Page 31 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol III

850 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

early twentieth centuries. Whatever the specific years of
its beginning, there is no question that certainly begin-
ning in the mid-nineteenth century, and then following
WorldWarII,theworldhasseenanunprecedenteddegree
ofglobalization,especiallyasweincludeallthenewforms
of noneconomic contact (e.g.,tourism,the Internet).
If we prefer to use the term “globalize” as a verb, then
we can speak of globalization as involving the thickening
of contacts between previously isolated regions and the
facilitation and institutionalization of such flows. In this
way, “global” would not refer exclusively to processes
involving the whole world, but the integration of known
areas of possible interaction. As such, globalization has
occurredinvariousotherhistoricalperiods.Empiressuch
astheRoman,Chinese,andOttomanaswellastheIslamic
community by the fifteenth century could be perceived as
engaging in a process of globalization. One could argue
thattheinitialmigrationofhominidsfromAfricaandtheir
subsequentcolonizationoftheearthwasthefirstexample
ofthisprocess.ThedegreeofEuropeanexpansioninthefif-
teenth century would be another as would the creation of
As part of the globalization process, beliefs
subsequent empires through the nineteenth century.The
from one part of the world diffuse to and
revolutions in communication and transportation culmi-
are reinterpreted in other regions. This
nating in cheap airfares and the Internet are thus merely
photo shows Western adherents of Hare
means in the latest phase of globalization.
Krishna on a pilgrimage to India.
Measuring Globalization
Precisely because it is so apparently ubiquitous, measur-
transactions take has been drastically reduced while the ing the extent of globalization has not been easy. The
ease with which they are arranged has dramatically development of international trade has been the most
improved.We now can travel practically anywhere in the immediate (or most visible) phenomenon associated with
globe in less time that it would have taken to go from the it, but money, in and of itself, has come to play an argu-
capital to a provincial town a century ago. It is also pos- ably even larger role than does the transfer of material
sible to phone or obtain information on faraway regions goods. Labor, while still subject to much greater control
in literally seconds. than capital, moves transnationally while international
If we use the term globalization in this way, Castells tourism now involves millions of people yearly. The
(2000) contends that we are living through a dramatic ubiquity of American culture is already a cliché, but it is
transformation into a global economy distinct from the also possible to eat sushi, drink Beaujolais, and buy curry
“world” economy born in the sixteenth century.Yet, Hirst in any metropolitan center.
and Thompson (1999) offer evidence indicating that the Perhaps the most often used figures involve the in-
current process of global interconnection is much less creases in the global exchange of goods and money. In
dramatic than what occurred in the late nineteenth and the 1960s trade accounted for one quarter of the global