'Are We Now Living in One World? Essay\r'

'The concept of the globe decorous ‘as unity’, is a concept which has been widely been contend by some(prenominal) a(prenominal) writers on subjects much(prenominal) as modernization, sphericization, and equality to name a few. It is quite cause from out incessantlyyday lives in how some aspects of our lives atomic number 18 all the way influenced by opposite cultures, much(prenominal) as the availability of Indian take bys on every postgraduate up street. Robertson (1992) suggests that the man began to become more(prenominal) integrated with the European voyages of disc all oery and colonisation in the 15th Century.1 food turner (1994) has shown how in that location has been a worldwide economy since the seventeenth Century.2 Yet other theorists claim that it is a often more recent development. In this essay I intend to look at many of these theories and in departicular look at theories of modernization, and orbiculateization. modernization r eplaced the elder traditional forms of societies based on agriculture. Parsons (1966) has referred to the evolution of societies as a â€Å" subroutine of modernisation”.\r\nThis presumes totally societies to be eventually heading to contendf beds the modern stage. This female genitals be applied to the theory of globalisation in that he is saying that all societies will become standardised and ‘modern’.3 Rostow (1971) used a similar puzzle to develop human society, in his eyes it was twain 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 prolongation of the trends from modernisation formes in 18th Century Europe. recentisation is based on processes of disembedding. It ‘dis-embeds’ feudal individuals from fixed identities in space and age. This is kat oncen as the ‘ m-space distanciat ion’, which I shall render in push detail shortly. It is used to explain the historic course from traditional to modern societies and the part contend by globalisation in speed up the modernisation process. 5 Giddens (1991) suggests that the modernisation process entails four major(ip) sets of ‘institutional complexes of modernism’. These argon administrative business office, military source, capitalism and industrialism.\r\n6 administrative power refers to the change by reversalth and development of the secular body politic state based on rational and bureaucratic forms of administration of its universe and law and order. Capitalism and industrialism portray new forms of production based and centred on particularory 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 globali serung. This shows how far the term has spread and how widely used it is. It is said by many writers such as Giddens (1999) and Beck ( two hundred1) that we atomic number 18 now support in a cosmopolitan society which is forming nigh us. It is emerging in an anarchic haphazard, fashion carried on by a mixture of economic, technological and heathenish imperatives.8 Robertson (1996) defines globalisation as a concept, â€Å"Which refers to both the congluti country of the earthly concern and the intensification of consciousness of the terra firma as a whole…”9 Giddens (1991) takes the view that globalisation is an equalising process as it gives previously disempowered groups and states the potential to realise their goals.\r\nHe has spoken of globalisation generating â€Å"reverse colonialism” which means that non- westerly countries influence developments in the west. Ex antiophthalmic factorles of this be the Latinising of Los Angeles, the emergence o f a globally orientated last tech field in India and the selling of Brazilian TV programmes to Portugal.10 For Giddens (1994) globalisation is a social process which precedes in, â€Å"… Larger and larger numbers of people living in cross in which disembedded institutions, linking topical anesthetic anaesthetic practises with globalised social transaction, organise major aspects of day to day demeanor.”11 However, he get a lines it as a contradictory and uneven process. He claims that it ‘pulls away’ from local communities and uses the standard of the weakening of the capacities and power from nation states in the hands of supra subject field political organisations.\r\nIt is in like manner said to ‘push down’ as it may present local communities with new possibilities and demands, such as the add-on of depicted objectist movements, for ex group Ale, in Scotland.12 globalisation is said to emanate from the 1960s as this is when aspects of the modernisation process received added impetus as a result of globalisation. In late modernity there is a initiation capitalist system which is dominate by Trans-National Corporations (TNCs) which operate independently of nation states. TNCs back be the dominant economic actor curiously in ‘developing countries’.13 In industrialism Giddens (1994) claims there has been a development of the International Division of Labour in which local industries be incorporated. Previously separate and manifest industries argon now involved in occupation raw materials and comp wholenessnts with each(prenominal) other.