Globalization in a Changing World

Globalization in a Changing World

Globalization in a Changing World
Which of these countries has the largest movie industry as measured by the number of major films produced each year? (a) United States/Hollywood (b) China (c) Japan (d) India (e) Nigeria The answer is (d). If you guessed the United States and Hollywood, you are not even close! India tops the list by far. According to a 2009 UN study of the global film industry (the most recent year for which comparative statistics are available), India produced 1,288 feature films that year, resulting in nearly 3 billion admissions, accounting for two out of every five movie tickets that were sold in the world. India’s film industry produces films in more than a dozen different languages, reflecting the extraordinary cultural and linguistic diversity of a country that is well known locally and globally for its Hindi language “Bollywood” films, based in the city of Mumbai (Bombay). Bollywood films are truly global in origin: they draw from such wide-ranging sources as twentieth-century Hollywood musicals, ancient Sanskrit dramas that combined lavish music and dance, Indian folk theater, and even MTV. In the global sweepstakes of feature films, the United States ranked only third in 2009, producing 734 feature films, although its blockbuster, high-budget (and high special-effects) films are popular throughout the world, accounting for the highest revenues. China, despite its large population, came in only fourth (with 475 films), and Japan, fifth (with 448 films).

Learning Objectives Basic Concepts
Recognize the numerous factors that influence social change, including physical environment, political organization, culture, and economic factors Current Theories: Is Globalization Today Something New—Or Have We Seen it All Before? Understand the debates between skeptics, hyperglobalizers, and transformationalists over whether globalization differs radically from anything in human history

Learning Objectives Recent Research on Globalization and Social Change
Recognize the importance of information flows, political changes, and transnational corporations Appreciate how globalization has influenced the rise of individualism, changing work patterns, popular culture, risk, and inequality in modern society Unanswered Questions Evaluate the notion that social change is leading into a postindustrial or postmodern stage of social organization Understand why new forms of global governance are needed to address the risks, challenges, and inequalities produced by globalization

Hybridity cultures are neither completely isolated nor entirely distinct but instead constantly borrow from one another

Basic Concepts Social change
Alteration in basic structures of a social group or society Sources of social change The physical environment Political organization Culture Economic factors First we will begin by reviewing different sources of social change. Social change refers to an alteration in basic structures of a social group or society. Social change has been accelerated by globalization, with the pace of change being quicker than at any other time in history. All of the chapters in the textbook have, to one degree or another, considered social change. Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and other sociologists have theorized about why social change occurred or what new societies, cultural practices, or problems social change produced. Putting together all of their contributions, we can identify four broad sources of social change—the physical environment, political organization, culture, and economic factors.

Basic Concepts Sources of social change The physical environment
Natural disasters Climate conditions Long-term physical changes Let’s begin with the physical environment. Societies around the world have recently been changed because of natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods. Extreme physical phenomena make it easy to see how the physical environment shapes society. It is also easy to see how climate affects society. Societies located in tropical climates look very different from societies located in the world’s polar regions. However, it is harder to see the effects of long-term physical changes to the environment on society. As the textbook describes, Jared Diamond, in his research on how societies collapse, found that a combination of political forces and physical changes to the environment led to the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.

Basic Concepts Sources of social change Political organization
Types of society and rulers Challenge of globalization The type of political organization in society also has a bearing on social change. Societies with informal political leadership like hunting and gathering societies have fewer means of mobilizing their members compared to societies with formal leaders like monarchs, presidents, or chiefs. Societies with formal organization are better able to plan or to react in an ordered or structured way to inhibit or create change. Nation-states have far greater reach than traditional societies. Globalization may be making it more difficult for modern societies to deal with social change because the sources are often beyond their reach and require coordination with other societies. What new forms of political organization have developed to deal with global matters?

