SOCIAL CHANGE IN A GLOBALISED WORLD

Social Change in a Globalised World

Social Change in a Globalised World

Introduction

Globalisation can many different definitions and is constantly changing, and there does not seem to be a widely accepted definition and will take on different cultural, political, social and other connotations as time goes on . It is indeed an economic phenomenon, involving the increasing interaction, or integration of national economic systems through the growth in international trade, investment and capital flows. It is a cross border social, cultural, technological exchange. It's a process in which geographic distance becomes a factor of diminishing importance in the establishment and maintenance of cross border economic, political and socio-cultural relations. (Comaroff, 2000: 291-343) Globalisation undeniably is a capitalist process and has taken off as a concept in the wake of the collapse of the soviet union and of socialism as a viable alternate form of economic organisation. Globalisation can be seen in transitional stages from agricultural, industrial and technological. These revolutions were decisive in the establishment of the modern, globalised world, what is called a global village. Without these revolutions the creation of the scaffold for globalisation would not have been created; private property, means and modes of production, extensive trading, communication, transport, technology, population and labour increase and mass production.

Global interdependence is and will continue to control the twenty first century. What occurs on the other side of the sphere (world) is already being experienced in the United Kingdom and vice-versa.

"The Global village. The New World Order, The peace dividend; these are all buzzwords of the 1990s that reflected an optimistic outlook for the dawning of the next century. ...Unfortunately it has become obvious that the corner turned did not lead to a smooth road on which racism, nationalism, and plethora of insular, myopic attitudes were put behind us. In fact it seems that we have entered a period of time where many of the demons of the Cold War era - whether economic, environmental or social - still loom like an ominous cloud on the horizon."

Presently the combination of wide spread awareness and established academic perspectives, the topic of Globalisation has grown prominently following the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s. Dowdeswell quotation suggests it brought vast optimism for:

I. Improved international cooperation between cultures and countries.

II. New obligations to support the aims of International organisations, in particular the United Nations (UN).

These progressions many people anticipated would incorporate efforts to confront a variety of incessant negative outcomes, including: economic, social, and cultural inequalities, war human right abuses and environmental degradation and destruction. Since then things have become increasingly complex.

In this discussion on past, present and future Globalisation, first we analyse the historical foundations of Globalisation (the "past" aspect), looking at events that enabled Western Imperialism and expanding an understanding by observing various theoretical approaches. Then discussing the present existence of both "positive" and "negative" outcomes of globalisation. Progressing on we look at Globalisation in terms of; economic, social and cultural factors all of which are ...