An Introduction to Global Studies

Patricia J. Campbell, Aran MacKinnon, Christy R. Stevens

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Year: 2011
• ISBN:
  9781444329582
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Politik & Internationale Beziehungen
• Subtopic: Globalisierung

Taking an interdisciplinary approach, An Introduction to Global Studies presents readers with a solid introduction to the complex, interconnected forces and issues confronting today's globalized world.

• Introduces readers to major theories, key terms, concepts, and notable theorists
• Equips readers with the basic knowledge and conceptual tools necessary for thinking critically about the complex issues facing the global community
• Includes a variety of supplemental features to facilitate learning and enhance readers' understanding of the material

Chapter 1

GOING GLOBAL

“As a society becomes more enlightened, it realizes that it is responsible not to transmit and conserve the whole of its existing achievements, but only such as make for a better future society. The school is the chief agency for the accomplishment of this end.” (John Dewey, Democracy and Education, 1916)1

“The world is my country; to do good my religion.” (Motto of American political theorist and writer Thomas Paine, 1737–1809)2

“Humanity is interwoven by many threads, and they grow stronger and longer each day. Professionals increasingly link their fortunes with those from afar, while significant challenges and problems transcend boundary lines. In an age of information overflow, though, it can be difficult to connect the dots and adapt to all that’s new. To survive and succeed, individuals must increase their understanding of this interconnected world. And they must embrace global perspectives and viewpoints, for their own sake as much as for the benefit of humanity.” (From J. Michael Adams and Angelo Carfagna, Coming of Age in a Globalized World)3

Learning to Question, Questioning to Learn

• How is global studies similar to/different from other fields?
• What are some of the various definitions of globalization?
• Is globalization a “good” or “bad” thing?
• Is globalization a new phenomenon or is it an extension and acceleration of processes that have been going on throughout human history?
• How does the concept of global citizenship differ from traditional definitions of citizenship?

Introduction

Global Studies. Globalization. Global Citizenship. This chapter explores these three terms in depth, beginning with a discussion of the emergence of global studies as a field of study in academic institutions around the world. Next, the chapter presents a working definition of globalization, describing some of its most prominent characteristics. It then looks at economic, political, and cultural globalization processes separately and in greater depth. The chapter ends with a discussion of global citizenship, comparing it with traditional definitions of citizenship and considering how it might function as a useful category in today’s globalizing world.

Why Global Studies?

The word “global” is used a lot these days. From “the global war on terror” to “global climate change,” we are growing more accustomed to viewing issues, activities, processes, ideas, problems, and solutions in global rather than in solely local or national terms. For example, today, more than ever before, communication is global. The Internet, email, blogs, RSS feeds, satellites, cell phones, webcams, and various electronic handheld devices allow human beings all over the world to connect with each other instantaneously, breaking down the barriers of time and space that have isolated (to varying degrees) individuals and communities from each other in the past. Today, more than ever before, business is also global. Take Subaru, the car company, as a fairly typical example. A small number of the Japanese cars were first imported into the US in 1968. Today, the company’s “Subaru Global” website reveals that, though it is still headquartered in Japan, it now has many facilities all over the globe, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Singapore, and China.4 And today, more than ever before, health and environmental problems are global. Human beings all over the world are contributing to problems (global climate change being an important example) that affect the entire globe and that can only be effectively responded to by coordinated global action.

The academic field of global studies emerged in this contemporary globalizing context, as scholars increasingly grappled with changes that were rapidly shrinking the globe and intensifying social, political, and economic connections. Initially, scholars seeking to understand these issues tended to do so within the framework of their specific disciplines. Even though global issues tend to go beyond the scope of any single discipline, the discipline-specific approach was used because of the way academic institutions are traditionally organized. Academic disciplines are among the most entrenched divisions in colleges and universities, serving as the basis for academic departments, professional associations, and scholarly journals. Scholars who earn a PhD in the discipline of philosophy, for example, havetraditionally tended to apply for jobs in philosophy departments, write articles for publication in philosophy journals using the language and theoretical frameworks accepted by the field of philosophy, and join professional philosophy associations, such as the American Philosophical Association. As such, it makes sense that scholars tended initially to approach globalization solely through the frameworks of their specific disciplines. Over time, however, many began arguing persuasively that globalization involves too many different types of forces and issues for it to be understood adequately through the lens of any single discipline. This realization led scholars to begin reaching across disciplinary boundaries to study global issues in new ways and to develop global studies courses and programs in collaboration with colleagues from various academic departments.

disciplines Most often used to refer to the division of fields of knowledge at the university or college level.

Today, global studies is establishing itself as an academic field of study in its own right, with institutes,5 associations,6 academic conferences,7 and degree-granting programs8 emerging around the world with increasing frequency since the 1990s. Most academic pursuits that have adopted the “global studies” label are developed around the idea that this is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary enterprise.9 That is, global studies attempts to understand the world by looking at it from multiple perspectives (multidisciplinary), drawing upon the insights and theoretical frameworks of various academic fields, such as history, political science, international relations, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, and economics. In addition, global studies also seeks to make connections between those different perspectives – to understand how they are related and how they might fit together as part of a larger whole (interdisciplinary).

multidisciplinary Drawing upon different disciplinary perspectives without necessarily exploring the connections or blurring the boundaries among them.

interdisciplinary Integrating the theories, methodologies, and insights of various disciplines and exploring the connections and blurring the boundaries among them.

Global studies students and scholars analyze the social, political, and economic processes and transformations that affect not only the world as a whole but also individual localities in particular, complex, and sometimes contradictory ways. Global studies also generally foregrounds an active ethical component that tends not to be as prominent in many other disciplines. In other words, global studies students and scholars often explicitly seek out ways to connect academics with action; their desire to understand global issues is inextricably linked to their desire to discover effective ways of improving the world.10 Edward Kolodziej, Director of the Center for Global Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, argues that exploring and devising new ways to meet the needs of the world’s diverse populations is one of the central concerns of global studies programs. He points to the spread of weapons of mass destruction, viral infections, ecological disasters, and human rights as examples of global issues that are appropriate for both study and action within the global studies framework.11 Similarly, David Jacobson and Ning Wang, Professor and Assistant Professor of Global Studies respectively at Arizona State University, observe that the questions and problems addressed in global studies classrooms are not simply academic in nature; rather, issues such as the environment and cultural conflict are “pressing global challenges” that demand”more effective policy.”12 In short, global studies is designed to educate people who are interested in finding solutions to these kinds of global problems, or, put another way, in making the world a better place. Many programs make this goal explicit through mission statements that profess a commitment to developing global citizens,13 a term we will return to at the end of the chapter.

global citizens People who see their local actions as having global consequences and who have accepted that they have a responsibility to work to better the conditions of the world and its people.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Globalization

Global studies emerged in the context of and in response to globalization. But what exactly are we talking about when we talk about globalization? “Globalization” is a relatively new term. Although it made its dictionary debut in 1961,14 it was rarely used until the 1980s, when it began appearing in academic literature with increasing frequency.15 The term entered into common parlance in the 1990s, and today is “deployed across disciplines, across the world, across theoretical approaches, and across the political spectrum.”16 Despite the pervasiveness of the term today, it remains ambiguous and contested, perhaps because it is used in many different ways to support a variety of competing interests. Some believe globalization is intrinsically “good,” others believe it is inherently “bad,” and still others assert that while it is intrinsically neither good nor bad, it can have both positive and negative effects. Some conflate globalization with internationalization, while others equate it with Westernization. Some view globalization as a new phenomenon driven primarily by new...