Globalization

by

David Atkinson

• LAST REVIEWED: 18 November 2020
• LAST MODIFIED: 02 March 2011
• DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199743292-0009

Introduction

Globalization is one of the most vibrant, contested, and debated issues in modern international relations. The process is subject to a wide-ranging number of definitions, but most scholars and observers agree that it represents a global process of increasing economic, cultural, and political interdependence and integration, with deep historical roots. It is a process fostered by liberalized international trade and innovations in information technology and communication, which has been promoted and managed to a greater or lesser degree by international institutions, multinational corporations, national governments (especially the United States), international nongovernmental organizations, and even individuals with access to the Internet. The field is particularly subject to the vagaries of events, and as such it is a dynamic literature that is constantly in flux. Nevertheless, the basic outlines of the field are clear. Economic interdependence remains the most obvious and significant manifestation of globalization. Nevertheless, scholars have increasingly turned their attention to the myriad additional symptoms of this process; in particular, challenges to the state’s primacy, migration, global security concerns, culture, crime, the environment, and technology. It remains a controversial process that has engendered both withering critiques and staunch defenses, while other scholars debate whether the process is irresistible, irrevocable, reversible, or even whether it represents the global reality at all.

General Overviews

Scholars of globalization are well served by a number of excellent general introductory texts. These overviews provide an indispensable entry point for new students, yet they are rigorous enough to provide new insights, approaches, and methodologies for graduate students and experienced scholars. Osterhammel and Petersson 2005 is a brief historical primer that emphasizes globalization’s deep historical antecedents. It is an indispensable guide for those seeking to explore the context of globalization’s most recent iteration. Ritzer 2010 offers an excellent orientation for those seeking a textbook-style introduction to the theory, debates, critiques, and scope of modern globalization. Similarly, Steger 2009 provides a concise but effective introduction to the myriad issues inherent in the subject. Scholte 2005 also provides an accessible overview of the major debates and themes, while stressing the overarching concept of superterritoriality. For those ready to delve into the often eclectic issues and implications raised by globalization in the modern age, Lechner and Boli 2007 presents a diverse assortment of essays and articles that run the gamut of opinion and methodology. Held and McGrew 1999 is an older but nevertheless excellent introduction to the major themes and debates facing globalization scholars. Once oriented in the theory and issues, new researchers will find Friedman 2000 and Greider 1998 excellent introductions to the often vigorous debates regarding the inevitability, impact, and sustainability of political, economic, and cultural globalization.

• Friedman, Thomas L. The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Rev. ed. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000.

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  Popular journalistic account. Sees the process of globalization as inexorable and irrevocable; posits tension between consumer desires and traditional attachment to community. Insightful anecdotes illuminate the argument, but are increasingly outdated. Often betrays bias toward US-led free-market solutions, and its contrived jargon may grate. Lively introduction, best read in conjunction with Greider 1998.

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• Greider, William. One World, Ready or Not: The Manic Logic of Global Capitalism. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998.

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  Engaging polemical journalistic treatise against unfettered economic neoliberalism in particular and unregulated global capitalism in general. Sees globalization as a recipe for exploitation and severe economic inequity. Advocates global labor reforms, corrective tariffs, and capital reform. Unashamedly biased toward the left; best read in conjunction with Friedman 2000.

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• Held, David, and Anthony McGrew. Global Transformations: Politics, Economics, and Culture. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1999.

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  Somewhat dated, but nonetheless an extremely well organized, thorough, and largely objective introduction to globalization and its many facets. Includes well-researched and historically grounded sections on historical precedents, violence, trade, finance, corporations, migration, culture, and environmentalism. Highly recommended to beginning undergraduates and graduate students, who should nevertheless bear in mind its age.

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• Lechner, Frank J., and John Boli, eds. The Globalization Reader. 3d ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2007.

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  Exceptionally rich collection of essays on various aspects of globalization. Impressive roster of contributors, ranging from esteemed academics to distinguished practitioners, along with statements from international nongovernmental organizations. Offers something for every researcher, from novice undergraduates to experienced scholars. Highly recommended, albeit eclectic, introductory text.

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• Osterhammel, Jürgen, and Niels P. Petersson. Globalization: A Short History. Translated by Dona Geyer. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005.

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  Translated from the German original (2003). Short, accessible primer on globalization’s deep historical roots. Brief introductory chapter on theory and concepts, but major focus on historical trends including imperialism, industrialization, emergence of global economy, and modern challenges to globalization. Especially suited to undergraduates and beginning graduate students.

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• Ritzer, George. Globalization: A Basic Text. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.

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  Thorough, extensive, and coherent introductory textbook. Particularly appropriate for undergraduates and new researchers. Effectively outlines contemporary theories, debates, criticisms, and issues. Includes chapters on historical antecedents, economics, culture, technology, the environment, migration, crime, and inequality.

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• Scholte, Jan Aart. Globalization: A Critical Introduction. 2d ed. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.

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  Highly praised theoretical introduction to globalization. Clearly presented and well-organized overview of major debates and concepts. Adopts superterritoriality as its organizing theme. Excellent bibliography provides readers of all levels with directions for future research. Suitable for use in the classroom, while experienced researchers will also benefit.

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• Steger, Manfred B. Globalization: A Very Short Introduction. Rev. ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.

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  Recently updated text from a popular series of introductory readers. Wide ranging and instructive despite its brevity. Thematic chapters on historical antecedents, economics, politics, culture, ecology, and ideology. Evident bias toward “compassionate forms of globalization,” which may irritate readers seeking a wholly dispassionate account. Nevertheless, an illuminating brief introductory text.

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Reference Works and Bibliographies

There are many reference works and bibliographies on various aspects of globalization, all of which will help orient the new researcher in the literature. Experienced scholars will also benefit from a number of in-depth reference works on specific areas, including security, technology, and the environment. This is by no means an exhaustive listing of relevant works, but they do represent the best and most accessible studies, all of which will facilitate more targeted research. Elbakidze 2002 and Goehlert and Stamatoplos 2000 are useful printed bibliographies. Although they are inevitably somewhat dated, they will provide researchers with innumerable references in the absence of a suitable frequently updated online bibliography. The reference literature is more up to date, and researchers are well served in this area. The Central Currents in Globalization series is an exceptionally comprehensive collection of four multivolume sets covering almost every aspect of globalization. Similarly, Robertson and Scholte 2007 is an excellent four-volume encyclopedia. Ervin and Smith 2008 is a concise and superbly readable handbook that new researchers in particular will find simple and straightforward. More specifically, Michie 2003 is a more detailed reference that includes essays focused mostly on economic globalization. Similarly, Fagan and Munck 2009 and Brauch, et al. 2008 offer more thorough reference works on globalization and security and the security implications of globalization and environmental change, respectively.

