Introduction to Globalisation

The Globalization of Nothing - George Ritzer

chapter 4, pg 71


"While social theorists (and other social scientists) have long been interested in globalisation, in recent years there has been an explosion of work on the topic by leading contemporary thinkers. The flowering of such theories (and other work) is a reflection of the fact that globalisation is of great concern to, and of enormous significance for, the larger population. Virtually every nation and the lives of billions of people throughout the world are being transformed, often quite dramatically, by globalisation. "

Simply put, Ritzer is stating that globalisation, its effects and theories on such are both mutually inclusive, and both as important as the other when understanding the topic. He also means that globalisation is so vast and so prominent that it is nigh impossible to ignore or avoid - basically, it's inevitable.

pg 72

"We can start with a definition of globalisation as 'the worldwide diffusion of practices, expansion of relations across continents, organisation of social life on a global scale, and growth of a shared global conciousness'."

Basically, the growth from local to national, to international, to worldwide; affecting business, social and ideological means.

pg 72

"Globalisation has naturally been of great interest to those in business, especially the emergence of new global markets and the ideologies that accompany them. Related to many other issues is the relationship between technology and globalisation, including the role technology plays in global inequalities. Of special interest and concern in this regard is the computer, the Internet, and the emergence of the global digital divide. Then there are such issues as the relationship between globalisation and religion, sport, pop music and virtually every other aspect of the social world, as well as linkage of globalisation to a range of social problems such as poverty and inequality, global crime, global sex and the international sex trade, and terrorism, as well as the impact of globalisation on the environment. All of these problems, and many others, have led to considerable interest in the morality and ethics of globalisation."

Looking beyond the simple definition of globalisation now, as the above text indicates it is not quite as simple or straightforward anymore - both the positive and negative aspects become very obvious. "Growth" and "expansion", at first, have positive connotations, so we assume globalisation to be a good thing. The growth and enhancement of technology, which makes our lives both easier and more enjoyable, is more or less seen as a positive, as with the rise in popularity and audience of pop music, sport etc as mentioned. In regards to the problems Ritzer points out such as terrorism and international sex trade, however, growth and expansion cease to be a desirable trait, as these social aspects are far more of a nuisance with very little benefit to the population.

So, with a brief insight to both the good and the bad, is globalisation really good for society?