Globalization the essentials by george ritzer

George Ritzer

This balanced introduction draws on academic and popular sources to examine the major issues and events in the history of globalization.

Globalization: A Basic Text is a substantial introductory textbook, designed to work either on its own or alongside Readings in Globalization. The books are cross-referenced and are both structured around the core concepts of globalization.

2009 • 608 pages • 978-1-4051-3271-8 • paperback www.wiley.com/go/globalization

Readings in Globalization Key Readings and Major Debates

Edited by George Ritzer and Zeynep Atalay

This unique and engaging anthology introduces students to the major concepts of globalization within the context of the key debates and disputes.

Readings in Globalization illustrates that major debates in the fi eld are not only useful to examine for their own merit but can extend our knowledge of globalization. The volume explores both the political economy of globalization and the relationship of culture to globalization.

The volume is designed so it may be used independently, or alongside George Ritzer’s Globalization: A Basic Text for a complete student resource.

2010 • 560 pages • 978-1-4051-3273-2 • paperback

Order together and save! Quote ISBN 978-1-4443-2371-9

A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication

GLOBALIZATION THE ESSENTIALS GEORGE RITZER

This edition fi rst published 2011 © 2011 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Edition history: portions of this text appeared in Globalization: A Basic Text (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010)

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ritzer, George. Globalization : the essentials / George Ritzer. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-470-65560-3 (hardcover : alk. paper) – ISBN 978-0-470-65561-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Globalization. I. Title. JZ1318.R5835 2011 303.48'2–dc22 2010042203

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This book is published in the following electronic formats: ePDFs 978-1-4443-9356-9; ePub 978-1-4443-9357-6

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1 2011

CONTENTS

Preface xi

1 Globalization 1 Conceptualization, Origins, and History

Conceptualizing Globalization 3 From “Solids” to “Liquids” 3

“Flows” 7

“Heavy” and “Light” 8

“Heavy” Structures that Expedite “Flows” 10

“Heavy” Structures as Barriers to “Flows” 12

Subtler Structural Barriers 16

Origins and History of Globalization 17 Hardwired 17

Cycles 18

Epochs 18

Events 18

Broader, More Recent Changes 20

Chapter Summary 22