• Brauch, Hans Gunter, Ürsula Oswald Spring, Czeslaw Mesjasz, John Grin, Pál Dunay, Navnita Chadha Behera, Béchir Chourou, Patricia Kameri-Mbote, and P. H. Liotta, eds. Globalization and Environmental Challenges: Reconceptualizing Security in the 21st Century. Berlin: Springer, 2008.

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  Globally oriented reference collection on modern environmental challenges to security. Features seventy-five chapters by an international and interdisciplinary cast of scholars. New researchers may find some essays challenging, but those interested in theoretical, ethical, philosophical, legal, economic, and social implications of modern environmental changes for international security will benefit.

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• Central Currents in Globalization series. 2006–2010. Los Angeles: SAGE.

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  Remarkable reference work. Four multi-volume sets organized around themes of violence, economy, culture, and politics. Assembles most significant articles and essays pertaining to each theme, including translated versions of important non-English language works. Truly impressive collection that will satisfy every researcher.

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• Elbakidze, Marina, ed. Globalization: A Bibliography with Indexes. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science, 2002.

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  Comprehensive and wide-ranging bibliography, with sections on business, economics, technology, politics, and environment. Like all printed bibliographies, it is now somewhat dated, but researchers will nevertheless find it an extremely useful source of information.

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• Ervin, Justin, and Zachary A. Smith. Globalization: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2008.

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  Exceptional introductory reference text. Written in clear, concise yet detailed prose. Well-documented references facilitate further research. Brief, well-written chapters on every aspect of globalization, from its historical antecedents to the role of technology. Includes short sketches of key theorists, documents, data, organizations, and bibliographical resources. Highly recommended for beginning researchers.

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• Fagan, G. Honor, and Ronaldo Munck, eds. Globalization and Security: An Encyclopedia. 2 vols. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger Security International, 2009.

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  Meticulous two-volume encyclopedia. Focused on globalization as a global security issue. Vol. 1 focused on economic and political issues. Vol. 2 focused on social and cultural issues. Forty-three contributions, including information wars, indigenous peoples, global ethics, food security, migration, and social movements. Will appeal to all readers.

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• Goehlert, Robert, and Anthony Stamatoplos. “Resource Bibliography.” In Globalization and the Challenges of a New Century: A Reader. Edited by Patrick O’Meara, Howard D. Mehlinger, and Matthew Krain, 461–482. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2000.

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  Very useful bibliography of books, articles, research guides, and websites pertaining to various aspects of globalization. Comprehensive, well documented, and judicious. Like all printed bibliographies it is now somewhat dated, but it nevertheless effectively guides the reader toward important texts, with suggestions on where researchers can update their sources.

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• Michie, Jonathan, ed. The Handbook of Globalisation. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 2003.

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  Useful reference work that contains twenty-five articles on various aspects of globalization. Includes section on interpretive questions, global economy, labor standards, global governance, and policy. Especially useful for experienced scholars and graduate students. Undergraduates may need to begin with something more introductory.

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• Robertson, Roland, and, Jan Aart Scholte, eds. Encyclopedia of Globalization. 4 vols. New York: Routledge, 2007.

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  Impressive and wide-ranging four-volume encyclopedia, edited by noted globalization scholars. Features over four hundred entries on topics from accounting to youth culture. Includes useful bibliographical references. Will help facilitate research at all levels.

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Journals

The sheer interdisciplinary scope and volume of globalization studies requires the researcher to conduct extensive bibliographical searches for relevant essays and articles. Moreover, since globalization itself remains a dynamic and unstable process, much of the scholarly literature can be quickly superseded by the pace of events. Given globalization’s dynamism, then, some of the most useful and up-to-date research can be found in online journals. There are a number of online and traditional print journals that recommend themselves to the student of globalization. Yale’s Center for the Study of Globalization maintains an online presence as YaleGlobal Online and provides access to a wide variety of essays, opinion, reviews, and multimedia resources. Canada’s Athabasca University provides a similar service through its online journal Globalization, which features peer-reviewed articles across the spectrum of globalization studies. Similarly, the University of Sussex’s Global Site presents a diverse array of essays, reviews, and commentaries on various aspects of globalization. Traditional print journals also offer a wealth of essays on relevant topics. Global Society is a long-running interdisciplinary journal on global and international relations that covers a wide range of topics and methodologies. The Review of International Political Economy is an important and long-standing source of research on the international economic implications of globalization. Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations is another well-regarded quarterly publication that emphasizes international organizations and multilateralism. The newly created Journal of Globalization and Development is still in its infancy, but it promises to become a premier publication on the subject. For those interested in the contributions of economic geographers, Economic Geography is a long-standing source of peer-reviewed articles on globalization.

• Economic Geography.

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  Long-standing peer-reviewed journal of economic geography, which often publishes articles on various aspects of globalization. Extremely wide-ranging, empirical, and highly regarded in the field. Good source of book reviews and new research.

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• Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations.

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  Journal published by the Academic Council on the United Nations System. Features peer-reviewed articles by academics and practitioners. Focuses on international institutions and economics, peace and security, human rights, and environmental preservation. Valuable and long-standing source of reliable articles on various aspects of globalization process.

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• Globalization.

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  Peer-reviewed open-access journal focused on all aspects of globalization, published by Canada’s Athabasca University. International and interdisciplinary editorial board ensures wide-ranging focus. Students and researchers alike will profit from its articles, which range from student papers to scholarly articles. Published biannually since 2001.

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• The Global Site.

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  Online resource with emphasis on social sciences, based at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. Includes original essays, book reviews, and commentaries. Also includes a section on peace and war in the context of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Interesting and eclectic collection of studies that reflects contemporary globalization’s myriad manifestations and wide-ranging influence.

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• Global Society.

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  Wide-ranging and interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journal. Features articles on subjects as diverse as identity, racism, religion, terrorism, disease, and the environment. Its back catalogue contains a rich source of articles from a variety of methodologies and approaches for students and scholars of globalization in all its forms.

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• Journal of Globalization and Development.

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  Began publishing in 2010, with particular emphasis on development issues. Esteemed editors and equally impressive editorial board. Focused on both academic research and policy-oriented studies. Includes contributions from both scholars and practitioners. Promises to become a significant source of scholarship on development and globalization.

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• Review of International Political Economy.

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  Very well-respected journal, with impressive international editors and editorial board. Currently publishing five times per year. Essential source of scholarly articles on international political economy, which often includes essays on various aspects of globalization.