\r\nHe also mentions how ‘ industrial enterprise’ now includes the ‘service’ and ‘culture’ industries. These industries atomic number 18 now internationally based.14 The administrative powers of the nation state grow due to the change magnitude ‘internationalisation’ of state relations through the sharing and pooling of knowledges and hardware states roll in the hay increase their powers of surveillance and control over populations.15 Military power has become globalised through the increasing bonds amid states, which empowers members of each alliance.16 This fucking be seen today in the alliance between the UK and the US in fighting the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. The concept of ethnocentricism can see seen as a criticism of globalisation as closely of the developments benefit the richer Western countries rather than equalising wealth. Gilroy (1995) has illustrated this by saying that the West has used the ‘rest’ of the man, specially regarding the use of slavery by which to ‘modernise’.\r\n17 Parsons saw the West as the sole ancestor of modernisation, and globalisation is said to extradite come from modernisation.18 Giddens (1999) speaks of how all giant multinational companies come from rich countries, to the highest degree be ing based in the US. It can also be seen that global poverty remains at scandalous levels and millions of people more or less the arena tolerate little, if any, democratic rights. The share of the world’s 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 have lower incomes per head in real terms than they did twenty historic period ag unrivaled. In many less developed countries, safety and environmental regulations are low or virtually non-existent. whatever TNC’s sell goods in these countries that are controlled or banned in developed countries, such as little quality medical drugs, destructive pesticides and high tar and nicotine cigarettes.\r\n19 Tanzania’s debt of �4.5 billion is 152% of its GNP. 85% of the Zambian population lives in absolute poverty.20 The desertion of the term ‘third world’ can b e an indicator of the alleged convergence of the world. The term originates from the popular opinion that the group of countries it stood for would develop to modernity by a third route that differed from that of the ‘ original world’ or the ‘second’. 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 left(a) route to modernity. Harris (1986) claimed that the abandonment of the term was due to the increasing global integration and then the notion of decided 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.\r\n22 However, again the statistics on deprivation, as shown above, conflict with this view. orbicular inequality is clearly not decreasing in all areas. The historical movement from traditional societies to modern geniuss 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). handed-down societies are said to be based upon social relations ’embedded’ in succession and space. For ex international type Aerele, judgment of conviction for a peasant, would be based upon the cyclical genius of the seasons due to their reliance on agriculture as a means of subsistence. This also meant that succession to several(predicate) societies were different, as their neighbours would use different measurements of time.\r\nThe 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 reduce 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 have ‘shrunk’ as one community is using the same concept of time as one on the other place of the world.23. In this sense, it can be said that modernisation ‘dis-embeds’ the individual from their fixed identity in time and space. The two mechanisms Giddens (1991) claims are processes of ‘disembedding’ are typic tokens and expert systems. Money is used as an ex angstrom unitle of symbolic tokens as it was not used in traditional times; economic exchange was based upon local and particularistic expressions of value.\r\nWith modernisation comes cash as a universal form of exchange. Money, as time, acts to make ecumenical and universal what once were particularistic and local exchanges. As the current main form of exchange, money can make the world seem as one as it allows individuals to move between local contexts and can consequently establish social relations crossways time and space.24 As modernisation created the notion of a national currency which diminished difference inside national boundaries, then globalisation removes differences between national currencies, for ex adenylic aciderele, with the birth of the credit card. The credit card is received around the world making it easier to spend money worldwide. The introduction of the Euro in many European countries in January 2002 is another ex adenosine monophosphatele.\r\n25 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 crosswise time and space. An example of this is the current model of health care which is based on universal claims of intuition and dominates across the globe. separate models are ridiculed or labeled ‘alternative’, such as holistic therapies.26 A secon d ‘shrinking’ of the world occurred according to Harvey in 1847-8 with the economic collapse of credit. As a gist of the collapse finance capitalists across Europe try to centralise capital and credit markets. Time was therefore further compressed as capital investments could move faster through the new rationalised system. The further success of space was made possible as investments are made in forms of transportation such as the railways and shipping.