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Thinking globally: a global perspective in sociology 41

global comparisons also leads to unexpected

lessons. For instance, Chapter 9 transports us to a
Globalisation and sociology
squatter settlement in Madras, India. There we are
Since the 1990s, sociologists have increasingly used the
surprised to find people thriving in the love and
term ‘globalisation’ and it has become one of the most
support of family members, despite a desperate lack
influential of sociological ideas in the past decade. It is
of basic material comforts. Such discoveries prompt
itself used across the globe: for the Germans it is
us to think about why poverty in Europe so often
Globalisierung; in Spain and Latin America it is
involves isolation and anger, and whether material
globalización; and in France it is mondialisation! Yet
things – so crucial to our definition of a ‘rich’ life –
even though it translates into many languages, its
are the best way to gauge human well-being.
meaning is far from clear. It has become a ‘buzz word’
In sum, in an increasingly interconnected world, we which brings many different meanings and
can understand ourselves only to the extent that we controversies; and it will be raised at many points
comprehend others. during this book. To start with, and simply, we can

‘hyperglobalisers’! Held et al. 

Globalisation is the widening,
The (1999: 10). deepening and speeding up of
Critics, by contrast, suggest worldwide interconnectedness
meanings of that there is nothing new about in all aspects of contemporary
globalisation globalisation. History, they
argue, shows that nations have a
life, from the cultural to the
criminal, the financial to the
constant tendency to exploit, spiritual. (David Held et al.,
Over the past decade or so, the colonise and raid other cultures, Global Transformation, 1999:
Public Sociology

ideas of the ‘global’ and and matters are getting worse. 14–16)
‘globalisation’ have become ‘Global’ in contemporary times 
Globalisation . . . denotes the
widespread in public debate and usually means that dominant processes through which
discussion. The term itself has (capitalist) societies are taking sovereign national states are
been given many different over the finances and cultures of criss-crossed and undermined
meanings, and below we give other societies (indeed for some by transnational actors with
some ‘definitions’ for you to it means Americanisation, not varying prospects of power,
discuss and consider. But what globalisation!). Thus certain orientations, identities and
you should be clear about is that
trading blocks and nation states networks. (Ulrich Beck, What is
there is a lot of disagreement
(largely in Europe, North Globalization? 2000b: 11)
about the term. It brings
America and the Pacific Rim) 
The Global Age involves the
different ‘ideological baggage’.
become stronger, so there is no supplanting of modernity
Some people embrace the
great tendency towards a with globality . . . [this
term. Here, globalisation is seen
greater universality at all. (These includes] the global
as everywhere and usually doing
are sometimes called ‘sceptics’. environmental consequences
a lot of good. Thus it creates
See Hirst and Thompson, 2001). of aggregate human activities;
greater awareness of diversity
Listen to discussions of the loss of security where
and hybridisation; it stimulates
international markets and wealth; globalisation and consider which weaponry has global
it helps towards a more universal position it might be coming destructiveness; the globality
humankind – through awareness from, and to get you going here of communication systems;
of common environmental are some recent discussions of the rise of a global economy;
problems, and international its meaning: and the reflexivity of
organisations like the United 
Globalisation has something globalism, where people and
Nations. This is the dawning of to do with the thesis that we groups of all kinds refer to the
the global age and it is to be all now live in one world . . . globe as the frame for their
celebrated. (These are sometimes (Anthony Giddens, A Runaway beliefs. (Martin Albrow, The
called ‘transformationalists’ or World, 1999: 7) Global Age, 1996: 4)
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42 Chapter 2 Thinking sociologically, thinking globally

