The concept of globalization has become ubiquitous in social science
and in the public consciousness and is often invoked as an explanation
for a diverse range of changes to economies, societies, politics and
cultures - both as a positive liberating force and as a wholly
negative one. Whilst our understanding of the politics, economics, and
social resonance of the phenomenon has become increasingly
sophisticated at the macro-level, this book argues that globalization
too often continues to be depicted as a set of extra-terrestrial
forces with no real physical manifestation, except as effects. The
essays challenge this dominant understanding of 'globalization from
above' through explorations of the mundane means by which
globalization has been achieved. Instead of a focus on the
meta-political economy of global capitalism, the book concentrates on
the everyday life of capitalism, the not-so-'little' things that keep
the 'large' forces of globalization ticking over. With its eye on the
mundane, the book demonstrates that a series of everyday and,
consequently, all but invisible formations critically facilitate and
create the conditions under which globalization has flourished. The
emphasis is on concrete moments in the history of capitalism when
these new means of regular reproduction were invented and deployed.
Only by understanding these infrastructures can we understand the
dynamics of globalization. In short, punchy essays by distinguished
researchers from across a range of disciplines, this book provides a
new way of understanding globalization, moving away from the standard
accounts of global forces, economic flows, and capitalist dynamics, to
show how ordinary practices and artefacts are crucial elements and
symbols of globalization.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780191662706
Publisert
2020
Utgiver
Oxford University Press Academic UK
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter