Globalization

by Zachary Udell

Globalization is a theory that focuses on the interconnectedness of countries throughout the world and what part that plays in affecting their respective populations. Between countries there exists a vast sharing of knowledge that serves to educate and inform about one’s country. The people within these nations are exposed to ideas and practices that are different from what they are accustomed to; food, currency, religion, language and many other aspects of culture. This is important because it affects entire cultures by exposing them to never before known ideas. Sociologist Immanuel Wallerstein’s idea on globalization focuses on a perspective called ‘world-systems theory’, which is the understanding that anthropologists and other social scientists have to acknowledge and respect the idea that there has been a global diffusion of ideas. Similar to this idea, Anthropologist Arjun Appadurai holds the idea that because of global migrations and mass communication, identities of citizens will change. Concepts like nationality will not longer be easily discernable, they will be blended together in a mixture of cultures. Gunder Frank, a dependency theorist, writes that there exists an inter-regional and transnational division of labor that divides countries into categories. Based on these categories, there exists a hierarchy with the nations on top consuming the raw materials and labor-intensive productions of poorer countries. Not only labor and consumable goods, but technology and jobs are becoming more readily available throughout the world because of mass communication and globalization. It can become difficult to analyze and study cultures that exist out of this global identity. Despite the decrease in national identities, social scientists can focus on translocalities, smaller groups of people concentrated on a specific area, instead of distinctly different and larger groups of people. Understanding how globalization affects every society on our planet is important because it affects people, their ideas, and their cultures.

**KEY FIGURES**

Immanuel Wallerstein - September 28th, 1930-Present

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel\_Wallerstein

Arjun Appadurai

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arjun\_Appadurai

Gunder Frank - February 24, 1929 – April 23, 2005)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andre\_Gunder\_Frank

**KEY TEXTS**

Appadurai, Arjun.
2013. *The Future as Cultural Fact: Essays on the Global Condition'**.*** **Verso.**

Appadurai, Arjun.
2007. *Worship and Conflict Under Colonial*
Rule: A South Indian Case.''Cambridge University Press.

Appadurai, Arjun.
2007. *Worship and Conflict Under Colonial Rule*: A South Indian Case.Cambridge University Press.

Gunder Frank, Andre.
1975. *On Capitalist Underdevelopment.*
Oxford University Press.

Gunder Frank, Andre.
1993. *The World System: Five Hundred*
Years or Five Thousand?''*.* London & New York: Routledge.

Gunder Frank, Andre.
1971. *Sociology of Development and Underdevelopment*
of Sociology*. London:Pluto*

Wallerstein, Immanuel.
1997. *The Modern World System: Capitalist*
Agriculture and the Origins of the European World Economy in the Sixteenth
Century. '**Academic Press.**

Wallerstein, Immanuel.
1979. *The Capitalist World Economy.*
University Press.

Wallerstein, Immanuel.
1996. *Historial Capitalism with Capitalist*
Civilization. *W.W. Norton & Company, 2nd ed.*

**REFERENCES**

Appadurai, Arjun. 2013.*The Future as Cultural Fact: Essays on the Global Condition'**.*****Verso.**

Appadurai, Arjun. 2007.*Worship and Conflict Under Colonial Rule: A South Indian Case.*Cambridge University Press.

Appadurai, Arjun. 2007.*Worship and Conflict Under Colonial Rule*: A South Indian Case.Cambridge University Press.

Gunder Frank, Andre. 1975.*On Capitalist Underdevelopment.*Oxford University Press.

Gunder Frank, Andre. 1993.*The World System: Five Hundred Years or Five Thousand?'**.*****London & New York: Routledge.**

Gunder Frank, Andre. 1971.*Sociology of Development and Underdevelopment of Sociology*. London:Pluto

Wallerstein, Immanuel. 1997.*The Modern World System: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World Economy in the Sixteenth Century.'**Academic Press.***

Wallerstein, Immanuel. 1979.*The Capitalist World Economy.*University Press.

Wallerstein, Immanuel. 1996.*Historial Capitalism with Capitalist*Civilization.*W.W. Norton & Company, 2nded.*

Wallerstein, Immanuel. 2004. *World-Systems Analysis: An Introduction.* Duke University Press.