Globalisation and Modernity
Chapter 3 Summary

This chapter focuses on the concept of globalisation - the process whereby political, social, economic and cultural relations increasingly take place on a global scale. It highlights the following features:

• That the process of globalisation has its roots in modernity and that, in turn, we are now experiencing the globalisation of modernity.
• That globalisation is a process not a state, that is, that social life is becoming more and more
  globalised.
• That globalisation challenges existing sociological agendas and raises new questions about social life.
• Globalisation has uneven and varied impacts on local situations. Studying globalisation involves appreciating the tensions between global and local processes.
• The future of the world is not predictable because of the emergence of globalisation: there are many possible futures.

The chapter uses Anthony Giddens' account of globalised modernity to provide a conceptual framework. It then goes on to discuss globalisation by looking at:

1. The activities of transnational corporations and the development of a global system of production.
2. The development of global media and the notion of 'cultural imperialism'.
3. Recent political changes, highlighting the ways in which globalisation challenges the autonomy and authority of established nation-states.

The Chapter ends by postulating five possible futures for the globalising world.