Defination of Globalisation

Program on the Geopolitical Implications of Globalization and Transnational Security

Definitions of Globalization: A Comprehensive Overview and a Proposed Definition

Dr. Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan Senior Scholar in Geostrategy and Director of the Program on the Geopolitical Implications of Globalization and Transnational Security Geneva Centre for Security Policy

Ambassador Gérard Stoudmann Director Geneva Centre for Security Policy

June 19, 2006
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Dr. Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan Ambassador Gérard Stoudmann

Definitions of Globalization: A Comprehensive Overview and a Proposed Definition

Abstract Many authors have attempted, with relative success, to define globalization in a variety of ways. Some claim that it cannot be done, others claim that it would constrain the meaning to do so, and still others have defied these two beliefs and have constructed a working definition. Despite differing opinions about developing a definition, all authors agree on one thing: that defining this term is anything but easy. This paper will attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing definitions of globalization and introduce our proposed definition: “Globalization is a process that encompasses the causes, course, and consequences of transnational and transcultural integration of human and non-human activities.”

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Dr. Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan Ambassador Gérard Stoudmann

Definitions of Globalization: A Comprehensive Overview and a Proposed Definition

Introduction
Globalization is not a single concept that can be defined and encompassed within a set time frame, nor is it a process that can be defined clearly with a beginning and an end. Furthermore, it cannot be expounded upon with certainty and

