Sociology of Globalization - 9780813346694

This collection of over two dozen readings of separately produced essays introduces major areas of interest for understanding globalization sociologically. The first few essays introduce globalization as a phenomenon and situate it in the new millennium. Subsequent sections are organized around culture, economy, and politics. They each are bracketed by an editorial introduction and section on "ancillary materials" that include website links, films, music, and class-room activity suggestions. Specific essays consider globalization as hybridization, fundamentalist Islam against the liberal West, identity politics as a response to globalization, the tension between ending crisis and ending capitalism altogether, global class formation and transnational class, fundamentals of free-trade agreements, Chinese manufacturing in the global context, human rights and humanitarian intervention, and building a global community. The readings are selected from scholarly, journalistic, and theoretical sources. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)