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• YaleGlobal Online.

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  Online open access magazine from Yale’s Center for the Study of Globalization. Extremely useful clearinghouse for all researchers. Features a wide array of original scholarly essays, links to relevant previously published essays, interviews, book reviews, and multimedia presentations. Reflects the current state of globalization studies—broad, eclectic, innovative, and dynamic.

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Historical Antecedents

As many scholars have contended, globalization is not a new phenomenon. Historians in particular have come to terms with this reality, and all scholars of globalization in the modern era will benefit from exploring its historical antecedents. Earlier manifestations of this process can be found in global history since at least the 15th century, and some scholars would argue that its ancestry predates even the era of exploration. Students and researchers investigating globalization in all its forms will profit from the context offered by historians. Their insights can elucidate contemporary developments in international trade, industrialization, migration, imperialism, religion, identity, and culture, and their findings will enrich scholarship on globalization’s contemporary manifestations.

Theories of Globalization

The theoretical work on globalization is a disparate and multidisciplinary one. Scholars from international relations, sociology, economic geography, and economics have all attempted to impose order on this chaotic and multifaceted process. International-relations students are well-served by a number of introductory texts. Held and McGrew 2007 is an excellent and comprehensive place to start, especially for new scholars in the field. Clark 1999 is an older, but nonetheless valuable, introduction to the theoretical issues posed by globalization for international-relations scholars. For a broader textbook introduction to international-relations theory through the lens of globalization, see Baylis, et al. 2008. Much of the theoretical work on globalization has come from social theorists, especially sociologists, and Robertson 1992 is a classic in this field that will introduce researchers to the principles of social theory. On the other hand, Rosenberg 2005 presents a “postmortem” of globalization theory, at least as presented by the social theorists, including a very useful—but critical—summary of their theories and findings. Economic geographers have also contributed much to the theoretical literature on globalization, and Mackinnon and Cumbers 2007 is a convenient place to start exploring that particular field. Not surprisingly, economists have also played a major role in theorizing the causes, manifestations, and implications of globalization. Steger and Roy 2010 presents a brief, critical, but nevertheless engaging overview of neoliberalism, offering myriad insights into the economic principles most closely associated with economic globalization.

• Baylis, John, Steve Smith, and Patricia Owens. The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.

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  Well-regarded textbook on international relations, which explores theory through the lens of globalization. Includes access to an excellent package of multimedia resources for students and teachers. Highly recommended for undergraduates seeking a lucid introduction to international-relations theory with emphasis on globalization in all its forms.

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• Clark, Ian. Globalization and International Relations Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.

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  Somewhat dated, but straightforward, introduction to implications of globalization for international-relations theory. Considers sovereignty, security, democracy, and the role of the state, which remain key theoretical issues. Recent scholars certainly ask more complex questions, but this will acquaint theoretically oriented new researchers with the field’s most basic questions.

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• Held, David, and Anthony McGrew, eds. Globalization Theory: Approaches and Controversies. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2007.

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  Excellent essay collection edited by respected and prolific students of globalization. Includes a diverse range of articles on cultural analysis, social constructivism, imperialism, political economy, democracy, economic security, global governance, and American hegemony. Excellent introductory essay that will orient new researchers in the literature. Interdisciplinary approach will appeal to wide variety of scholars.

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• Mackinnon, Danny, and Andrew Cumbers. An Introduction to Economic Geography: Globalization, Uneven Development and Place. Harlow, UK: Prentice Hall, 2007.

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  Readable, comprehensive, and coherent introduction to theories of economic geography through the prism of globalization, uneven development, and place. New students seeking grounding in this methodology will find it especially useful. Includes chapters on innovation, tourism, culture, multinational corporations, and service economies.

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• Robertson, Roland. Globalization: Social Theory and Global Culture. London: SAGE, 1992.

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  Old but still worthwhile sociological study of globalization. Students and researchers interested in social and cultural theoretical approaches to globalization should read this text. Can be difficult for novice undergraduates, but will reward persistence for those pursuing questions of modernity, civilization, religion, and world systems theory.

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• Rosenberg, Justin. “Globalization Theory: A Post Mortem.” International Politics 42 (2005): 2–74.

  DOI: 10.1057/palgrave.ip.8800098Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  Well-written article that assesses and ultimately rejects “globalization theory,” expounded by social theorists and historical sociologists in the 1990s and early 2000s. Some may disagree with the overall characterization of globalization as a spent force, but overall a very useful overview with insights into theoretical works.

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• Steger, Manfred B., and Ravi K. Roy. Neoliberalism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.

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  Brief, critical, but immensely readable overview of neoliberal economics. New students should read with a critical eye toward the authors’ evident bias against neoliberalism, but this nevertheless offers an accessible overview of a deeply contentious economic paradigm.

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Critiques and Defenses of Globalization

Both scholars and practitioners remain deeply divided over the relative political, economic, social, and cultural merits of globalization. The subject has spawned a vigorous and often polemical literature since the late 20th century, and it can be difficult for the beginning researcher to separate the wheat from the chaff. On one hand, there are those who vehemently criticize globalization for inhibiting economic development and for reinforcing long-standing patterns of poverty in the developing world. Others claim globalization has undermined traditional cultures, customs, and values, and weakened political and economic sovereignty around the globe. On the other hand, there are those who champion globalization’s power to raise living standards and increase economic opportunity, to reinforce and disseminate traditional cultural products, and to foster and increase democracy around the world. In addition to fierce critics and vehement defenders, there are those skeptical scholars who question whether conceptions of globalization actually reflect the reality of contemporary international relations and the modern global economy. A number of introductory texts and general readers provide an accessible roadmap to the often emotional and seemingly internecine debates over globalization. Before delving into the sometimes complex and confusing literature on globalization’s positive and negative role in the world, new undergraduates and novice researchers are advised to orient themselves using the following texts. For the beginning researcher, Held and McGrew 2007 is an excellent survey of globalization’s pros and cons. El-Ojeili and Hayden 2006 performs a similar service, but concentrates on the sometimes opaque theoretical literature, rendering complex theories intelligible. For a more in-depth collection of important articles and analysis on globalization’s relative vices and virtues, see Held and McGrew 2003. Malaspina 2006 is a similar, but much less rigorous, collection of excerpts from prominent globalization scholars and observers.

• El-Ojeili, Chamsy, and Patrick Hayden. Critical Theories of Globalization. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.