Basic Concepts Sources of social change Culture
Communications(writing to the printing press to radio/tv, importantly, to the internet ) Religious and belief systems Another source of social change is culture, which includes communications, popular culture, and religious and belief systems. Advances in communication from writing to the printing press to radio and television to the Internet have changed societies. Different forms of communication, especially the most recent telecommunication and Internet technologies, have transformed how people interact with each other. Religious and belief systems can either inhibit or promote social change. Conservative or traditional systems usually try to hold back change or even turn back the clock. Others promote change, as shown in Max Weber’s work on the relationship between Protestantism and capitalism or about how Liberation Theology in Central and South America is trying to make changes that benefit impoverished people.

Basic Concepts Sources of social change Culture Popular culture
Mass communication is an important way that popular culture is transmitted around the world. American children watching cartoons learn about action figures that are popular in Asia. People in Pakistan learn about American culture and lifestyles by watching Hollywood blockbusters. Chapter 3 discussed the effect of globalization on cultures in the developing world. Whether good or bad, popular culture that is spread through global processes is a source of social change.

Basic Concepts Sources of social change Economic factors
Industrial capitalism needs change Technological innovation drives the global economy Economic factors are another source of social change. Traditional societies produced what they needed to survive, so their production did not change society very much. However, increasing production and profit are imperatives in industrial capitalism, so it is an economic system that creates social change. Technological innovation in modern societies is much more fast-paced than in previous societies. Technological innovation drives the global economy. The textbook describes the global race concerning nanotechnology. Nanotechnology involves working with matter at the atomic or nano scale, creating devices exhibiting properties that can exist only at such small sizes. Corporations and governments are investing billions of dollars in nanotechnology. China, for example, is training some 50,000 engineers in advanced chip design at universities in seven cities. The United States invests 1.8 million dollars a year in research and development in nanotechnology. The example of nanotechnology shows how political and economic forces combine to create social change.

Theories Not everyone agrees that the transformations occurring today should be called globalization. The debate about globalization can be divided into three camps: the skeptics, the hyperglobalizers, and the transformationlists.

Current Theories Globalization Skeptics
Believe levels of economic interdependence are not unprecedented World economy not truly globalized Regionalization suggests less integration, not more Not everyone agrees that the transformations occurring today should be called globalization. The debate about globalization can be divided into three camps: the skeptics, the hyperglobalizers, and the transformationalists. Skeptics believe that nothing very much is new today except the intensity of the interaction among nations. Key for the skeptics is the role that national governments and international organizations play in international trade. National governments are reinforced or enhanced through global trade, not weakened, and trade is more regional than it is international in scope.

Current Theories Globalization Transformationalists
Believe global order is being transformed but many old patterns remain Governments retain great deal of power Functions of government are changing Transformationalists take a middle position in the debate, arguing that global trade is transforming government power and world politics because of the broad and deep interconnectedness of markets and societies. New forms of organizations like social movements, IGOs and INGOs, and transnational corporations sit alongside nation-states as actors on the global scene. Globalization has no central power; rather it is multidirectional and decentralized.

Current Theories Globalization Hyperglobalizers
Believe globalization is very real with consequences almost everywhere Governments no longer control their economies National governments declining in importance The hyperglobalizers are on the other end of the globalization debate, far from the skeptics. Hyperglobalizers argue that globalization will see the demise of the nation-state. National sovereignty will diminish as new regional and international institutions like the European Union and the World Trade Organization take control of global processes. Civil society will be global, economies will be global, and governance will be global. Even the idea of citizenship is being transformed by globalization in this view. Although the European Union does not yet have a European citizenship, the EU grants to the citizens of its member countries some of the same rights and responsibilities given to national citizens. At one time we may all be global citizens.

Current Theories Review differences between skeptics, transformationalists, and hyperglobalizers.

Recent Research on Globalization and Social Change
Factors Contributing to Globalization Information flows Time and space are compressed because of fiber-optic cables and satellite communications Next we will turn to understanding the factors that have contributed to globalization—information flows, political changes, and transnational corporations. Some of these factors will be familiar territory because they are similar to the factors associated with social change. First we will look at information flows. Technologies such as fiber-optic cables and communication satellites have facilitated the spread of information in the global economy. These forms of technology facilitate the compression of time and space. People sitting in different offices in multiple countries in assorted times zones work together to spread information. The very operation of the global economy reflects the changes characteristic of the information age.

