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406 THE ISA HANDBOOK IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGY

to speak about ‘global wars’ not because vio- the seat of the political center of the EU. In
lence is occurring everywhere, but because any event, a shift of political issues to
of the structure of the conflicts between the global/regional levels has taken place, and it
global and the local, whether or not they is unlikely that the national will regain as
break out in violence. high a proportion of control over the local
Among the many potential evils of global- ever again in the face of these alternative
ization is the suspension or blockage of local regional and global institutions.
democratic processes in favor of, or in defer-
ence to, more encompassing and generally
more powerful systems, whether of a region,
a state, a transnational region or the world. IDEOLOGICAL PROCESSES IN
One consequence of globalization that is often GLOBALIZATION
expressed is the fear that in order to succeed,
global actors will by-pass local institutions, Human societies sought their betterment not
including local, democratic ones. To do so, only from exchanges with others but also by
they cultivate anti-democratic and corrupt simply taking from and dominating their
local practices. More than that is the belief neighbors (Keeley, 1996). Integration of
that political participation, to be meaningful, societies was also brought about through
must be local and occur in an environment ideologies of peace and cooperation. These
free of threats from outsiders. Versions of ideologies were religious in nature, promising
these arguments were part of many violent better societies based on extramundane legit-
efforts by national governments to assert imacy and justice. All of the major systems
control of localities. of belief in a new order of peace – Buddhism,
The data that will be presented later in this Christianity, and Islam – got caught up in
chapter as an example of globalization’s persistent internal factional fights and wars
impact on the local governmental units sup- with neighbors and lost their credibility as
port the contrary view: globalization expands unifiers and peacemakers.
alternatives opened by higher level institu- Secular globalization processes must be
tions, not only increasing freedom of choice underpinned by ideologies, belief systems
for the local but also stimulating local that support their more inclusive social sys-
democratization through the acceptance of tems. Globalization processes of the last
diversity of cultures and practices. These new decades of the twentieth century carried with
connections include non-governmental them the ideology of ‘liberal democracy’, an
regional and international organizations and, open, inclusive, secular ideology which,
in some areas of the world, justice in the however associated with older kinds of impe-
form of courts and forums to redress national rialism, stands as an ideology of human
violations of rights. Globalization also development without commitment to any
empowers local populations by opening up particular group, civilization, or religion.
opportunities to challenge local authorities This general democratic ideology is based on
and threaten to ‘vote’ by exiting. New choices inclusion without commitment to a group,
generated by globalization can be seen in the which makes it difficult to target specific
rapid development and acceptance of a ‘third enemies other than the general evils of the
tier’ of regions within Europe, many in global unknown.
response to initiatives of local regions within The new global order based on this secular
countries, accompanying advances in the ideology is being given shape by open insti-
institutionalization of the European Union tutions in major regional affiliations and
(Bullmann, 1997). Regional bodies provide institutions in Europe, Asia, North America,
voice and strength to interests that are not Latin America, and Africa. Some of these
heard in the national capitals or in Brussels, already have a regional politics as is seen in