[ba econ] scs101 global is at ion

8/6/2019 [BA Econ] SCS101 Global is at Ion

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Registration No: 050145384 SCS101

What difference does globalisation make to sociology?

Globalisation is a contentious issue in the social sciences - even its interpretation is

debatable, although sociologists have gone some way to providing a definition, one

such example being Malcolm Waters in his bookGlobalization:

A social process in which the constraints of geography on social and cultural

arrangements recede and in which people become increasingly aware that they are

receding.1

It is also undecided as to whether the unprecedented technological advances we are

witnessing today are indeed a brand new phenomenon, or merely an acceleration of

what has been going on throughout the history of the human world. It is common for

the word globalisation to conjure images of global communities where pre-existing

boundaries are eroded. But what of these boundaries? Only two hundred years ago

there existed less than twenty nation-states that today would be considered as

countries if it is the boundaries between countries that globalisation is said to be

transcending then surely it is a manifestation of another sociological change, rather

than an end product towards which the human world has always been heading. This

essay discusses not the meaning, causes, longevity or origins of this trend, merely

accepting that globalisation has had an important impact on the discipline of

sociology.

The effects of globalisation are evident in modern-day culture. The word culture is

problematic in itself due to its many interpretations and meanings, however it is1 Malcolm Waters, Globalization (London, New York; 1995) p. 3.

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Immanuel Wallerstein goes further in saying that, on the contrary to notions of a

cultural convergence, the human world has been following a trend of cultural

differentiation or cultural elaboration or cultural complexity.3 Wallerstein argues

that, in the distant past, when humans lived in small distinct groups separated by vast

spaces, each group was relatively culturally homogeneous. However, in todays

cosmopolitan human world we interact with far more people, hence drawing far more

influences than before. Despite there still being a large amount of overlapping of these

influences, each individual is thus more unique.

This brings us to the notion of society. Society like culture is a concept whose

definition is in dispute. However, a simplified version suggests a perception of

collectivity, bounded by individuals relating to each other in common and meaningful

ways. Thus society represents the collective to which we feel we belong.

Globalisations effects on society can best be illustrated by the notion that the human

world is contracting in terms of space, time and distance. Improvements in

information technology, communication and means of travel have thus led to an ever-

expanding feeling of society and inclusion, broadening the spectrum of individuals

with which to interact. As people who were previously bound by a lack of information

can better understand people from across the human world, they can find better ways

to relate to them. The rise of multiculturalism has certainly added to this idea, as an

ever-increasing mixture of ethnicities, races and religions are brought together,

widening our understanding of the world.

3 Wallerstein, The National and the Universal p. 96.

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As time and space become less of a hindrance and as distances are relatively

shortened, humans are increasingly feeling a growing sense of inclusion and a

broadening society with which to relate.

Of course, there are many other ways in which globalisation is effecting the study of

sociology, such as our interpretation of knowledge. The current overriding

epistemology is rationalism the practice of basing opinions and actions on reason,

rather than religious belief or emotional response.

To some extent globalisation has led to a rise in other structures of knowledge,

particularly religious revivalism. Many of the main religions have seen an increase in

fundamentalism, those to have gained the most attention being Protestants in

America, and Islam; where believers, faced with their religions decline from

importance in modern-day society and politics, have sought to recapture their faiths

original teachings.

However, despite seeing some growth in this and other epistemologies, it is argued

that globalisation has reinforced the position of rationalism, as religion has gradually

slipped in popularity, especially amongst youngsters.

The main difference to occur has been that rationalists have become more reflective

since - in an information-age where an abundance of data is readily available - the

visible realities of knowledge have become clearer. This clarity of understanding has

prompted many to discard the notion that all progress is good (examples being food

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shortages and the dangers of global weapons). Hence most rationalists are less

restricted in their views, being more open and accepting of other epistemologies.

From an ontological perspective, it is fair to say that globalisation has gone a long

way to redefine geography in a post-territotialist sense, i.e. the notion that the

boundaries, which have previously defined territories, are becoming less of a concern.

This is certainly a feature of our initial definition of globalisation, which talks about

the constraints of geography receding.

In terms ofspace, many observable realities are now supra territorial. For example,

live television footage can be considered to be as real as witnessing an event first

hand, despite the possibility of it occurring on the other side of the world! This ties in

somewhat with epistemology it is hard to categorize this reality as either direct or

indirect knowledge, hence raising new questions as to what extent this information is

to be accepted and hence structured.

The rise in multiculturalism has added to the trans-territorial feelings experience by

many in the modern world. It has become increasingly accepted for immigrants to

retain some of their previous cultural traits (particularly religion) - thus retaining

strong links with their former lives - and yet integrate into their new countries in other

respects.

The economics of global production and new business goals such as the just-in-time

principal have accelerated the pace of life to new levels. This increased demand of

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immediacy in the workplace has spread to peoples everyday existence; life has

become invariably more hectic and stressful. Many sociological implications have

arisen from this shift, as repercussions are witnessed in fields such as crime and

changing gender roles.

In terms of sociologists themselves, an advantage of globalisation has been the

increasing availability of empirical data through new sources, a result of improved

communication methods and primarily the Internet. This greatly facilitates the

research process and widens the scope of data gathering. Its significance lies in the

fact that, since the human world is ever changing, it is vital for sociologists to have

access to an up-to-date knowledge base with which to work.

In conclusion, regardless of what form globalisation takes, whether it is viewed as a

modern phenomenon or a long- term ongoing process; whether considered politically,

socially, culturally or economically; its effect on the sociological world has been

immense. Globalisation is a social construction - a product of the human world and

thus a product of human interactions, to some extent individual interactions but more

importantly at the aggregate level. Not only that, but globalisation represents change,

in whichever manifestation discussed above, and any change in the human world will

have an impact on the people living within it. Richard Jenkins4 writes that the

foundations of sociology are social change and individual-collective interaction;

hence, any aspect of globalisation, however large or small, is just as significant in the

eyes of the people of this world as it is in those of the sociologist.4 Richard Jenkins, Foundations of Sociology (Hampshire, 2002) p. 18.

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Bibliography

Jenkins, Richard, Foundations of Sociology (Hampshire, 2002) p. 18

Klein, Naomi, No Logo (London, 2000)

Scholte, Jan Aart, Globalization: a critical introduction (2nd edn, New York,

2005)

Wallerstein, Immanuel, The National and the Universal: Can There Be Such a

Thing as World Culture? in Culture, Globalization and the World System, ed.

Anthony D. King (London, 1991)

Waters, Malcolm, Globalization (London, New York; 1995)

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[ba econ] scs101 global is at ion

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