Factors Contributing to Globalization Political changes Collapse of Soviet-style communism Eastern Europe and former Soviet countries are adopting Western-style political and economic systems What will happen in China? Two major political changes have also influenced globalization. The first is the collapse of Soviet-style communism in Eastern Europe in 1989 and the Soviet Union in Here things are a little muddled. One could argue that globalization was responsible for the collapse of communism, for communism could not have survived anyway in an era of global media and an electronically integrated world economy. Many Eastern European countries and the countries of the former Soviet Union are now adopting Western-style political and economic systems and are increasingly integrated into the global community. It will be interesting to see how communism in China evolves as a result of China’s role in the global economy. The country’s combination of capitalism and communism makes for an interesting political, economic, and social landscape.

Factors Contributing to Globalization Political changes Growing importance of international government organizations (IGOs) and international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) IGO—an international organization established by treaties between governments for the purpose of conducting business between the nations making up its membership World Bank, United Nations, European Union, NATO, and NAFTA Another political reason for globalization is the growing importance of international governmental organizations (IGOs) and international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs). An international governmental organization is an international organization established by treaties between governments for the purpose of conducting business between the nations making up its membership. Chapter 6 introduced IGOs. IGOs facilitate business and monetary transactions and ensure national and international security, human rights, and environmental protection, to name a few functions. Some examples of IGOs are the World Bank, the United Nations, the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). IGOs have proliferated since World War II.

Factors Contributing to Globalization Political changes Growing importance of international government organizations (IGOs) and international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) INGO—an international organization established by agreements between the individuals or private organizations making up its membership Doctors without Borders, Greenpeace, and Amnesty International An international nongovernmental organization (INGO) is an international organization established by agreements between the individuals or private organizations making up its membership. INGOs are usually established to aid people in need, to provide needed services to people, or to create social and political change. Chapter 18 discussed how important INGOs are in global health care. Examples of INGOs are Doctors without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Greenpeace, and Amnesty International. The spread of information, telecommunications, and computer technology has made it easier for people to learn about what’s happening across the world, to develop friendships and sympathies with others, and to communicate and organize to create change or help people.

No. of INGOs As with international governmental organizations, international nongovernmental organizations proliferated after World War II. Figure 20.1 illustrates the growth in INGOs between 1909 and A sharp increase begins in the mid-1960s in the number of INGOs. In 1993, there were almost 29,000 INGOs. By 2012, the number had swelled to 65,589.

Factors Contributing to Globalization Economic changes Transnational corporations—business corporations located in two or more countries 500 biggest corporations now share 17% of world’s total goods and services Another factor contributing to globalization is the rise of transnational corporations, which are business corporations located in two or more countries. Chapter 14 introduced transnational corporations. They became a global phenomenon after World War II, first because of the expansion of American firms, followed by European and Japanese firms in the 1970s. Since then other parts of the world have joined in. The United Nations Committee on Trade and Development estimated that as of 2006 over 78,400 transnational corporations controlled the assets of some 777,650 affiliates outside their home countries. Examples of transnational corporations are Walmart, Apple, Coca-Cola, Ernst & Young, Ford, Panasonic, and Proctor & Gamble. To get a sense of the economic importance of transnational corporations, consider how much they produce in goods and services. In 2009, the worldwide production of goods and services was $58 trillion. The 500 largest transnational corporations produced 17 percent of the worldwide figure, or $9.75 trillion in goods and services.

