences of Modernity, Cambridge, regulation. 6 Giddens, A., (1991), Modernity & Self individuation Self and Society in the Late Modern Age, Cambridge, Polity. 7 ibidemm 8 Giddens A., (1999), Runaway World, Lecture 1 Globalisation, London, BBC Reith Lectures, http//news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/events/reith_99/week1/week1.htm 20/11/01 9 Robertson, R., Globalisation Social Theory and Global Culture, London, Sage. 10 Giddens, A., (1991), Modernity & Self identicalness Self and Society in the Late Modern Age, Cambridge, Polity 11 Giddens, A., (1994), Beyond Left & Right The Future of Radical Politics, Cambridge, Polity 12 Giddens, A., (1999), Runaway World How Globalisation Is Reshaping Our Live s, Profile Books. 13 Giddens, A., (1994), Beyond Left & Right The Future of Radical Politics, Cambridge, Polity 14 ibid. 15 ibid. 16 ibid. 17 Gilroy, P (1993), The Black Atlantic Modernity & Double Consciousness, London, Verso. 18 Fitzgerald, T., http//www.sociologyonline.co.uk/GlobalParsons.htm 20/11/01 19 Giddens A., (1999), Runaway World, Lecture 1 Globalisation, London, BBC Reith Lectures, http//news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/events/reith_99/week1/week1.htm 20/11/01 20 http//www.sociologyonline.co.uk/GlobalWTO.htm 20/11/01 21 Harris, N., (1986), The End of the Third World Newly Industrialising Countries and the Decline of an Ideology, Harmondsworth, Penguin. 22 Fulcher, J. and Scott, J. (1999), Sociology, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 23 Giddens, A., (1991), Modernity & Self Identity Self and Society in the Late Modern Age, Cambridge, Polity 24 ibid. 25 ibid. 26 ibid. 27 Harvey, D. (1989) The Condition of Postmodernity, Oxford, Basil Blackwell 28 ibid. 29 ibid. 30 Giddens A ., (1999), Runaway World, Lecture 1 Globalisation, London, BBC Reith Lectures, http//news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/events/reith_99/week1/week1.htm 20/11/01 31 Sutcliffe. B., (1995), Development After Ecology, in Timmon Roberts, J., and Hite, A. (eds.) (2000), From Modernisation to Globalisation Perspectives on Development and Social Change, Oxford, Blackwell. 32 Giddens A., (1999), Runaway World, Lecture 1 Globalisation, London, BBC Reith Lectures, http//news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/events/reith_99/week1/week1.htm 20/11/01 33 ibid. 34 Turner, B.S. (1994) Orientalism, Postmodernism & Globalism, London, Routledge. 35 Giddens A., (1999), Runaway World, Lecture 1 Globalisation, London, BBC Reith Lectures, http//news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/events/reith_99/week1/week1.htm 20/11/01 36 ibid. 37 Weber, M., (1919), Politics as a Vocation, in From Max Weber Essays in Sociology, ed. H.H. Gerth and C.W. Mills, London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1948 38 Beck, U. (5/11/01) The Fight for a Cosmopolitan Future, The New Statesman Online http//cgi.sociologyonline.force9.co.uk/cgi-bin/frame/FrameIt.cgi?Url=http//www.newstatesman.co.uk/200111050022.htm&Text=Back+to+Socio- News&Title=SociologyOnline+Link&FooterLocation=2&FooterFontFace=Verdana&FooterFontSize=3&ShowRemoverFrame=1&Link=http//cgi.sociologyonline.force9.co.uk/Files/socio-news/SocioNews.shtml&FooterBgcolor=2c448b&FooterTextColor=ffffff&AllowResize=0&FrameBorder=0 39 Giddens A., (1999), Runaway World, Lecture 1 Globalisation, London, BBC Reith Lectures, http//news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/events/reith_99/week1/week1.htm 20/11/01 40 ibid. 41 Beck, U. (1992), Risk Society Towards a New Modernity, London, Sage. 42 Beck, U. (5/11/01) The Fight for a Cosmopolitan Future in The New Statesman Online.