References: P. V. Nikitin and J. E. Elliott, “Freedom and the Market (An Analysis of the Anti-globalisation Movement from the Perspective of the Theoretical Foundation of the Evaluation of the Dynamics of Capitalism by Palanyi, Hayek and Keynes)”, The Forum for Social Economics, Fall 2000, pp. 1-16, p. 14, as cited in G. Gaburro and E. O’Boyle, “Norms for Evaluating Economic Globalization”, International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 30, No. 1/2, 2003, pp. 95118, p. 115. 2 See http://www.twnside.org.sg/. 3 T. Larsson, The Race to the Top: The Real Story of Globalization (U.S.: Cato Institute, 2001), p. 9. 4 This quote is part of our definitions table, but it originally appeared in Kenichi Ohmae, The Borderless World: Power and Strategy in the Global Marketplace (London: HarperCollins, 1992), as cited in RAWOO Netherlands Development Assistance Research Council, “Coping with Globalization: The Need for Research Concerning the Local Response to Globalization in Developing Countries”, Publication No. 20, 2000, p. 14. 5 R. Cox, “Multilateralism and the Democratization of World Order”, paper for International Symposium on Sources of Innovation in Multilateralism, Lausanne, May 26-28, 1994, as cited in J. A. Scholte, “The Globalization of World Politics”, in J. Baylis and S. Smith (eds.), The Globalization of World Politics, An Introduction to International Relations (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), p. 15. 6 st V. S. A. Kumar, “A Critical Methodology of Globalization: Politics of the 21 Century?”, Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, Vol. 10, Issue 2, 2003, pp. 87-111, p. 87. 7 G. Ritzer, “The Globalization of Nothing”, SAIS Review, Vol. 23, No. 2, Summer-Fall 2003, pp. 189-200, p. 190. 8 R. Kilminster, “Globalization as an Emergent Concept”, in Alan Scott (ed.), The Limits of Globalization: Cases and Arguments (London: Routledge, 1997), p. 257. 9 A. Appadurai, Modernity at Large: The Cultural Dimensions of Globalization (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1996), p. 4, as cited in K. Chowdhury, “Interrogating ‘Newness’, Globalization and Postcolonial Theory in the Age of Endless War”, Cultural Critique, No. 62, Winter 2006, pp. 126-161, p. 137. 10 Appears in our definitions table, Anthony G. McGrew, “Global Legal Interaction and Present-Day Patterns of Globalization”, in V. Gessner and A. C. Budak (eds.), Emerging Legal Certainty: Empirical Studies on the Globalization of Law (Ashgate: Dartmouth Publishing Company, 1998), p. 327, as cited in V. S. A. Kumar, “A Critical st Methodology of Globalization: Politics of the 21 Century?”, Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, Vol. 10, Issue 2, 2003, pp. 87-111, p. 98. 11 C. Poppi, “Wider Horizons with Larger Details: Subjectivity, Ethnicity, and Globalization”, in Alan Scott (ed.), The Limits of Globalization: Cases and Arguments (London: Routledge, 1997), p. 300, n. 1. 12 Quanto Financial Technology is “an international venture with the goal to create the premier center of competence in Financial Software in Romania.” Please see http://www.equanto.com/index.html for further information. 13 In 2001, a paper by the same name, “The Multicultural Question”, was published by the Pavis Centre. See http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/sociology. 14 “The Open Internet Lexicon (OIL) is an initiative to build a dictionary of Web terms (words and short phrases) in many languages. Our goal is to reflect current Internet and Web usage in many countries. The dictionary will be open for all who are building multilingual web sites or single-language web sites.” Please see http://www.openinternetlexicon.com/. 15 From their website, “Colours of Resistance (COR) is a grassroots network of people who consciously work to develop anti-racist, multiracial politics in the movement against global capitalism.” For more information, see http://colours.mahost.org/. 16 The definition that appears on this site was adopted from “Workinfonet,” which is inaccessible at this time. However, the citation that appears here is active as of the date of publication. 17 From their webpage: “The purpose of Agtrade.org is to educate the interested public about current agricultural trade policy issues. We aim to present the results on recent issues in a way that is understandable to a general audience.” The site is maintained by the Department of Agriculture Economics and Rural Sociology at Penn State University in cooperation with the International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium (IATRC). For more information, see http://www.agtrade.org/. 18 From their webpage: “Take Back Wisconsin is an independent - not for profit - website. The purpose is to provide a ‘Portal Depository’ of collected materials from around the state, and to allow the public to ‘share’ in this information. The public and organizations within the state are encouraged to submit any valuable articles, letters, news releases, correspondence, legislation, or any materials which will help in the cause to Take Back Wisconsin.” For further information, see http://www.takebackwisconsin.com/. All copyrights are reserved by the authors. 1 20 Dr. Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan Ambassador Gérard Stoudmann Definitions of Globalization: A Comprehensive Overview and a Proposed Definition As explained on their webpage, this is “Scotland’s main economic development agency, funded by the Scottish executive.” For further information, please see http://www.scottishenterprise.com/sedotcom_home/about_se.htm?siblingtoggle=1. 20 According to their webpage, Prentice Hall is “the world’s leading publisher of academic and reference books.” For more information, see http://vig.prenhall.com/. 21 E Marketing is a company that “develop[s] online marketing programs that work hand-in-hand with [a company’s] offline marketing to give [your company] customer focussed, effective solutions that attracts the attention of your market and, more importantly, keeps it.” See http://www.emarketing.ie/index.html. 22 “Stanlake Search was founded in 1990 as a specialist search and selection consultancy. Our business is focused on the recruitment needs of buy and sell-side firms in the financial markets and the technology / IT sector.” Please see http://www.stanlake.co.uk/stanlake-profile/index.htm for further information. 23 Investor Wiz is a webpage that offers a “fountain of information for novice investors.” Available at http://www.investorwiz.com/index.html. 24 HSE stands for Health, Safety and Environment and is part of the Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI), which states: “Business helping business improve environmental, health & safety performance, shareholder value and corporate citizenship.” Please see http://www.gemi.org/. 25 Washington Council on International Trade is a “private, non-profit, non-partisan association comprised of private sector businesses, public sector and state government representatives, academia, consular groups and individuals.” Please see http://www.wcit.org/. 26 “SILK - is a new creation within library functions. We are both a sector-specific library and a public library, in addition to be a research library. The sector-specific part is concentrated to a digital resource on the internet about speech technology, books on speech technology and general IT and delivery of services to the companies connected to the speech technology milieu at Tvildemoen in Voss.” For further information, please see http://portal.bibliotekivest.no/about_us.htm. 19 All copyrights are reserved by the authors. 21