The Effect of Globalization on our Lives Individualism Old codes and traditions matter less New identities are emerging Work patterns(some jobs are obsolete now) What is the effect of globalization on our own lives? How have we as individuals changed because of it? The Western, particularly American, ethic of individualism has pushed up against traditional and established values in many societies. Under individualism, people actively construct their own identities using information they acquire through increased contacts with people from other parts of the world, education, new forms of work and politics, and mass media. Identities are guided less by traditional values because of globalization. Chapters 14 and 16 showed how globalization is changing the type of work we perform and the role of education in training for it. Children all over the world have to learn how to use a computer in order to prepare for twenty-first century jobs. Some jobs are becoming obsolete in the new global economy, and work patterns are changing. People no longer work in the same job for a lifetime or even years at a time. Flexible working arrangements and telecommuting are becoming more common, with consequent adjustments to family and other areas of social life.

The Effect of Globalization on our Lives Popular culture Cultural imperialism or differentiation? The film Avatar quickly became the highest-grossing film in history, garnering $2.8 billion as of 2012, three-quarters from outside the United States. The film is one of many cultural products that has succeeded in cutting across national boundaries and creating a truly international phenomenon. The cultural effects of globalization have received much attention. Images, ideas, goods, and styles are now disseminated worldwide more rapidly than ever. Trade, new information technologies, the international media, and global migration have all promoted the free movement of culture across national borders. Many people believe that we now live in a single information order—a massive global network where information is shared quickly and in great volumes. A simple example illustrates this point. The film Avatar quickly became the highest-grossing film in history, garnering $2.8 billion as of 2012, three-quarters from outside the United States. The film is one of many cultural products that has succeeded in cutting across national boundaries and creating a truly international phenomenon. What accounts for the enormous popularity of the film? At one level, Avatar was popular for straightforward reasons: it combined romance and drama. The film was also lavishly produced and included dazzling state-of-the-art special effects. But another reason for Avatar’s popularity is that it reflected ideas and values that resonated with audiences worldwide. One of the film’s central themes is the possibility of romantic love prevailing over vast cultural (indeed, racial) differences and community traditions. The film, happily in the eyes of its many viewers, shows that true love can indeed conquer all, including a galactic version of racial prejudice and the power of transgalactic corporations that will stop at nothing to satisfy their greed. These themes undoubtedly resonated both with widely shared romantic yearnings and with growing environmentalist concerns shared by many people around the globe. The success of a film such as Avatar reflects changing values and may also contribute to this shift in values. Western-made films and television programs, which dominate the global media, advance political, social, and economic agendas that reflect a specifically Western worldview. Some people worry that globalization is fostering a global culture in which the values of the most powerful and affluent—in this instance, Hollywood filmmakers—overwhelm local customs and tradition. According to this view, globalization is a form of cultural imperialism in which Western values, styles, and outlooks smother individual national cultures.

Globalization and Risk The spread of manufactured risk External risk: dangers that spring from the natural world and are unrelated to the actions of humans Manufactured risk: dangers that are created by the impact of human knowledge and technology on the natural world Globalization produces outcomes that are difficult to predict and control. Therefore, it is useful to theorize about the effects of globalization in terms of risk. We should distinguish between external and manufactured risk. External risk refers to the dangers that spring from the natural world and are unrelated to the actions of humans. Manufactured risk, on the other hand, refers to the dangers that are created by the impact of human knowledge and technology on the natural world. Environmental and health risks are manufactured risks.

Globalization and Risk The spread of manufactured risk Environmental risks Global warming Diffuse origins make managing risk difficult Water, air, and soil pollution come from a variety of man-made sources in multiple locations. Chapter 19 discussed how human behavior has led to environmental problems, particularly global warming. Unless global warming can be slowed down or stopped, sea levels will rise because of melting ice caps, thus threatening the human populations living in low-lying land masses. It is hard to manage environmental risks because their origins are so diffuse. Water, air, and soil pollution come from a variety of man-made sources in multiple locations.

