Globalization: the Americanization of the World?
Globalization: The Americanization of the World?
Books to be discussed:
Andrew J. Bacevich, American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy (Harvard University Press, 2002).
Joseph E. Stiglitz, Making Globalization Work (Norton, 2007).
James L. Watson, ed., Golden Arches East: McDonald’s in East Asia (2nd edition, Stanford University Press, 2007).
Robert McCrum, Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language (Norton, 2010).
Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World (Norton, 2009).
Globalization is the integration of the world’s different regions into a global culture, economy, geo-political arena, and communication network. It is the process by which the lines of nation states are blurred, smoothed over by new international institutions. Globalization is the undeniable destination of human history and as such permeates nearly every facet of it. It is liquid in this sense, flowing and changing to fill in wherever it flows, but there can be no doubts of the tide of globalizations source: The United States of America.
At first glance, the distinctions between Globalization and Americanization are almost imperceptible. “Big Mac, Coke, and Disney” (Watson, 5) are as recognizable to Chinese and Russians as they are to Americans. The World Bank and IMF’s policies are more or less set by Washington. The American military has the most powerful armies and fleets the world has ever seen, and has effectively dominated the world from World War I onwards. The United States population which is less than 5% of the world population produces about a quarter of global GDP. Such realities might lead one to the conclusion that Globalization and Americanization are synonymous, but is this actually the case?
In the discussion of the books at hand, globalization as it pertains to Americanization is made evident. Andrew Bacevich contends that the United States is the primary agent of modern globalization. It has capitalized on the opportunities it has been
Books to be discussed:
Andrew J. Bacevich, American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy (Harvard University Press, 2002).
Joseph E. Stiglitz, Making Globalization Work (Norton, 2007).
James L. Watson, ed., Golden Arches East: McDonald’s in East Asia (2nd edition, Stanford University Press, 2007).
Robert McCrum, Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language (Norton, 2010).
Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World (Norton, 2009).
Globalization is the integration of the world’s different regions into a global culture, economy, geo-political arena, and communication network. It is the process by which the lines of nation states are blurred, smoothed over by new international institutions. Globalization is the undeniable destination of human history and as such permeates nearly every facet of it. It is liquid in this sense, flowing and changing to fill in wherever it flows, but there can be no doubts of the tide of globalizations source: The United States of America.
At first glance, the distinctions between Globalization and Americanization are almost imperceptible. “Big Mac, Coke, and Disney” (Watson, 5) are as recognizable to Chinese and Russians as they are to Americans. The World Bank and IMF’s policies are more or less set by Washington. The American military has the most powerful armies and fleets the world has ever seen, and has effectively dominated the world from World War I onwards. The United States population which is less than 5% of the world population produces about a quarter of global GDP. Such realities might lead one to the conclusion that Globalization and Americanization are synonymous, but is this actually the case?
In the discussion of the books at hand, globalization as it pertains to Americanization is made evident. Andrew Bacevich contends that the United States is the primary agent of modern globalization. It has capitalized on the opportunities it has been