  DOI: 10.1057/9780230626454Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  Unusually accessible introduction to an often fraught and opaque theoretical literature. Effectively familiarizes undergraduates with critical social and political theories. Emphasizes social justice and globalization’s tensions and contradictions. Adopts a thematic approach including chapters on economics, culture, and alternatives to globalization. Recommended to those new to field who seek critical assessments.

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• Held, David, and Anthony McGrew, eds. The Globalization Transformations Reader: An Introduction to the Globalization Debate. 2d ed. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2003.

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  Extremely useful and accessible introduction to globalization debates. Features fifty essays and articles by some of subject’s most prominent and insightful scholars. Balanced and evenhanded selections. Highly recommended to undergraduates, but graduate students and experienced scholars will also glean a great deal of insight from this collection.

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• Held, David, and Anthony McGrew. Globalization/Anti-Globalization: Beyond the Great Divide. 2d ed. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2007.

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  Updated introductory text, especially suitable for undergraduates and new researchers. Surveys major arguments for and against globalization’s existence, and arguments for and against increased globalization. Offers a theory of “cosmopolitan social democracy” as a potential third way. Succinct, accessible, and mostly balanced.

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• Malaspina, Ann, ed. Critical Perspectives on Globalization. New York: Rosen, 2006.

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  Helpful collection of essays, extracts, and commentaries on various aspects of globalization. Mostly balanced in its inclusion of alternative viewpoints. Includes excerpts from Giddens, Friedman, Stiglitz, and others. Held and McGrew 2003 is more thorough, but those seeking a brief reader will nevertheless find this useful.

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Economics

The scholarship on economics and globalization is exceptionally rich, wide ranging, and dynamic, and much of it is accessible to those with no formal training in economic theory. The following studies represent a very small portion of this literature, but they will serve to orient new undergraduates and graduate students. Experienced scholars will also find much to stimulate their research in these works. Levitt 1983 is a profoundly influential, if somewhat discredited, early articulation of globalization’s economic implications and consequences. This article continues to foster debate, and it is widely understood to be a formative piece of work. Dicken 2007 is a highly regarded introductory textbook on international political economy that all beginning undergraduates should start with. Schwartz 2010 is a shorter, more interpretive study of the same subject that is also suitable for beginning researchers. For a more focused approach on the major developments in the global economy in the 20th century, all researchers will benefit from the erudition, scope, and eloquence of Frieden 2007. King and King 2008 will take the reader deeper into the debates, and the authors’ collection of significant articles in the field will help new researchers orient themselves while providing experienced researchers with a useful reference to important publications. The debate over US influence on international political economy during the 1990s can be followed through Bacevich 2002 and Abdelal 2007. While the former sees a concerted American effort to manage the international economy and foster economic and political “openness,” the latter finds evidence for overwhelming European influence. For a more practical point of view, finally, scholars interested in theoretical approaches to international political economy should carefully scrutinize Palan 2000.

• Abdelal, Rawi. Capital Rules: The Construction of Global Finance. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007.

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  Well-received and well-regarded study of international finance and capital flows during globalization’s economic heyday. Interdisciplinary approach that fuses political economy with sociological, political, intellectual, and legal methodologies. Sees globalization as a European, not American, innovation. Interesting counterpoint to assumptions of American-led economic globalization.

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• Bacevich, Andrew J. American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2002.

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  Provocative, stimulating, and immensely readable polemic that links globalization to continued American economic, military, and political dominance. Identifies long-standing American commitment to “openness” and leadership, designed to maintain US economic and strategic hegemony. A thought-provoking analysis of US foreign policy during globalization’s height.

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• Dicken, Peter. Global Shift: Mapping the Changing Contours of the World Economy. 5th ed. New York: Guilford, 2007.

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  Enduring, comprehensive, and comprehensible textbook introduction to international political economy, with particular emphasis on the geography of globalization. Includes a particularly useful in-depth exploration of individual sectors, including financial services, automobile manufacturing, the clothing industry, and agriculture. Highly recommended for undergraduate students and beginning researchers.

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• Frieden, Jeffry A. Global Capitalism: Its Fall and Rise in the Twentieth Century. New York: Norton, 2007.

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  Thorough history of the international economy in the 20th century. Includes chapters on 19th-century innovations, imperialism and development, the impact of World War I and interwar autarky, the Bretton Woods system, the Cold War, decolonization, and globalization. All students of international political economy and globalization will benefit from this work.

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• King, Philip, and Sharmila King, eds. International Economics, Globalization, and Policy: A Reader. 5th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2008.

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  Excellent collection of previously published articles on globalization, political economy, and international economics. Includes sections on trade and protectionism, the WTO, the environment, outsourcing, NAFTA, immigration, finance, and foreign aid. Useful both for new researchers and experienced scholars seeking convenient access to relevant articles.

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• Levitt, Theodore. “The Globalization of Markets.” Harvard Business Review 61.3 (1983): 92–102.

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  Seminal article by the marketing scholar widely credited with coining term “globalization.” Predicts a homogenized global marketplace with global standards and global marketing strategies. Although many of his predictions failed to materialize, his work continues to be referenced by scholars interested in economic globalization, and it continues to stimulate debate.

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• Palan, Ronen, ed. Global Political Economy: Contemporary Theories. London: Routledge, 2000.

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  Explores the latest theoretical trends in international political economy, including essays on historical sociology, race and gender, regulation, and game theory. Undergraduates will find it difficult, but a very useful essay collection for experienced scholars and graduate students, especially those interested in theoretical approaches.

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• Schwartz, Herman M. States versus Markets: The Emergence of a Global Economy. 3d ed. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.

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  Well-regarded study of international political economy and its historical development. Sees parallels between contemporary globalization and the international economy of the late 19th century. Excellent introductory text for undergraduate students, with insights for experienced researchers.

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Development and Inequality

Despite proponents’ claims that increased global economic interdependence invariably increases wealth and promotes greater equality across the globe, many scholars contend that economic globalization has in fact fostered inequality and poverty, and led to ever deepening disparities between rich and poor. There are a large number of studies that adopt this perspective, some of which offer potential remedies and alternatives. Held and Kaya 2007 is an ideal place to begin exploring this rich vein of literature. It brings together renowned academics and practitioners who each make the case for reducing global inequality. Kaplinsky 2005 is another well-written and comprehensible introduction to the subject, which argues that economic globalization invariably produces inequalities through its patterns of capital investment and the proliferation of low wage jobs in Asia, Latin America, and Central Europe. Rapley 2004 makes a similar case and criticizes neoliberal economic theories and policies for their overemphasis on absolute prosperity versus relative prosperity. Thomas 2000 also highlights the pressing importance of reducing inequality, especially through alternative development strategies and grassroots activism. Hoogvelt 2001 is an accessible primer on theories of international political economy that explores postcolonial responses to growing disparities in wealth. Rodrik 2008 is a stimulating discussion of development economics in the context of globalization, which eschews uniform approaches to development policy. Greider 1998 is an especially vociferous critic of neoliberalism and economic globalization, and its searing critique remains a standard in the field. Finally, for those in search of an alternative viewpoint, Boudreaux 2008 is an accessible introduction to globalization and economics, which privileges the free market but is not overbearing.