Globalization and Risk The spread of manufactured risk Health risks Ultraviolet rays Pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics in foods Environmental changes have also contributed to increased health risks. Global warming has increased humans’ exposure to ultraviolet rays, so people wear sunscreen to lessen the risk of getting cancer. As the textbook describes, the foods we eat contain pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics that may cause diseases and other health problems. Advances in genetics have led to corporations modifying certain foods that are diet staples. By early 1999, 55 percent of the soybeans and 35 percent of the corn produced in the United States contained genetic alterations. Today it is estimated that between 70 and 75 percent of all processed foods sold in grocery stores contain some genetically modified components. The effect of genetically modified foods on humans and the environment is still unknown since so many of them are new.

Ex- Chernobyl Disaster 1986, Fukushima 2011
Ulrich Beck “Risk Society” Charles Perrow “Normal Accidents” Ex- Chernobyl Disaster 1986, Fukushima 2011

Globalization and Inequality A recent report on global wealth shows that global inequality is at extreme levels. The top 0.6 percent of the richest people in the world own 39.3 percent of total shares of global wealth, while the bottom 69.3 percent of the world’s population owns only 3.3 percent of total global wealth. The top 8.1 percent own roughly 82.4 percent of the world’s wealth. Additionally, the World Development Indicators (WDI) 2010 says that nearly 75 percent of the population in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa lives on less than $2 a day, a level of poverty that is nonexistent for industrial nations in Europe and North America.

Globalization and Inequality In much of the global south, levels of economic growth and output over the past century have not kept up with the rate of population growth, whereas the level of economic development in industrialized countries has far outpaced it. These opposing tendencies have caused a marked divergence between the richest and poorest countries. The gap between the world’s richest and poorest countries was approximately 3 to 1 in 1820, 11 to 1 in 1913, 35 to 1 in 1950, 72 to 1 in 1992, 173 to 1 in 2001, and 209 to 1 in 2011 (Figure 20.3). The figure for 2006 using gross national income (GNI) per capita is to 1. The WDI 2010 shows that the mortality rate for children under age five is 15 times higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries. Over the past century, among the richest quarter of the world’s population, income per capita has increased almost sixfold, while among the poorest quarter, the increase has been less than threefold.

Globalization and Inequality Who is in charge of globalization? It is clear who benefits from globalization, but who is in charge of it? That’s not an easy question to answer, for national governments, intergovernmental organizations, transnational corporations, and other actors play a role in global economic, political, and cultural processes. One of the intergovernmental organizations charged with supervising international trade is the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO has become the target for protests against the harmful effects of globalization by trade unionists, environmentalists, human rights campaigners, antinuclear activists, farmers, and representatives from hundreds of local and international nongovernmental organizations for favoring economic imperatives over all other concerns, including human rights, labor rights, the environment, and sustainable development.

Globalization and Inequality Critiques of the WTO Non-democratic Rules favor rich states Lacks transparency The United States yields too much power A major critique of the WTO is that it is a non-democratic organization. Although the members of the WTO represent about 97 percent of the world’s population, members from poor nations do not have a strong voice in the WTO and therefore not much influence over the WTO’s agenda. The textbook reviews some of the allegations regarding the WTO’s rules favoring rich states in terms of subsidies, trade barriers, and protection of intellectual property rights. Another allegation is that the WTO lacks transparency, that it operates in secret with committees of so-called appointed rather than elected experts making decisions that impact poor countries negatively. Finally, critics of the WTO say that the United States has too much power. This criticism has been made about the influence of the United States in the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund as well.

What’s next? Postindustrial? Postmodern? Information Society?
Service Society? Knowledge Society?

Unanswered Questions What Comes after Modern Industrial Society?
Postindustrial society A notion advocated by those who believe that processes of social change are taking us beyond the industrialized order Based on production of information rather than material goods Social changes now as profound as those initiated the industrial era some 200 years ago. Chapter 3 introduced the different types of societies that have existed in the world. Chapter 14 discussed the knowledge economy, a society known more for the production of knowledge than the manufacture of goods. Keep all of that in mind as you think about the question: Are we moving toward a postindustrial society? A postindustrial society is a notion advocated by those who believe that processes of social change are taking us beyond the industrialized order. Several new, very similar terms are used to refer to the postindustrial society.

