Today's news media is full of references to 'globalization' - a buzz word that is quickly becoming ubiquitous. But what exactly is globalization? What are its main driving forces? Does it truly embrace all aspects of our lives, from economics to cultural developments? A Globalizing World? examines these and other key questions in a highly accessible fashion, offering a clear and intelligent guide to the big ideas and debates of our time. In doing so, it does not take one particular stance for or against globalizaton; rather, it examines the arguments and evidence about its nature, form and impact. After introducing the main theoretical positions of those who have studied the subject, key chapters look at the changing form of modern communication and cultural industries, trade patterns and financial flows of the world economy, and whether or not the 'new political world order' is qualitatively different from the old state system. This is essential reading for all students of politics, economics and international relations.

A Brookings Institution Press and Visions of Governance for the 21st Century publication Far from being another short-lived buzzword, "globalization" refers to real changes. These changes have profound impacts on culture, economics, security, the environment—and hence on the fundamental challenges of governance. This book asks three fundamental questions: How are patterns of globalization currently evolving? How do these patterns affect governance? And how might globalism itself be governed? The first section maps the trajectory of globalization in several dimensions—economic, cultural, environmental, and political. For example, Graham Allison speculates about the impact on national and international security, and William C. Clark develops and evaluates the concepts of "environmental globalization." The second section examines the impact of globalization on governance within individual nations (including China, struggling countries in the developing world, and the industrialized democracies) and includes Elaine Kamarck's assessment of global trends in public-sector reform. The third section discusses efforts to improvise new approaches to governance, including the role of non-governmental institutions, the global dimensions of information policy, and Dani Rodrik's speculation on global economic governance.

Explains the relationship between national culture and national differences in crucially important phenomena, such as speed of economic growth, murder rates, and educational achievement. This book also explains differences in suicide rates, road death tolls, female inequality, happiness, and a number of other phenomena.

A former U.S. ambassador and author of The End of the Cold War? takes readers on a tour of Islamic history, reconstructing the complex historical and geopolitical trends that have created modern Islam. Simultaneous. (Islam)

This book offers an accessible and broadly conceived examination of the impact of globalization on comparative politics. Written in a lucid and lively style, it assumes no prior knowledge of either globalization or comparative politics, and is the ideal textbook for students who want to know more about these crucial topics. The world has changed substantially since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. There is much debate - but little agreement - about what precisely has happened, and how it affects what goes on politically and economically within countries. At the centre of the debate are the forces and processes of globalization and how they impact on domestic outcomes in various kinds of countries. Comparative Politics in a Globalizing World poses and answers two key questions: ? How do various aspects of globalization affect outcomes within countries? ? What are the implications of globalization for our understanding of comparative politics? By focusing on three kinds of countries - established democracies, transitional democracies, and non-democracies - Haynes explores how domestic outcomes are affected by contemporary globalization. Throughout the book, key topics are explained, including regionalization, economic globalization, the natural environment, political culture, regime change and democratization, political violence and terrorism, religion, human rights, and women and political participation. These themes are developed within a consistently comparative perspective. This volume will be of immense value to all those interested in one of the great debates of our time. It will be essential reading for students of comparative politics, international relations, and globalization.

Compelled by the extent to which globalization has changed the nature of labor relations, Harry C. Katz, Thomas A. Kochan, and Alexander J. S. Colvin give us the first textbook to focus on the workplace outcomes of the production of goods and services in emerging countries. In Labor Relations in a Globalizing World, they draw lessons from the United States and other advanced industrial countries to provide a menu of options for management, labor, and government leaders in emerging countries. They include discussions based in countries such as China, Brazil, India, and South Africa which, given the advanced levels of economic development they have already achieved, are often described as "transitional," because the labor relations practices and procedures used in those countries are still in a state of flux.Katz, Kochan, and Colvin analyze how labor relations functions in emerging countries in a manner that is useful to practitioners, policymakers, and academics. They take account of the fact that labor relations are much more politicized in emerging countries than in advanced industrialized countries. They also address the traditional role played by state-dominated unions in emerging countries and the recent increased importance of independent unions that have emerged as alternatives. These independent unions tend to promote firm- or workplace-level collective bargaining in contrast to the more traditional top-down systems. Katz, Kochan, and Colvin explain how multinational corporations, nongovernmental organizations, and other groups that act across national borders increasingly influence work and employment outcomes.

Is economic nationalism an outdated phenomenon in light of globalization? Economic Nationalism in a Globalizing World demonstrates the enduring, and even heightened, economic significance of national identities and nationalism in the current age. The volume's contributors, pioneers in the reinterpretation of economic nationalism, explore diverse ways in which national identities and nationalism continue to shape contemporary economic policies and processes. The authors examine the question in a range of geographical contexts and issues: European Union food politics, competitiveness strategies in New Zealand, East Asian development strategies, Japanese liberalization, monetary politics in Quebec and Germany, and post-Soviet economic reforms. Together, the cases explore the policy breadth of nationalism. It is not just a "protectionist" ideology but is in fact associated with a wide variety of economic policies, including support for economic liberalization and globalization.

Globalization and technological advances have had a dramatic impact on the relationship between media and politics. How can we understand the connection between the two in the present day? Alexa Robertson argues that we cannot understand the power of the one without taking the other into account. This exciting and accessible book provides fresh insight into our contemporary media landscape, adopting a truly comparative global approach. In Media and Politics in a Globalizing World, Robertson encourages the reader to explore the relationship from different perspectives – those of the politician, the journalist, the activist and the ordinary citizen – and how the relationship between media and politics varies across cultures. Illustrated with contemporary examples throughout, the book weighs up arguments for seeing new developments in terms of change or continuity, as empowering or debilitating, and as promoting or undermining democracy. Suitable for undergraduates and postgraduates studying politics, media and sociology, it also will be of interest to the general reader wishing to understand the complex role of the media in political life the world over. For additional support and information visit this book's companion website at http://mediapolitics.net/

Written by a leading social work academic whose work is internationally renowned, this book confronts contemporary challenges facing social workers in relation to globalization and the rise of international global problems.

Now in a new edition, The Business Environment provides a unique and stimulating introduction to the subject. Outlining the classic "PESTLE" structure in Part One, it goes on to explore such key issues as globalization, sustainability, equal opportunities, and entrepreneurship in Part Two. Employing a highly engaging and accessible writing style, the authors integrate coherent themes throughout the text, helping students to gain a holistic understanding of the business environment. They also introduce students to critical thinking with "Stop and Think" boxes. FEATURES OF THE SECOND EDITION: * Incorporates a large percentage of updated case and illustrative content, including material on the 2008 global financial crisis and its implications for the business environment * Includes a new chapter (12) on equal business opportunities and restructures the rest of the chapters for greater consistency and accessibility * Adopts an extremely student-friendly approach that includes a wide range of pedagogical features, an accessible writing style, and an attractive layout * An extensive Companion Website includes numerous resources for students and instructors (click link at upper right)