Globalization: A Very Short Introduction(Very Short Introductions)

'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. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Table of Contents:
Preface to the third edition Abbreviations List of illustrations List of maps 1: Globalization: a contested concept 2: Globalization and history 3: The economic dimension of globalization 4: The political dimension of globalization 5: The cultural dimension of globalization 6: The ecological dimension of globalization 7: Ideologies of globalization 8: Global crises and the future of globalization References Index

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).