Globalization

The term globalization often is used to describe the global nature ofcapital and the emergence of a single global economy in the contemporaryera. The term also suggests certain homogenizing tendencies in thesocial as well as political realms. These homogenizing tendencies mayrefer to something as banal as the ubiquitous acceptance of denim jeansor to something as profound as the globalization of the democratic processes.In this brief discussion, we shall limit our comments to the realmof normative values. However, this does not mean that culture and theglobalization of cultural practices is not important. Culture is important,but the basic normative values that underpin culture, as well as the politicaland social arenas, are more profound, and it is these upon which I willfocus my attention.We shall use the term globalism to describe the current on-goingglobal convergence of values. Globalism can be best understood by contrastingit with the idea of centralization. Centralization conceives of theworld as one, but clearly identifies what is the center and what constitutesthe periphery. In a system undergoing centralization, a globalpower asserts its domination over “others” by locating itself as the normative,political, and economic center of the universe. It marginalizesthe rest of the world, and simultaneously assumes, often through coercivemeans, the role of leader in moral as well as material terms. Thereis a clear hierarchy in the system, and the center is the undisputed “hegemon.”Thus when the periphery emulates the center, it often does so outof fear or insecurity, and the resulting homogenization is actually hegemonization.The centrality of the hegemon is based on an anthropological view ofthe universe, which distinguishes-or rather discriminates-behvxn thegood/powefil and the badweak. The centrality of the hegemon is amanifestation of its egocentric nature and its sense of superiority overothers. It sees itself as advanced, rational, creative, democratic, andpeaceful, and constructs others as underdeveloped, traditional, lazy,authoritarian, and therefore inferior. It assumes that it is the best and thatthe rest must emulate it in their political, socioeconomic, and culturalconstitution. Early attempts at global conquest, such as those by ...