• Boudreaux, Donald J. Globalization. Greenwood Guides to Business and Economics. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2008.

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  Strong argument for increased free trade and global free markets. It’s lucidity and brevity make it an especially useful introduction for new undergraduates and novice researchers. Includes chapters on jobs, wages, trade, deficits, and globalization institutions.

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• Greider, William. One World, Ready or Not: The Manic Logic of Global Capitalism. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998.

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  Powerful left-wing critique of neoliberalism. Stresses economic globalization’s propensity to engender inequities, injustice, and exploitation. Suggests a wide-range of fundamental reforms to the international economy including new international labor policies, revised tariffs, and capital reforms.

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• Held, David, and Ayse Kaya, eds. Global Inequality: Patterns and Explanations. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2007.

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  Stimulating and important collection of essays by an esteemed group of scholars and practitioners. Offers analytical essays on various manifestations, patterns, and implications of inequality, along with various policy options for rectifying disparities. Undergraduates and advanced scholars alike will find much to engage with here.

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• Hoogvelt, Ankie. Globalization and the Postcolonial World: The New Political Economy of Development. 2d ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001.

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  Good introduction to theories of development. Includes a cogent overview of theories of international political economy, particularly Robert W. Cox’s historical-structure approach. Particularly strong on “postcolonial” responses to globalization and inequality in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

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• Kaplinsky, Raphael. Globalization, Poverty and Inequality: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2005.

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  Engaging interdisciplinary study of the relationship between globalization and poverty. Argues that global economy causes these inequalities as investment and low-wage jobs move toward Asia, Latin America, and Central Europe. Oriented toward both scholars and general readers; students should find it accessible and well-organized. Extremely well-documented with tables and figures.

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• Rapley, John. Globalization and Inequality: Neoliberalism’s Downward Spiral. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2004.

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  Contends that neoliberalism failed to reduce inequality, even as absolute poverty rates have declined. Suggests the theory is based on a faulty premise of increased absolute prosperity rather than increased relative prosperity. Useful critique of neoliberalism’s contribution to inequality that undergraduates should find readable. Read in conjunction with Boudreaux 2008.

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• Rodrik, Dani. One Economics, Many Recipes: Globalization, Institutions, and Economic Growth. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2008.

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  Extremely well-reviewed and well-received exposition of neoclassical and development economics. Central contention is that one-size development economics does not fit all. Includes keen insights on development economics and globalization, and offers a realistic program for development policy in a globalizing age.

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• Thomas, Caroline. Global Governance, Development and Human Security: The Challenge of Poverty and Inequality. London: Pluto, 2000.

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  Short but original study highlighting problems of global inequality and poverty in the context of late 20th-century globalization and neoliberalism. Places emphasis on human security as opposed to national security. Written from an international political-economy perspective. Offers overview of alternative development strategies and posits a need for grassroots activism. Recommended to all.

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Politics

Students of politics and globalization tend to focus on the process’s implications for state sovereignty and democracy in an interdependent world, as well as questions of global governance. Of course, isolating the political manifestations and implications of globalization is a difficult proposition, since the process is resolutely multifaceted and interconnected. Nonetheless, there are a number of studies that stress the political implications of globalization. New students and novice researchers should begin with Brawley 2008. Kesselman 2006 is another suitable starting place, which brings together some of the best writing and analysis on politics and globalization. Held and McGrew 2002 is another appropriate introductory text, which assembles theoretical essays and empirical studies on a wide range of issues relating to politics and globalization. Holton 1998 is now a bit dated, but it provides interesting insights for those interested in globalization’s implications for multiethnic societies and democracy. Mann 1997 presents a compelling and nuanced model that suggests various aspects of globalization exert different degrees of influence in different regions under different circumstances. Similarly, Sassen 1996 is a sophisticated extended essay on globalization’s myriad effects on states’ claim to predominance. Suter 2003 studies the breakdown of state sovereignty and its possible ramifications, while Gritsch 2005 contends that globalization actually increases state sovereignty and power.

• Brawley, Mark R. The Politics of Globalization: Gaining Perspective, Assessing Consequences. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008.

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  Excellent introductory primer for students interested in globalization from the perspective of politics and state and international relations. Relates well to theory and goes beyond politics to consider globalization’s wide-ranging impact. Highly recommended to undergraduates and beginning graduate students.

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• Gritsch, Maria. “The Nation-State and Economic Globalization: Soft Geo-Politics and Increased State Autonomy?” Review of International Political Economy12.1 (2005): 1–25.

  DOI: 10.1080/09692290500049854Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  Interesting and thought-provoking article that claims economic globalization actually increases state power, contrary to conventional wisdom. Sees economic globalization as a form of “soft power” that also insulates political-economic elites from domestic unrest and opposition. Well argued, well written, and refreshingly against the grain.

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• Held, David, and Anthony McGrew. Governing Globalization: Power, Authority and Global Governance. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2002.

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  Comprehensive collection of theoretical and empirical essays edited by two of globalization’s most prolific and insightful students. Contains essays on global institutions, problems facing global governance (HIV/AIDS, crime, property rights), and theory, from Marxism to realism to functionalism. Highly recommended for new students.

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• Holton, Robert J. Globalization and the Nation-State. Basingstoke, UK: Macmillan, 1998.

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  Older book, significant for its emphasis on multiculturalism and ethnic identities. Also includes chapters on economics, culture, history, and definition. Chapter 4 is particularly interesting for those concerned with questions of sovereignty and democracy. Some findings may be out of date, but it nevertheless raises interesting questions.

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• Kesselman, Mark. The Politics of Globalization: A Reader. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006.

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  Indispensible reader that brings together major writings on globalization and politics. Includes discussions of historical antecedents, globalization and its implications for states, economic implications, and global governance. Highly recommended to undergraduates in particular.

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• Mann, Michael. “Has Globalization Ended the Rise and Rise of the Nation-State?” Review of International Political Economy 4.3 (1997): 472–496.

  DOI: 10.1080/096922997347715Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  Nuanced and sophisticated study of globalization’s impact on the predominance of the nation-state. Explores the influence of four apparent “threats” at local, national, international, and transnational levels: global capitalism, environmental factors, identity politics, and geopolitics. Finds these factors have varying degrees of influence at different levels. Recommended reading for all globalization scholars.

