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Globalization
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Globalization
Prospects and Problems

First Edition


August 2013 | 552 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
This groundbreaking text on globalization provides a comprehensive and enlightening overview of globalization issues and topics. Emphasizing the theory and methods that social scientists employ to study globalization, the text reveals how macro globalization processes impact individual lives—from the spread of scientific discourse to which jobs are more or less likely to be offshored. The author presents a clear image of “the big globalization picture” by skillfully exploring, piece by piece, a myriad of globalization topics, debates, theories, and empirical data. Compelling chapters on theory, global civil society, democracy, cities, religion, institutions (sports, education, and health care), along with three chapters on global challenges, help readers develop a broad understanding of key topics and issues. Throughout the text, the author encourages readers to relate their personal experiences to globalization processes, allowing for a more meaningful and relevant learning experience.

 
Chapter One: The World Has Gone Global
 
Chapter Two: Studying Globalization
 
Chapter Three: Setting the Stage: Foundations of Globalization
Waves of Nationhood

 
Early Waves of Economic Globalization

 
Neo-Colonialism and Cold War Strategic Advantage

 
The Contemporary Period of Nation Building

 
Shaping the Modern State

 
Early Globalization of Liberalism

 
Establishing International Law and Organization

 
 
Chapter Four: Making the Global Economy
Post WWII Waves of Economic Globalization

 
Shaping a New Wave

 
Globalization as Transitioning Industrial Sectors

 
Globalization as Outsourcing and Offshoring

 
Globalization as Trade in Labor

 
Growing Economic Inequalities: Within and Among Societies

 
The Global Economic Crisis

 
The View from the World Social Forum: Civil Society Reports

 
The View from the Group of 20

 
The Debt Crisis

 
The Circumstances of Globalization

 
Shaping Globalization: The Possibility of a New Order?

 
Questions, Investigations, and Resources

 
 
Chapter Five: Forging a Global Civil Society
Defining Civil Society

 
Emergence of Global Civil Society

 
The Challenge of Democracy in Global Civil Society

 
Global Civil Society: Interacting Layers of Governance

 
Civil Society Case Studies

 
Case Study: Treaty to Ban Landmines

 
Case Study: The Environmental Regime

 
The Human Rights Regime

 
The Global Field

 
Questions, Investigations, and Resources

 
 
Chapter Six: Who Gets What, When and How: Global Governance
Propositions for Global Governance

 
Summary

 
Questions, Investigations, and Resources

 
 
Chapter Seven: Globalizing Political Culture and State Governance
Globalization of Normative Criteria for Governance

 
Wave Effects in Globalization

 
Questions, Investigations, and Resources

 
 
Chapter Eight: Trends and Transitions in Democracy
2011: A New Democratic Wave?

 
The Development of Democracy around the World

 
Questions, Investigations, and Resources

 
 
Chapter Nine: Globalizing Culture: Change and Continuity
Conversion and Divergence in Globalization

 
Global Culture: Compromise and Clash

 
Cultural Flows Emerging from Global Life

 
Summaru

 
Questions, Investigations

 
 
Chapter Ten: Globalization and Everyday Life
Education

 
Global Patterns of Health and Health Care

 
Sports

 
Questions and Investigations

 
 
Chapter Eleven: Religion: Conflict and Compromise
 
Chapter Twelve: Transborder Threats to Well-Being: Inequality and Migration
Transborder Threats to Wellbeing: Inequality and Migration

 
Risk and Uncertainty

 
Inequality: The Global Pyramid

 
Three Case Studies to Alleviate Poverty

 
Migration

 
Questions and Investigations

 
 
Chapter Thirteen: Transborder Threats to Human Well-Being: Violent Conflict and Crime
The Challege of Violent Conflict

 
Peace Making and Peace Building

 
Transnational Organized Crime (TOC)

 
Responding to Risks

 
Questions, Investigations, and Resources

 
 
Chapter Fourteen: Transborder Threats to Human Well-Being: Food and the Environment
A World of Contrast: Starving on a Planet of Plenty

 
Threats to the Natural Environment

 
Questions, Investigations, and Resources

 
 
Chapter Fifteen: Global Trajectories: The City
Contemporary Cities

 
Cities and the Qualities of Life

 
Innovative Approaches to City Life

 
Questions and Investigations

 

Supplements

Instructor Site

Password-protected Instructor Resources include the following:
 

  • Test banks provide a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity to edit any question and/or insert your own personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding
  • Chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides offer assistance with lecture and review preparation by highlighting essential content, features, and artwork from the book.
  • Investigations Activities explore key concepts discussed in the text, assess students' application of concepts and analytical thinking and require students to gather data on topics such as rates of globalization in various dimensions using Mauro Guillen's Index of Globalization.




This book brings us up to date with the process of globalisation. It is full of essential reading for the course. The author relates to so many of the topics we cover and the detail is exceptional. I liked the layout and order of the topics. This will be invaluable to our students.

Ms Lynette Jordan
School of Education, Glasgow University
November 11, 2013

Very good introduction for the dozen themes it tackles. I advised my students who work on one of those themes to read the chapter in question as an introduction to their research.

Professor Mathieu De Wasseige
Language, H.E.G./I.H.E.C.S.
October 17, 2013

This a very good text book, identifying and conceptualizing globalization in a format that is digestable to students, but yet still offering criticality. Politically astute and socially relevant

Ms MARY ANDALL-STANBERRY
CHILDHOOD STUDIES, Canterbury Christ Church University
October 17, 2013

This is an excellent student/tutor friendly text very suitable for undergraduate teaching. It is clear and topical on a subject which is crowded with much literature. However this book cuts through the main sub- issues in a fashion that is compatable with class discussion.

Mr Michael Mahadeo
Dept of Sociology & Appl'd Soc Studies, Ulster University
October 17, 2013

The book is not appropriate for a Master level course. Furthermore, as an economist I strongly disagree with large parts of the book. I am not sure the author has read economics beyond the most basic level.

Professor Henrik Hansen
Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen
October 16, 2013

This book is an ideal for students to develop their understanding of global issues. It will become essential reading for the module Law, Globalisation and Ethics.

Mr Gordon Macleod
Business,Law and Publice Services, University Centre at Blackburn College
October 4, 2013

very good intro text

Dr Andrzej Zieleniec
Sociology , Keele University
September 17, 2013
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Key features
Key Features:
  • Research Case Studies demonstrate how social scientists study globalization and provide an in-depth look at important globalization topics.
  • Strong theoretical coverage includes a separate chapter that covers a range of political, economic, and cultural theories of globalization, as well as the integration of more focused theories into appropriate chapters.
  • Macro and micro issues are integrated within the same analytical framework, clarifying that these levels of social life are intimately related, not two distinct realms of experience.
  • A chapter on the history of globalization lays the foundation for understanding contemporary globalization.
  • Active learning features include 
    • Consider This boxes that challenge students to critically reflect on the meaning or consequences of a specific recent event,
    • A Closer Look boxes that focus on a specific aspect of globalization as it applies to world events,
    • Check It Out Yourself boxes that guide students in examining the evidence, as well as
    • chapter-ending investigations, debate questions, and critical thinking questions.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 3

Chapter 5


This title is also available on SAGE Knowledge, the ultimate social sciences online library. If your library doesn’t have access, ask your librarian to start a trial.