define it as the increasing interconnectedness of societies, the use of the mobile phone – handies, cellphones,
but the box above suggests a number of other etc. – and how this makes communications so
definitions you may like to consider. much less restricted to face-to-face relations. Of
At the most basic, the term globalisation can be course, telephones are not new, but the idea of
grasped through the imagery of worldwide being able to keep a phone on one’s body wherever
multicultural companies such as Coca-Cola, you are does make for a different pattern of
McDonald’s and Nike. These companies exist across the communication. For growing numbers of people
globe – and in a number of ways. They produce goods the whole world can be accessed instantly. Whereas
across many countries; they market goods across many a few hundred years ago it would take years for
countries; and they present their logos and images people to know what was happening in other parts
which travel the globe ahead of them. Think of how of the world, now ideas can be moved instantly. We
McDonald’s can be found across the world – even will consider this further in Chapters 22 and 23.
though it had its origins in the United States (see
Chapter 5). Likewise, a Nike shoe – with its
3 Fosters a new, widespread ‘global culture’. Many
urban areas come to look like each other, and many
characteristic logo of the swoosh – is produced in many
television programmes, much music, film, and so
parts of the poorer world and yet sold everywhere. As
on, travels easily around the world. MTV has
we shall see, they are simultaneously loved by millions
become a global youth form. And if you go to your
and hated by millions – as signs of convenience and the
local record store, the chances are you will now find
modern world, and as signs of corporate takeover of
quite a large section on global music! Not only do
mass culture. We will have a lot more to say on all this
we have Hollywood but we have Bollywood. We will
in later chapters. They capture the economic, social and
consider all this in Chapters 5 and 22.
cultural impact of this process and simultaneously
symbolise what may be good and bad about it. 4 Develops new forms of international governance.
Globalisation is thus a controversial term. As we shall Some suggest that globalisation means the
see (Chapter 16), major social movements have weakening of the nation state. Though this is
developed in the past few years to protest against it: in controversial, what is not in doubt is the growth of
Seattle, in Prague, in London, in Genoa. For the time international agencies such as the United Nations,
being we will just suggest a few of the key features of the European Court of Human Rights and the
globalisation. We suggest that globalisation: World Health Organization. These enact
programmes that are publicly committed to what
1 Shifts the borders of economic transactions – bringing
has been called ‘the democratisation of the world’ –
a marked change in the pace of economic
a growing belief that democracy as a political
development in the world. Business companies,
system will become dominant in the world. We
banking and investment now cross more national
consider this in Chapter 16.
borders than ever before. In many instances these
huge companies (TNCs or transnational 5 Creates a growing awareness of shared common world
corporations) have incomes and expenditures which problems. It is harder and harder to think of the
are bigger than those of whole countries! Many world’s problems as just the problems belonging to
argue that this has led to growing inequalities across any one country. For instance, crime – as we shall see
the world, both within countries and between in Chapter 17 – has become increasingly global: drugs
them. We will consider this in Chapters 9 and 16. markets spread across continents, cyber-crimes push
against the laws of any one country, international
2 Expands communications into global networks.
courts proclaim international justice. Likewise, the
Television satellites, digital media, personal
major impact of industrialisation on the environment
computers, mobile phones, and all the information
becomes a compelling common problem in all
technologies help to ‘shrink the world’. This has led
countries (which is discussed in Chapters 24 and 25).
to a major rethinking of ideas of space and time. We
Meanwhile, world poverty studies highlight growing
now no longer think mainly in terms of very local
inequalities both between and within nations; while
places. Instead we have entered a world where
debates on migration, refugees, wars and terrorism
telephones, jet planes and now the Internet make
bring an international focus.
communications with others all over the globe
instantaneous and hence very different from the 6 Fosters a growing sense of risk – what the German
past. Think especially of the phenomenal growth in sociologist Ulrich Beck (1992) has called the World
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Thinking globally: a global perspective in sociology 43

Risk Society. New technologies are generating risks quite long: the changes in work and family patterns,
which are of a quite different order from those fallout from the atomic bomb, the spread of
found throughout earlier human history. Of course, networks of cars and planes throughout the planet,
past societies were risky and dangerous places too – the arrival of AIDS as a major world pandemic, the
whole populations could be wiped out by major development of genetically modified crops, the
earthquakes, floods or plagues, for example. Life for cloning of animals (and people), the deforestation
most people throughout history has been nasty, of the planet, ‘designer children and surrogate
brutish and short. Nature brought with it its own mothering’, the intensity of computer games and
dangers and risks. But Beck argues that new kinds the new ways of relating (or not relating!) this
of risk appear with the industrial world which are might bring, and the arrival of new forms of
not ‘in nature’ but ‘manufactured’. terrorism where suicide bombers are willing to fly
These risks are associated with the many new into major buildings (such as happened at the
technologies which generate new dangers to lives World Trade Center on 11 September 2001), and on
and the planet itself. These are humanly produced, and on. All have consequences which may be far
may have massively unforeseen consequences, and reaching and are at present unpredictable. In some
may take many, many thousands of years to reverse. of the chapters that follow, we look at some of these
These ‘manufactured risks’ are taking us to the edge main ‘risks’ and how they affect all countries and
of catastrophe: to ‘threats to all forms of life on this people. We consider this in many places, but
planet’, to ‘the exponential growth of risks and the especially in Chapters 23, 24 and 25.
impossibility of escaping them’. Risk, then, is 7 Leads to the emergence of ‘transnational global actors’
associated with a globalising world that tries to who ‘network’. From Greenpeace to Disneyworld,
break away from tradition and the past, and where from the United Nations to tourism, from the
change and the future become more valued. All Moonies to the Women’s Movement, there are more
these changes – from the railway to the computer, and more people who move in networks that are
from genetic engineering to nuclear weapons – have not just bound to a fixed spatial community.
unforeseen consequences that we cannot easily Instead, they connect across the globe, making the
predict. The list of examples of new risks could be global their local. They are global citizens.

