Wallerstein on Glocalization/grobalization

Wallerstein (1974) asserted that the economic activities taking place in the industrialized nations are what lead to social transformation in those nations. According to the Globe Systems Theory, the world is divided into three regions: the core, periphery, and semi-periphery. A nation's placement in the three tiers is determined by the development of trustworthy state institutions. For instance, a considerable portion of the Northwestern states are considered to be part of the core since the nations in this area have built stable governments, substantial machine armies, and substantial bureaucracies. Increases in agriculture and the economy go hand in hand. Through independent farmers who are commercially focused, nations can reach their core through increased agricultural productivity. Technology is another element that influences a country's development or fall. Farm technology improved economic growth. Less investment in technology can lead to high cost of production which causes a drop in the economy. Manufacturing contributes to predominance in international trade. Southern France, Italy and Southern Germany retained their Semi-Periphery because of producing high quality manufactured goods that dominated the international trade.

China and Russia have shown signs of advancements from the periphery to the core through improved technology and economy. China’s rapid economic growth since the 1980s has been because of foreign investment and transfer of foreign technology. Russia’s renaissance in the first decade of the twenty-first century also resulted from an increase in the sale of oil and gas and advancement in technology.

China is currently challenging the position of the United States. It has an impressive economic growth. However, the US GDP is higher than that of China. The US military, economic and political might is more advanced than that of China. Although Pundits have labeled China the next superpower, US remain dominant in the foreseeable future.

Question 2

The system of production and consumption is globally expanding with the help of eastern rationalization. Rizter (2003) argues that imperialistic ambitions of nations, organizations, and corporations lead to globalization. Its ultimate goal is to increase profits through unilateral homogenization. McDonaldization, Americanization, and Capitalization are the primary forces of "grobalization." These effects make things more ubiquitous and homogenous. America overwhelms the power of global nations to adapt in ways that preserve their autonomy. The local communities have little room to maneuver in an environment where McDonaldization thrives. There are highly repetitive routines and tasks hence no room for new ideas or innovations.

The international expansion of processes and brands has caused an investable move towards a "grobalized" world order. The services provided by multinational companies and ATMS are examples of global processes that affect local activities. Local employees lose jobs because of “nothing like” entities that destroy local forms of something. The "grobalizaton" phenomenon affects the consumer culture. Consumers want to identify with globalized products, leaving local products to the poor. The world is also moving towards music and art culture from superpowers such as the United States of America. African countries import food from fast food companies and decline to develop their agricultural systems. According to Ritzer (2003) “grobalization leads to production and consumption of something.” Conversely, it has created new products and services across the globe. The move towards quantity rather than quality is an evidence of or globalization. The quality of education is an example of McDonaldization. Students’ success is measured based on grade points and letter grades, forcing students to read more and attend more classes. There is less interest in the quality of education.

 





References

Ritzer, G. (2003). Rethinking globalization: Glocalization/grobalization and something/nothing. Sociological theory, 21(3), 193-209.

Wallerstein, I. (1974). The modern world-system: Capitalist agriculture and the origins of the European world-economy in the sixteenth centenary. New York Academic Press, 229- 233.