The Purpose of Manfred Steger’s first chapter in Globalization: a very short introduction is to clarify the Definition and meaning of globalization and begin to discuss why it is misunderstood. Seger presents three different arguments, firstly is that globalization is misunderstood and has been viewed as western culture attacking smaller nations and communities. Second is that globalization is a social condition and we must be cautious of the tense we put it in. Lastly is that the definition of globalization has been widely debated and is still not defined by scholars.
Segar explains that what we call globalization can be traced back to the sixties but it was not understood in the public until twenty-five years later. However there is still …show more content…
Segar gives the very apt metaphor of the blind scholars who try to understand the appearance of an elephant and cannot come to a conclusion because they each describe a different part of the animal without knowing the others perspective. In the same way each scholar who tries to describe globalization based on their study of it, but because of the large scope of the subject, you must use multiple descriptions to reach a definition that is the most accurate. Through the analysis of multiple definitions Segar created for different parts that make up globalization; first is the creation of new products, as well as the multiplication of older ones, secondly is the Expansion and stretching of social relations, third is the intensification and acceleration of social exchange, and lastly is compression of the world. This leads to his definition which is an amalgamation of these pieces “Globalization refers to the expansion and intensification of social relations and consciousness across world-time and world-space”. My Interpretation of this is that globalization is a huge phenomena that has almost no precedent in human history, because of the shear scale of it. It is in my opinion the biggest thing humanity has ever built, considering it incorporates all social communication, production, distribution, and consumption that takes
Segar explains that what we call globalization can be traced back to the sixties but it was not understood in the public until twenty-five years later. However there is still …show more content…
Segar gives the very apt metaphor of the blind scholars who try to understand the appearance of an elephant and cannot come to a conclusion because they each describe a different part of the animal without knowing the others perspective. In the same way each scholar who tries to describe globalization based on their study of it, but because of the large scope of the subject, you must use multiple descriptions to reach a definition that is the most accurate. Through the analysis of multiple definitions Segar created for different parts that make up globalization; first is the creation of new products, as well as the multiplication of older ones, secondly is the Expansion and stretching of social relations, third is the intensification and acceleration of social exchange, and lastly is compression of the world. This leads to his definition which is an amalgamation of these pieces “Globalization refers to the expansion and intensification of social relations and consciousness across world-time and world-space”. My Interpretation of this is that globalization is a huge phenomena that has almost no precedent in human history, because of the shear scale of it. It is in my opinion the biggest thing humanity has ever built, considering it incorporates all social communication, production, distribution, and consumption that takes