Information society A society no longer based primarily on the production of material goods but on the production of knowledge Service society A social order distinguished by the growth of service occupations at the expense of industrial jobs that produce material goods One way to describe the postindustrial society is to call it an information society. An information society is a society no longer based primarily on the production of material goods but on the production of knowledge. Those who possess and trade information also possess power in the information society. Another way to describe the new society is as a service society. The service society refers to a social order distinguished by the growth of service occupations at the expense of industrial jobs that produce material goods. The most essential type of worker in the service society is not the blue collar worker but the white collar employee working in clerical, technical, and professional occupations.

Knowledge society Another common term for information society—a society based on the production and consumption of knowledge and information White-collar outpaced the Blue-color workers Another way to describe the postindustrial society is as a knowledge society. The knowledge society is another common term for information society. It is a society based on the production and consumption of knowledge and information. Rather than industrialists and entrepreneurs, the groups that lead in the knowledge society are scientists, computer specialists, economists, engineers, and professionals of all kinds because they produce and distribute knowledge.

Critiques The trend toward service occupations dates back to the beginning of industrialism The service sector is very diverse Answering the question of whether we are moving toward or are in a postindustrial society requires evidence. Not everyone is convinced that the answer is yes. There are five main critiques. The first is that the trend toward service occupations dates back to the beginning of industrialism. The blue-collar or factory worker has never been the most common type of worker under industrialism. Industrialism’s biggest change was the decline in agricultural workers. Both manufacturing and service expanded under industrialism. Second, the service sector is very diverse. Many service jobs are low-paying jobs that require some type of manual labor, so they are similar to blue-collar occupations. Many white-collar occupations do not require highly specialized knowledge. A lot of office work is routinized and mechanized, as routinized and unsatisfying as factory work was in the past (and pays less).

Critiques Many service jobs are linked to the manufacture of material goods Overemphasis on economic forces in producing change “Post” implies we are at the end of history A third critique for why society may not be classified as postindustrial is that many service jobs are linked to the manufacture of material goods and should therefore be classified as manufacturing jobs. A computer programmer who designs and monitors computers for the operation of machine tools is part of the manufacturing process. Fourth, changes in society are the result of a combination of factors, not just economic ones. Political, cultural, religious, and economic forces have shaped today’s society, so advocates of postindustrial society overemphasize economic forces. Finally, the use of “post” implies that society is at some end point rather than on a continuum. Any attempt to divide history into before-and-after stages is bound to be proven wrong over time.

The postmodern world Quality of a technologically sophisticated society that is preoccupied with consumer goods and media images No “grand narrative”- No history Absolutely relative/flux Some people believe that society has moved well beyond industrialism into a postmodern stage. The textbook first introduced this concept in Chapter 1, which showed that postmodern social theorists believe there is no “grand narrative” or linear history that guides social life. Society is not destined to become any one thing in particular. Rather, postmodern society is highly pluralistic, diverse, and in a constant state of flux. With regard to the type of society we are in, postmodern refers to the quality of a technologically sophisticated society that is preoccupied with consumer goods and media images. Many sociologists disagree with the postmodern society thesis because they argue it is possible to study and understand the world as shaped by patterned and organized behavior. As we have seen with the breakdown of the main influences of social change, understanding how change occurs gives people the tools with which to shape it. As much as ever, general theories of the social world allow us to intervene to shape it in a positive way.