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• Sassen, Saskia. Losing Control? Sovereignty in an Age of Globalization. New York: Columbia University Press, 1996.

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  Informed and balanced assessment of globalization’s influence on states’ claims to exclusive control of their territory. Focuses on global capital markets, human-rights regimes, and immigration. Based on the author’s Leonard Hastings Schoff Memorial Lectures at Columbia University. Well-written, and, for the most part, will appeal to undergraduates and experienced scholars alike.

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• Suter, Keith. Global Order and Global Disorder: Globalization and the Nation-State. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003.

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  Explores globalization in the context of the erosion of the nation-state. Sees this as a recipe for greater disorder. Traces the development of the nation-state system and its weaknesses; traces the increasing significance of new global actors, especially multinational corporations and international nongovernmental organizations. Discusses alternatives. Well-written, but the conclusions are perhaps overwrought. Will nevertheless stimulate discussion.

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Culture

The literature on culture and globalization can be very theoretical and conceptual, which may deter some new researchers and undergraduates from engaging with what is actually a fascinating and rich subfield. On the surface, basic debates follow much of the globalization literature in their emphasis on good versus bad globalization and tension versus homogenization. A deeper reading of the literature, however, reveals much greater analytical sophistication than those simple dichotomies allow. Nederveen Pieterse 2009 is an excellent place to begin researching the complex relationship between culture and globalization. It is a well-written and relatively jargon-free introduction to the major debates animating the field and offers a thoughtful alternative thesis of its own. Though much older, Tomlinson 1999 is an unusually readable entry point to this debate, with a particular emphasis on social theory and cultural-studies methodologies. Cowen 2002 is another accessible and stimulating study that challenges easy assumptions about globalization’s impact on culture. For those seeking greater depth and scope, Anheier and Isar 2007 is a rich and detailed collection of essays and data that explores a wide range of issues and regions. Of course, Huntington 1996 remains one of the most important studies pertaining to globalization and culture. Huntington’s “clash of civilizations” thesis has provoked a great deal of response in almost every discipline concerned with globalization and its consequences. Lieber and Weisberg 2002 and Inglehart and Norris 2003 are excellent examples of the work produced in response to Huntington’s provocative book. Finally, Jameson and Miyoshi 1998 represents an excellent example of the avowedly neo-Marxian approach, and its wide-ranging essays on all aspects of economics and culture will stimulate debate on both sides of the question.

• Anheier, Helmut K., and Yudhishthir Raj Isar, eds. Cultures and Globalization: Conflicts and Tensions. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2007.

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  Twenty-eight essays chronicling various aspects of globalization’s impact on cultures across the globe. Resolutely international and eclectic scope, with particular emphasis on theoretical approaches, regions, migration, and conflict prevention/resolution. Includes very unusual and large data section based on “cultural indicators.”

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• Cowen, Tyler. Creative Destruction: How Globalization Is Changing the World’s Cultures. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2002.

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  Well-written and stimulating account that challenges the notion that globalization undermines local cultures, products, and markets. Makes useful connections between culture and trade. Particularly interesting in its claim that cultural globalization enhances all national cultures and stimulates creativity. Undergraduates will find it particularly refreshing for its challenge to received wisdom.

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• Huntington, Samuel P. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996.

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  Provocative and controversial monograph. Claims international relations are primarily conditioned by a clash among nine distinct civilizations, distinguished from one another by religion, values, and customs. Particular focus on the West, Islam, and East Asia. All students of globalization and modern international relations need to come to terms with Huntington’s arguments.

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• Inglehart, Ronald, and Pippa Norris. “The True Clash of Civilizations.” Foreign Policy 135 (2003): 62–70.

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  Sees differing attitudes toward sex as primary source of tension between Muslim societies and Western societies, rather than democracy. Based on findings from World Values Surveys. Focus on divorce, abortion, gender equality, and gay rights. Provocative, cogent, and thought-provoking response to Huntington’s thesis (Huntington 1996).

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• Jameson, Fredric, and Masao Miyoshi, eds. The Cultures of Globalization. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1998.

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  Unabashedly neo-Marxian collection that explores a wide range of issues. Sections on philosophy, regional issues, national issues, and consumption. Students and researchers interested in critical leftist interpretations of globalization will find this especially stimulating, although all researchers should be productively provoked by its arguments and findings.

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• Lieber, Robert J., and Ruth E. Weisberg. “Globalization, Culture, and Identities in Crisis.” International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society 16.2 (2002): 273–296.

  DOI: 10.1023/A:1020581114701Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  Establishes centrality of culture to struggles and debates over globalization’s influence. Sees little substantive impact in modern industrial societies, but serious threats to identity in traditional societies, especially in the Muslim world. Sees a clash within civilizations, rather than between civilizations. Perceptive interdisciplinary article that will interest all globalization scholars.

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• Nederveen Pieterse, Jan. Globalization and Culture: Global Mélange. 2d ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2009.

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  Important and thoughtful interdisciplinary text that challenges claims of “McDonaldization” or “clash of civilizations.” Instead sees hybridization as the primary fact of cultural globalization. Useful chapters outlining traditional debates and theories that will orient new researchers in field. Highly recommended to undergraduates, but graduate students and experienced researchers will also profit.

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• Tomlinson, John. Globalization and Culture. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999.

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  Wide-ranging analysis of globalization’s impact on culture and vice versa. Emphasizes social-theory and cultural-studies approaches. Relatively free of jargon, which makes it an unusually accessible introduction to these fields. Chapters on modernity, deterritorialization, communication, and cosmopolitanism. Especially recommended to students beginning their study of globalization’s relationship to culture.

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Migration

Scholars have long recognized that international migration can function as a vanguard of globalization, both historically and in the contemporary period. Migration remains a dynamic, contested, and profoundly relevant issue for countries across the globe, and the literature tends to highlight the potential challenges, difficulties, and benefits that both inhibit and induce migration. Nayyar 2002 offers a good summary of the major issues surrounding migration, both in historical and contemporary contexts. McKeown 2008 explores the issue of Asian immigration, finding the origins of national borders and passport controls in their restriction across the British Empire and the United States. Stalker 2000 is an able economic interpretation of international labor flows and their often complex and intimate relationship with international trade and capital flows. For those wishing to delve more deeply into the social and cultural implications of migration in the contemporary era, Friedman and Randiera 2004 is a stimulating collection of essays focused on identity and globalization. Papastergiadis 2000 adopts a similar approach. Finally, Morris 1997 is an insightful and accessible introduction to migration issues in the European Union, although it is becoming a little more dated.