\r\n27 This compression of space is given further impetus at the turn of the 20th nose candy as investments are made in aviation and new media such as radio, photography and the cinema.28 harmonise 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 on that point are many sceptics to who all talk of the word bonnie 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.\r\nThey use the example of external trade, saying that for close countries only a small part of income originates in external trade. Most economic exchange is regional, such as the countries in the European Union for the most part trade amongst themselves. The same is said to be truthful of the other main trading blocks such as the Asia Pacific and North America.30 Sutcliffe (1995), for example, claims that global development is unacceptable since it would be economically unsustainable. He argues that development is red ink in the wrong direction, the underdeveloped countries would be break out 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 believe that globalisa tion is a notion proposed by those who wish to dismantle the eudaimonia state and lead back on state spending. If the concept of globalisation is a myth then governments can gloss over intervene in economic life and the welfare states can remain intact. 32 Giddens (1999) argues that the global grocery store is much more developed than even two or three decades ago and national borders are no longer of importance.\r\nHe claims that, â€Å"The era of the nation state is over”.33 Nations are said to have bewildered 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 change 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 saying that the level of world trade today is greater than it ever has been and involves a much wider range of goods and services, but the most important 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.\r\n36 Max 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 doesn’t have a monopoly over was and peace, then it isn’t a state.37 Beck (2001) takes this up saying that the power to decide between war and peace is no longer a occasion for an individual state acting autonomously and uses the example of the war against terroris m to demonstrate this.38 Developments in technology and communication theory are a factor in the debate. In the mid 19th Century Samuel Morse transmit the first message by electric wire 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 sa dictateites, 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 accelerated over the past years. No dedicated transatlantic or transpacific cables existed until the late 1950’s.\r\nThese all play their part in making the world seem 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 wor ld would be able to say, for example, who Brad Pitt’s 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 remote area she was invited to a local home for an evening’s entertainment and preferably of finding out the traditional pastimes of the community, they watched Basic instinct on video, which hadn’t reached British cinemas at this point.40 The 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.\r\nFor example, Cherie Blair has recently launched a campaign to attention the women of Afghanistan, as by our standards they have no rights. Ulrich Beck (1992) writes approximately ‘reflexive modernisation’ and in an article publish online for the new statesman he writes about how this is delivery the worl d together. ‘Reflexive modernisation’ is a definition of contemporary society in which we become assured of the risks and dangers of industrial technological society and in which increase knowledge about how to deal with this creates more cognizance of dangers and risks.41 He applies this to the recent terrorist attacks to show how, â€Å"… 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 capital of Red China are forgotten and a real armistice between Israel and the Palestinians is enforced. He pontificates that humanities common concern 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 transnational co-operative networks.\r\nHe also shows how outside(prenominal) and internal policy, national security and international co-operation are now in terlocked. Since 11th September, ‘terrorist sleepers’ have been identified in Hamburg, Germany, and many other places. Therefore German domestic help 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.\r\nOther arguments I have not gone into are the growing awareness of the global environment and the ways people all over the world are trying to help, such as with the South American rainforest and the widespread starving of Africa. Global tourism is also making us more aware of our world and the ease of break down to far away places makes the world seem as if it is smaller than when the first voyage of discovery cross 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.\r\nThe world is also give connected both economically and politically with global financial markets and the demesne Trade Organisation, also the knowledgeability 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 unlikeness in the world today.