3 Review(s)

'Globalization' has become one of the defining buzzwords of our time - a term that describes a variety of accelerating economic, political, cultural, ideological, and environmental processes that are rapidly altering our experience of the world. It is by its nature a dynamic topic - and this Very Short Introduction has been fully updated for a third edition, to include recent developments in global politics, the global economy, and environmental issues. Presenting globalization in accessible language as a multifaceted process encompassing global, regional, and local aspects of social life, Manfred B. Steger looks at its causes and effects, examines whether it is a new phenomenon, and explores the question of whether, ultimately, globalization is a good or a bad thing. Special Features Completely revised and updated to include the latest developments in the field of global studies. Unlike many other introductions to the subject, this short book looks beyond simple explanations of globalization as a purely economic phenomenon. Shows how the transformative powers of globalization reach deeply into the political, cultural, technological, and ecological dimensions of contemporary social life. Explores the ideological aspects of globalization - looking at political movements both for and against globalization. Discusses the role of social networking in the process of cultural globalization. Part of the bestselling Very Short Introductions series. New to this Edition Thoroughly updated - incorporating all the major global developments in the past few years. Incorporates the major world events of the past few years - the 2008-2010 global financial crisis; the 2011 Japanese earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster; the 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden; and the on-going revolutions in the Middle East. Considers the rise of social networking such as Facebook and Twitter. About the Author Manfred B. Steger is Professor of Political Science at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and Professor of Global Studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University). He is also the Research Leader of the Globalization and Culture Program in RMIT's Global Cities Research Institute. He has served as an academic consultant on globalization for the US State Department and as an advisor to the PBS TV series, 'Heaven on Earth: The Rise and Fall of Socialism'. He is the author or editor of twenty-one books on globalization and the history of political ideas, including: The Rise of the Global Imaginary: Political Ideologies from the French Revolution to the Global War on Terror (Oxford University Press, 2008); the award-winning Globalisms: The Great Ideological Struggle of the 21st Century 3rd ed. (Rowman & Littlefield, 2009) and Globalization The Greatest Hits: A Global Studies Reader (Paradigm Publishers, 2010).