Is There a Need for Global Governance?
Debate over the consequences..esp. we are unequipped to manage risk, inequalities, and challenges.. Deglobalization The reduction of global interdependence by making economies as local as possible(Walden Bello) Reform, not overturning(Joseph Stiglitz) Globalization has brought with it violence, internal conflict, and chaotic transformations in many areas of the world. The existing political structures and models appear unequipped to manage the risks, inequalities, and challenges that transcend national borders. Individual governments cannot control the spread of HIV/AIDS, counter the effects of global warming, or regulate volatile financial markets. Critics of globalization see global organizations such as transnational corporations or the World Trade Organization as responsible. Others see opportunities to harness globalizing forces in the pursuit of greater equality, democracy, and prosperity. Protesters against the WTO and other international financial institutions argue that exuberance over global economic integration and free trade is forcing people to live in an economy rather than a society. Many are convinced that such moves will further weaken the economic position of poor societies by allowing transnational corporations to operate with few or no safety and environmental regulations. Commercial interests, they claim, are increasingly taking precedence over concern for human well-being. Not only within countries in the global south, but in industrialized ones as well, the call is for greater investment in human capital (public health, education, and training) if global divisions are not to deepen. In their view, a key challenge for the twenty-first century is to ensure that globalization works for people everywhere, not only for those who are already well placed to benefit from it. Walden Bello is a sociologist, member of the Philippine Parliament, and anti-globalization activist. Bello (2005) has called for deglobalization—reducing global interdependence by rendering economies less dependent on trade and global supply chains, instead making them as local as possible. Bello envisions democratically controlled local economies, where greater equality, rather than profit maximization, would be the goal. This would be achieved by subjecting key economic decisions to democratic choice rather than the marketplace. In Bello’s deglobalized world there would be income redistribution, community cooperatives, small and medium-size businesses, and state enterprises—but no transnational corporations. Bello regards deglobalization as necessary on ecological as well as moral grounds. He argues that today’s global economy, where products move thousands of miles, is in large part responsible for fossil fuel depletion, pollution, greenhouse gases, and global climate change.

Concept Quiz The notion that cultures are neither wholly isolated nor entirely distinct but instead constantly borrow from one another is known as ______. (a) social change (b) pluralism (c) globalization (d) hybridity Answer: (d). Feedback: The notion of hybridity challenges ideas that cultures can be “pure” and are not influenced by interaction with other cultures. Hybridity is not only present in the contemporary era of globalization but has been historically true. Some scholars of globalization, however, argue that processes of hybridization have accelerated in recent times.

Concept Quiz According to the text, social change is defined as:
(a) alteration in basic structures of a social group or society. (b) revolutionary changes in political organizations. (c) integrating aspects of another culture into one’s own. (d) increasing intensity of interaction between disparate societies. Answer: (a). Feedback: Social change, or the transformation over time of the institutions and culture of a society, is an ever-present aspect of human life, although the rate at which it happens has drastically sped up over the past two or three centuries. Social change is influenced by many factors, including the environment, political organization, culture, and economic factors.

Concept Quiz Shariq, Tamara, and Wei work for a company that has offices in three different countries. They frequently have conference calls over Skype and discuss digitally shared documents that previously would have taken hours, days, or even months to be sent from one office to another. This is an example of the ______ that accelerates globalization. (a) economic organization (b) compression of time and space Answer: (b). Feedback: Breakthroughs in information processing and communications technology have facilitated far more rapid processes of globalization. Technological developments have enabled far higher amounts of information to be transported much further at much higher speeds, leading to the compression of time and space. This compression does not cause globalization, but it has rapidly accelerated it.

Concept Quiz Transnational corporations are:
(a) companies located in one country that have mutual trade agreements with companies in one or more other countries. (b) companies that were originally based in the Soviet Union but were split between several countries when the Soviet Union collapsed. (c) companies that produce goods or market services in more than one country. (d) American companies that do business in every one of the 50 states. Answer: (c). Feedback: Transnational corporations are companies located in one or more country. Transnational corporations are instrumental in diffusing new technology around the globe and are important contributors to processes of globalization.

Discussion Question: Thinking Sociologically
Discuss the many influences on social change: environmental, political, and cultural factors. Summarize how each element can contribute to social change.

Discussion Question: Thinking Sociologically
According to this chapter, we now live in a society where we increasingly face various types of manufactured risks. Briefly explain what these risks consist of. Do you think the last decade has brought us any close to or further away from confronting the challenges of manufactured risks? Explain.

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Globalization in a Changing World

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