can see examples of world music life are turned into things –
The cultures everywhere: from global commodities for sale). Music has
globalisation music festivals (often to raise
money for charities) to ‘global
been turned into a sellable
object. This has meant not just
of music: Hip musicals’ like Les Miserables – the selling of concerts, CDs,
seen by 55 million people DVDs and music generally – but
Hop in Japan worldwide in some 40 countries also an aggressive merchandising
and recorded in 21 languages. of products of adjuncts like
In the past, except for the very When the the Three Tenors posters, books, concert
Worldwatch

rich and the world travellers, (Domingo, Carreras and programmes and the like. Tickets
music has been limited to the Pavarotti) performed at the for a world tour concert of the
local community and handed on 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy in singer Barbara Streisand in 2007
by tradition. But today, music 1990, it led to a mass global were sold out at £500 a ticket!
increasingly flows through phenomenon continuing well Globalisation leads to developed
worldwide cultures. Music has into 2005 and a new interest in markets around the world for
become part of the globalisation classical music ‘for the millions’ music. Up to 90 per cent of the
process. We can now find ‘world (though the term has two global music market is
music’, cultures of international different meanings!). Music is accounted for by just five
music celebrities, worldwide fan now part of the world economy corporations: EMI Records, Sony,
cultures, and the creation of and world media. AOI Time Warner, BMG and
music media companies Central to all this, and indeed Vivendi Universal. The latter is
worldwide that dominate music much of globalisation, is the idea the largest with 29 per cent of
markets across the world. We of commodification (aspects of the market share, and owning
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44 Chapter 2 Thinking sociologically, thinking globally

operations in some 63 countries. But global music is also B-Boys’ express their devotion to
But it is intersting to note that shaped and adapted to local ‘black culture’. Here there is mix
certain areas of the world are trends and cultures. Sociologists (a blend, a hybridity) of black
not well marketed by the ‘Big might call this ‘the glocalisation and yellow, classical Japanese
Five’. India resists the of world music’. (Glocalisation and black America. Condry
domination of the ‘Big Five’ means the process by which local shows how rappers manipulate
because it has its own very large communities respond differently the Japanese language to
industry (for example, in what to global changes – see Chapter achieve rhyme and rhythmic
has been called Bollywood). 5.) Musical traditions are rarely flow. This is a fascinating study
Africa’s weak economic situation ‘pure’: they get spliced into (which could probably be redone
also means that, outside South hybrid forms. Classical music in many other cultures). It shows
Africa, the market does not goes ‘light’ with Classical FM; how cultural musical
seem attractive. rap, itself a hybrid of African- globalisation depends often on
Global music appears to be American black music becomes grassroots connections and
increasingly Westernised. To Japanese hip hop. Japan has a individual performers rather
some extent local cultures all vibrant hip hop scene which has than just the control of big
over the world have been heavily borrowed from Afro- media corporation markets
invaded by Western music – American music and been (though they may have initially
from ‘classical concerts and remade in Tokyo clubs and started the popular concern).
opera ’ (often seen as a sign of recording studios. In a major Hip hop is constantly made and
status), to modern rock, pop, study of this process, Ian Condry, remade in specific locations
MTV and all the spin-offs that went to more than 120 hip hop through local activities and for
largely reproduce the Western performances in clubs in and particular audiences (Condry,
status quo. Some have claimed around Tokyo, sat in on dozens 2006). Local cultures embrace
that this is a new form of of studio recording sessions, and musical forms from other
colonialism, where local cultures interviewed rappers, music cultures while modifying them.
lose their musical traditions at company executives, music store Look at YouTube for examples of
the expense of Western owners and journalists. He ‘Japan Hip Hop’. And see the
dominance. Nowhere is this shows how young Japanese website by Ian Condry at
more clearly seen than in the combine the figure of the http://web.mit.edu/condry/www
convergence of youth cultures samurai with American rapping /jhh/
and the convergence in their techniques and gangsta imagery,
musical styles. and how self-described ‘yellow

consensus) and some emerging ways (looking at

societies as an array of competing perspectives: from
Taking stock and feminism to the post-colonial). We have suggested that
some of the classical ways are now being questioned by
looking ahead what might be seen as a postmodern perspective.
Perhaps the most significant development in all this
has been to push for sociology not to focus on just one
This chapter has aimed to introduce you to some of the country, but to focus on many. Here we have suggested
perspectives needed to think about society. We have that sociologists should take a global perspective and a
suggested some classical ways (looking at society as possibly helpful idea in doing this is globalisation. We
functions, as structures, as actions, as conflicts, as return to all this throughout the book.