Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade
Challenges to globalization
Name of the subject: English
Name of the student: Teodora Deljanin
Index number: 461/17
Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade
Globalization could be seen as the common evolutionary tree of mankind, which may end
up in positive outcomes or dismal ones, depending on how choices are made at each critical node
of decision-making in the future, in relation to the main challenges stemming from one global
economy and environment.
We can say that globalization is a big, worldwide phenomenon. But this does not mean
that there is one universally accepted definition of this term. So today, asAlexander N.
Chumakovhad said: ,, For one, it is often discussed - and even disputed - as to whether a global
society exists, despite the existence of global independence, the transnational nature of
environmental and nuclear threats, global information systems, global transport communications
and so on”. So, what is globalism? Is it merely a buzzword or a meaningful concept of
theoretical enquiry? What is new about globalization? If we look at the maze of literature on
globalization, we will find that the interpretative context of globalization has been the fast-
changing world of events in the last one and half decades pointing towards the globe as an
inclusive single place. However, a close look at its various conceptual constructions reveals that
globalization is beset with the problems of theoretical inadequacies. Current formulations of
globalization include several antithetical and mixed concepts, such as homogenization,
differentiation, hybridization, plurality, localism and relativism. The process of globalization has
also been perceived as a corollary of advanced modernization, modern capitalism or imperialism.
There is hardly any unanimity in the theoretical formulation on globalization. While on one
hand, the excessive use of the term as a sociological concept has largely emptied it of any
analytical and explanatory value, most observations are based on a dominant economic
framework. This paper argues that for an empirical study of globalization to be strong, it requires
to be grounded on clear measures of globalization, those that are based on broader areas of social
implications as well as its impact on various aspects of human life” 1. Globalism has rapidly
become a major topic for social science research, competing with or even replacing classical
themes such as nationalism, development studies and area studies. If the globe is one, then
social, economic and political theories must abandon the approach of one country – one case.
The topic discourse can no longer be the First World against the Third World, as the
1
Sengupta, 2001, 140.
Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade
globalization theme deals with mankind (the more than six billion human beings inhabiting the
only planet known to have any type of life, especially with the prospects of its survival at the
presentstage of living standards)2.
In order to analyze global issues, a deep understanding of globalization is essential. While global
processes are influenced by subjective factors, they are basically dependent upon the will and the
subjective desires of people, corporations, or even separate states. The process of globalization
and the challenges of modernity as a consequence of it, have stemmed from the development of
the society and its new relations with the environment 3. Although globalization as a specific
phenomenon has existed for quite a long time, at the beginning of the 20th century it became
more and more complex, and expanded to new spheres of social life, thus spreading to politics,
culture, religion, language, and economy, melting geographical barriers to a large extent. The
globalization game is tremendously more complicated than a simple struggle against Nature.
Thus, the players in the globalization game are multiple, from governments to international
organizations, from ocean markets to giant firms, from citizen group to mankind as a whole. Yet,
the main question of globalization running underneath all these complicated interactions is
whether governments can coordinate upon a path towards the best outcomes in the globalization
game, promoting the interests of the mankind. Thus, the many globalization sub-games involve
economics, politics and the environment, but the overwhelming concern in globalization is the
future of humanity:globalization is both promises and threats. The scientific community
estimates the probabilities with future scenarios in markedly different ways, as there is a sharp
contrast between pessimistic and optimistic predictions. In addition to diverging estimationsof
the efficacy of globalization policies through international governance, there is also wide
disagreement about the state of Mother Nature, i.e. whether a major threat already really exists to
the environment in the form of global warming”4.
Although a large number of problems that globalization raises as it unfolds can be
mentioned, Lane tried to list four, according to him, the most important problems5:
Energy: How to meet the future energy needs, replacing fossil fuels?
2
Lane, 2004, 506.
3
Chumakov, 2013, 94.
4
Lane, 2004, 507.
5
Lane 2004, 510.
Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade
Environment: How to safeguard the sustainability of the earth’s ecosystem?
The Global Market Economy: How to enforce the economic rules of the global
game and promote social justice?
Eternal Peace: How to avoid civil wars, anarchy and genocide through
collaboration between government?
These key challenges of globalization are strongly interlinked, as one leads to another.
Only coordination can contribute to resolve these immense challenges to the world, if indeed
these problems are resolvable with some likelihood.
Globalization is a contested set of phenomena because the countries participating in the
process benefit differently. When groups believe that they stand more to gain than to lose, then
they endorse globalization. However, when they fear the consequences of globalization, then
they oppose it. The advantages of globalization are clearly identifiable in relation to economics
(trade and investments) but they remain far less tangible in relation to culture. The cultural
disadvantages of globalization refer basically to the risk nations run in losing their identity,
becoming the victims of a new form of cultural colonialism, this time on a global scale 6. The
disadvantages of globalization concern not only the environment, but also the growing global
disparities in affluence and wealth. The great danger is that globalization proceeds with a heavy
institutional deficit. At the same time, as globalization makes a huge increase in world output
possible, it presents such challenges to the earth’s ecosystem that mankind may end up
destroying the conditions for the survival of this biological species, if the worst predictions about
global warming come true.
6
Lane 2004, 511.
Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade
LITERATURE:
Chumakov, Alexander N. "Thinking in Time: Lessons from the History of
Globalisation." StudiaDiplomatica 66, no. 1 (2013): 93-100.
Lane, Jan-Erik. "Globalisation: Promises and Dangers." ZeitschriftFürStaats- Und
Europawissenschaften (ZSE) / Journal for Comparative Government and European
Policy 2, no. 4 (2004): 506-26.
Sengupta, Chandan. "Conceptualising Globalisation: Issues and Implications." Economic
and Political Weekly 36, no. 33 (2001): 137-143.