\r\nBibliography\r\n* Beck, U. (1992), â€Å"Risk Society: Towards a immature Modernity”, London, Sage * Beck, U. (5/11/01) â€Å"The bout for a Cosmopolitan upcoming”, The New Statesman Online, (http://cgi.sociologyonline.force9.co.uk/cgi-bin/ ready/FrameIt.cgi?Url=http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/200111050022.htm&Text= can+to+Socio- news show&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) 20/11/01 * Fitzgerald, T., http://www.sociologyonline.co.uk/GlobalParsons.htm 20/11/01 * Giddens, A., (1990), â€Å"The Consequences of Modernity”, Cambridge, Polity. * Giddens, A., (1991), â€Å"Modernity & self-identity: self-importance and Society in the late(a) Modern Age”, Cambridge, Polity. * Giddens, A., (1994), â€Å"beyond Left & expert: The Future of antecedent Politics”, Cambridge, Polity * Giddens, A., (1999), â€Å" fugitive World: How globalisation Is Reshaping Our Lives”, Profile Books. * Giddens A., (1999) â€Å" jamboree World”, shoot the breeze 1: â€Å"Globalisation”, London, BBC Reith Lectures, http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/ face/ unm oving/events/reith_99/week1/week1.htm 20/11/01 * Gilroy, P (1993), â€Å"The ominous Atlantic: Modernity & figure of speech disposition”, London, Verso. * Harris, N., (1986), â€Å"The nullify of the third base World: Newly Industrialising Countries and the stock of an ideology”, Harmondsworth, Penguin. * Harvey, D. (1989) â€Å"The Condition of Postmodernity”, Oxford, Basil Blackwell. * Parsons, T., (1966) â€Å"Societies: Evolutionary and relative Perspectives”, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall. * Robertson, R., (1992)”Globalisation: Social hypothesis and Global Culture”, London, Sage. * Rostow, W., (1971) â€Å"Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist pronunciamento”, Cambridge University Press. * Sutcliffe. B., (1995), â€Å"Development later on Ecology”, in Timmon Roberts, J., and Hite, A. (eds.) (2000), â€Å"From modernization to Globalisation: Perspectives on Development and Social wobbleâ₠¬Â, Oxford, Blackwell * Turner, B.S. (1994) â€Å"Orientalism, Postmodernism & Globalism”, London, Routledge * Weber, M., (1919), â€Å"Politics as a art”, in â€Å"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), â€Å"The End of the Third World: Newly Industrialising Countries and the Decline of an Ideology”, Harmondsworth, Penguin. 2 Turner, B.S. (1994) â€Å"Orientalism, Postmodernism & Globalism”, London, Routledge. 3 Parsons, T., (1966) â€Å"Societies: Evolutionary and Comparative Perspectives”, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall. 4 Rostow, W., (1971) â€Å"Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist manifesto”, Cambridge University Press. 5 Giddens, A., (1990), â€Å"The Consequences of Modernity”, Cambridge, Polity. 6 Giddens, A., (1991), â€Å"Modernity & Self Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age”, Cambridge, Polity. 7 ibidem 8 Giddens A., (1999), â€Å" jamboree World”, Lecture 1: â€Å"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., â€Å"Globalisation: Social Theory and Global Culture”, London, Sage. 10 Giddens, A., (1991), â€Å"Modernity & Self Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age”, Cambridge, Polity 11 Giddens, A., (1994), â€Å"Beyond Left & Right: The Future of Radical Politics”, Cambridge, Polity 12 Giddens, A., (1999), â€Å" fugitive from justice World: How Globalisation Is Reshaping Our Lives”, Profile Books. 13 Giddens, A., (1994), â€Å"Beyond Left & Right: The Future of Radical Politics”, Cambridge, Polity 14 ibid. 15 ibid. 16 ibid. 17 Gilroy, P (1993), â€Å"The Black Atlantic: Modernity & Double Consciousness”, London, Ve rso. 18 Fitzgerald, T., http://www.sociologyonline.co.uk/GlobalParsons.htm 20/11/01 19 Giddens A., (1999), â€Å" play World”, Lecture 1: â€Å"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), â€Å"The End of the Third World: Newly Industrialising Countries and the Decline of an Ideology”, Harmondsworth, Penguin. 22 Fulcher, J. and Scott, J. (1999), â€Å"Sociology”, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 23 Giddens, A., (1991), â€Å"Modernity & Self Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age”, Cambridge, Polity 24 ibid. 25 ibid. 26 ibid. 27 Harvey, D. (1989) â€Å"The Condition of Postmodernity”, Oxford, Basil Blackwell 28 ibid. 29 ibid. 30 Giddens A., (1999), â€Å"Runaway World”, Lecture 1: â€Å"Globalisation”, London, BBC Reith Lectures, http://news.bbc.co.uk/h i/english/static/events/reith_99/week1/week1.htm 20/11/01 31 Sutcliffe. B., (1995), â€Å"Development After Ecology”, in Timmon Roberts, J., and Hite, A. (eds.) (2000), â€Å"From Modernisation to Globalisation: Perspectives on Development and Social Change”, Oxford, Blackwell. 32 Giddens A., (1999), â€Å"Runaway World”, Lecture 1: â€Å"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) â€Å"Orientalism, Postmodernism & Globalism”, London, Routledge. 35 Giddens A., (1999), â€Å"Runaway World”, Lecture 1: â€Å"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), â€Å"Politics as a Vocation”, in â€Å"From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology”, ed. H.H. Gerth and C.W. Mills, London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 194 8 38 Beck, U. (5/11/01) â€Å"The interlocking 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), â€Å"Runaway World”, Lecture 1: â€Å"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), â€Å"Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity”, London, Sage. 42 Beck, U. (5/11/01) â€Å"The Fight for a Cosmopolitan Future” in The New Statesman Online.\r\n'