• Friedman, Jonathan, and Shalini Randiera, eds. Worlds on the Move: Globalization, Migration and Cultural Security. New York: I. B. Tauris, 2004.

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  Important collection of essays by an international cast of scholars. Focuses on implications of migration for identity formation and preservation. Includes essays on political and legal ramifications of migration and identity, as well as strategies adopted by immigrants. Suitable for advanced undergraduates, but especially recommended to graduate students and experienced scholars.

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• McKeown, Adam. Melancholy Order: Asian Migration and the Globalization of Borders. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008.

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  Fascinating and meticulous study of Asian migration, restriction, and border control, with particular emphasis on the 19th century. Scholars of immigration, passport controls, race and globalization, and imperialism will all profit from this study. Well documented, well written, and well argued.

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• Morris, Lydia. “Globalization, Migration, and the Nation-State: The Path to a Post-National Europe?” British Journal of Sociology 48.2 (1997): 192–209.

  DOI: 10.2307/591748Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  Sociological investigation into migration policies of the European Union in the context of globalization. Does an especially good job of highlighting conceptual flexibility and inconsistencies of globalization as an analytical term. Recommended to all students and scholars interested in migration in a European context.

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• Nayyar, Deepak. “Cross-border Movements of People.” In Governing Globalization: Issues and Institutions. Edited by Deepak Nayyar, 144–176. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

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  Good overview of issues raised by migration and globalization. Effective summary of major historical and contemporary trends. Posits a general reduction in international migration during the last decade of the 20th century. Identifies and analyzes a wide-range of determinants. Calls for increased international rules and institutions. Especially recommended to undergraduates and graduate students.

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• Papastergiadis, Nikos. The Turbulence of Migration; Globalization, Deterritorialization and Hybridity. Malden, MA: Polity, 2000.

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  Provocative interdisciplinary study that sees contemporary migration patterns as far more confused and uncertain than previous historical patterns. Serves as a critique of globalization and its implications for citizenship, migrant identity, culture, and “belonging.” Undergraduates may find it difficult, and advanced scholars will find it light on empirical evidence.

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• Stalker, Peter. Workers without Frontiers: The Impact of Globalization on International Migration. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2000.

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  Good introduction to international capital flows, trade, and their relationship to migration. Argues that sustained migration will continue as long as globalization fosters global inequalities, but local opposition to immigrants will also intensify. Based on older data, but a new edition may rectify these problems.

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Security

There is an increasingly robust literature on globalization and security. Much of the debate centers on whether globalization has enhanced or diminished security, either regionally or globally. Kirshner 2006 provides an excellent overview of the issues and will help new researchers in particular orient themselves with respect to the myriad security problems raised by globalization. Mabee 2009 is another good place to begin reading about these issues, emphasizing nuclear proliferation, migration, and the burgeoning international arms trade. Bacevich 2002 is an excellent, if provocative, treatment of American assumptions regarding the supposed peace dividends of globalization. More specifically, Brooks 2005 and Ripsman and Paul 2010 offer somewhat conflicting views in their stimulating empirical and theoretical treatments of the subject. While Brooks sees the globalization of production as conducive to increased peace and security, Ripsman and Paul find less evidence to suggest that globalization is beneficial from the perspective of national security. Mittelman 2010 is even less sanguine. The author’s treatment of globalization’s security implications will provide a great deal of stimulus to future researchers in this field. Finally, Battersby and Siracusa 2009 and Lia 2005 broaden the lens with studies on “human security” and terrorism, respectively.

• Bacevich, Andrew J. American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2002.

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  A powerful critique of American foreign policy in the modern age of globalization. Particular focus on the post–Cold War period, which the author sees as a period characterized by the US desire to retain global economic, political, and military hegemony through a strategy of “openness.” Recommended to all scholars of modern economic globalization and the US role in expanding and protecting it.

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• Battersby, Paul, and Joseph M. Siracusa. Globalization and Human Security. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2009.

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  Effective and engaging monograph that broadens conceptions of security in response to the UN’s human security initiatives. Reflects the complexity of modern security issues, including nuclear weapons and human rights. Advocates greater reflection on social and economic injustice. Students and new scholars will find much to stimulate their research here.

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• Brooks, Stephen G. Producing Security: Multinational Corporations, Globalization, and the Changing Calculus of Conflict. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005.

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  Very well-reviewed and significant theoretical study that combines international political economy with security studies. Sees globalization of production, engendered by multinational corporations, as a mostly stabilizing factor in international politics. Excellent bibliography for further research. Especially stimulating when read in conjunction with Ripsman and Paul 2010.

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• Kirshner, Jonathan, ed. Globalization and National Security. New York: Routledge, 2006.

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  Rewarding collection of essays addressing various aspects of globalization and security. Conceptual/theoretical essays provide a clear and necessary grounding, and essays on migration, information technology, security in the Middle East, Japan, and China demonstrate the diverse and wide-ranging nature of the problem. Recommended to all scholars.

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• Lia, Brynjar. Globalisation and the Future of Terrorism: Patterns and Predictions. London: Routledge, 2005.

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  Links intensification of terrorism with globalization, especially diffusion of organized crime, people (migration), technology, interventionist foreign policies, and an increasing number of transitional states. An important, well-researched, and well-argued contribution to this literature, with significant implications for all scholars of security and globalization.

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• Mabee, Bryan. The Globalization of Security: State Power, Security Provision and Legitimacy. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.

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  Adopts historical sociological methodology to analyze evolving security threats and state power in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Argues that transnational threats have challenged post–World War II conceptions of security. Specific chapters on nuclear weapons, arms industry, and migration. Excellent introduction to problems of security and globalization in North Atlantic.

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• Mittelman, James H. Hyperconflict: Globalization and Insecurity. Stanford, CA: Stanford Security Studies, 2010.

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  Thought-provoking study of conflict in the context of globalization. Suggests growing instability and fear, coupled with new agents of violence, foreshadow a period of intensified violence. Interesting theoretical and empirical study of conflict in a globalized era that will appeal to all researchers.

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• Ripsman, Norrin M., and T. V. Paul. Globalization and the National Security State. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

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  Important empirical study that challenges the notion that globalization increases peace. Finds that military spending has increased and national security states persist. Argues that globalization has been particularly destabilizing in unstable regions. Especially stimulating when read in conjunction with Brooks 2005.

