The Sociology of Globalization

This accessible and wide-ranging book demonstrates the distinctive insights that sociology has to bring to the study of globalization. Taking in the cultural, political and economic dimensions of globalization, the book provides a thorough introduction to key debates and critically evaluates the causes and consequences of a globalizing world.

In addition to topics such as America's changing position in the world under President Obama, the growth of China as a global power and anti-globalization movements, Martell brings to the discussion other aspects of world affairs that sociologists have sometimes not focused on so much. In doing so, he underlines the importance of economic motivations and structures, and shows how power, inequality and conflict are major factors in globalization. The book argues that globalization offers many opportunities for greater interaction and participation in societies throughout the world, for instance through the media and migration, but also has dark sides such as war and nuclear proliferation, global poverty, climate change and financial crisis.

This book will be an ideal companion to students across the social sciences taking courses that cover globalization, and the sociology of globalization in particular.

Introduction: Concepts of Globalization

Chapter 1. Perspectives on Globalization: divergence or convergence?

Chapter 2. The History of Globalization: pre–modern, modern or postmodern?

Chapter 3. Technology, Economy and the Globalization of Culture

Chapter 4. The Globalization of Culture: homogeneous or hybrid?

Chapter 5. Global Migration: inequality and history

Chapter 6. The Effects of Migration: is migration a problem or solution?

Chapter 7. The Global Economy: capitalism and the economic bases of Globalization

Chapter 8. Global Inequality: is globalization a solution to world poverty?

Chapter 9. Politics, the State and Globalization: the end of the nation–state and social democracy?

Chapter 10. Global Politics and Cosmopolitan Democracy

Chapter 11. Anti–Globalization and Global Justice Movements

Chapter 12. The Future World Order: the decline of American power?

Chapter 13. War and Globalization

Conclusion

References

Luke Martell is Reader in Sociology at the University of Sussex.