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Crime

Students and scholars of transnational crime and globalization are very well served by the literature. Since these are among the most pressing issues facing peoples and governments in the aftermath of 11 September 2001, the issue has received an enormous amount of attention in recent years. Terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime, and transnational policing efforts receive the bulk of the attention. The following represents a brief overview of this literature, which will help orient new researchers in the field and provide much to stimulate further research for experienced scholars. Andreas and Nadelmann 2006 is an excellent place to begin researching this subject. It is a highly regarded text that provides a great deal of useful historical context for contemporary problems. Undergraduates in particular will find Aas 2007 a suitable starting place. It establishes the contours of the field and introduces new scholars to the myriad problems associated with crime and globalization. Fichtelberg 2007 and Madsen 2009 also offer informative and accessible primers on this complex topic. Reichel 2005 is a superb handbook that emphasizes the contemporary criminal challenge posed by globalization. Its wide-ranging and comprehensive collection of essays will benefit all researchers, and undergraduates and graduate students in particular will find it an excellent reference for their research. On more specific topics, White 2009 focuses on terrorism, with particular emphasis on the American context. Thachuk 2007 provides a good overview of arms, drugs, and human trafficking in the contemporary era, with particularly strong international case studies. Finally, Zhang 2007 is an eminently readable introduction to human trafficking that once again places special emphasis on the United States as the world’s leading destination.

• Aas, Katja Franko. Globalization and Crime. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2007.

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  Engaging study of transnational crime, written by well-established scholar in criminology. Excellent introductory text for undergraduates. Includes key terms, illustrations, and well defined subheadings. Includes chapters on human trafficking, immigration, sex trafficking, and implications of Internet crime.

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• Andreas, Peter, and Ethan Nadelmann. Policing the Globe: Criminalization and Crime Control in International Relations. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.

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  Highly regarded study of international policing and transnational crime in the era of globalization. Notable attention to historical efforts, including slavery, prostitution, and drug trafficking. Particular emphasis on European origins and later Americanization of international policing. Thorough, well-written, and thoughtful study. Undergraduates and experienced scholars alike will find its coverage satisfying.

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• Fichtelberg, Aaron. Crime without Borders: An Introduction to International Criminal Justice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2007.

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  Thorough and interesting textbook-style introduction to international crime in the context of globalization. Includes comprehensive discussions of international criminal law, international justice, war crimes, international terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and cybercrime. Highly recommended to undergraduates seeking a primer on international criminal issues.

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• Madsen, Frank G. Transnational Organized Crime. London: Routledge, 2009.

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  Short, informative, and well-argued introduction by a former Interpol officer. Cogently outlines the history and categorization of major international criminal issues. Particular focus on drugs, terrorism, economics, cybercrime, and efforts to police transnational crime. Suitable for all researchers.

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• Reichel, Philip, ed. Handbook of Transnational Crime and Justice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2005.

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  Extremely useful reference for students of international crime in the context of globalization. Focus on 21st-century challenges, including cybercrime, environmental crimes, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and war crimes. Also includes sections on transnational policing efforts and regional issues. Recommended for all researchers.

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• Thachuk, Kimberley L. Transnational Threats: Smuggling and Trafficking in Arms, Drugs, and Human Life. Westport, CT: Praeger Security International, 2007.

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  Sweeping essay collection with emphasis on regional case studies. Four introductory essays are excellent introductions to major issues and themes: narcoterrorism, human trafficking, nuclear smuggling, and small arms trafficking. Includes regional studies from the Balkans to the Andes. Strongly recommended to all scholars of globalization and crime.

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• White, Jonathan R. Terrorism and Homeland Security. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009.

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  Excellent introductory text on contemporary antiterrorism efforts. Includes chapters on definitions, history, contemporary networks and problems, media, financing, and homeland security. Comprehensive, lucid, and well-organized study. Not directly concerned with globalization, but will appeal to those seeking a foundation in this dynamic subject that will be a major source of future debate and research.

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• Zhang, Sheldon X. Smuggling and Trafficking in Human Beings: All Roads Lead to America. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2007.

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  Very lively and engaging study of human trafficking, with particular reference to the United States, by a sociology professor. Well-documented and researched, including interviews. All researchers will find this a riveting, scholarly, and typically objective analysis of this pressing international problem.

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Environmentalism

Scholars, international organizations, and social movements have long recognized the serious environmental implications of globalization, and there is a burgeoning and diverse literature on the subject. It is a multidisciplinary literature, which covers subjects as diverse as global governance, international law, international security, international economics, and social relations. Undergraduates in particular are well served by a number of introductory texts that comprehensively frame and explain the issues. Chasek, et al. 2010 is an excellent starting place for students who are new to the field. Recently updated, it is a comprehensive and cogent textbook in which novice researchers should immerse themselves. O’Neill 2009 is another first-rate textbook option for new students. Its emphasis on both theory and empiricism makes it an ideal starting place for international-relations students. More advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and experienced scholars will also find much to inspire their research agendas. Vogler and Imber 1996 is an older but still instructive collection of essays on international-relations theory and environmentalism. Once oriented in the field, all students and researchers will benefit from Brauch, et al. 2008, which is a superb collection of essays on the security implications of environmentalism in the context of globalization. Its wide global reach will appeal to everybody. For those interested in the legal and policy consequences of environmentalism and globalization, Axelrod, et al. 2010 is an accessible collection for all researchers. For the foreign policy implications of environmentalism and globalization in an international context, see Harris 2009. More broadly, Haas 2008 and Vertovec and Posey 2003 provide a wide variety of perspectives from notable academics and practitioners that cover almost every aspect of the subject.

• Axelrod, Regina S., Stacey D. VanDeveer, and David Leonard Downie, eds. The Global Environment: Institutions, Law, and Policy. 3d ed. Washington, DC: CQ, 2010.

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  Excellent primer for those interested in legal, institutional, and policy-making aspects of global environmental regimes. Lucid introductory essay will orient new researchers. Helpful chronology. Wide-ranging theoretical essays combined with relevant case studies. Especially recommended for undergraduates and graduate students seeking a comprehensive introduction to this potentially complicated field.

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• Brauch, Hans Gunter, Ürsula Oswald Spring, Czeslaw Mesjasz, John Grin, Pál Dunay, Navnita Chadha Behera, Béchir Chourou, Patricia Kameri-Mbote, and P. H. Liotta, eds. Globalization and Environmental Challenges: Reconceptualizing Security in the 21st Century. Berlin: Springer, 2008.

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  Extremely useful collection of interdisciplinary essays on the relationship between globalization and environmentalism, with a particular emphasis on the myriad security challenges this poses. Addresses ethical, philosophical, theoretical, legal, social, and economic issues.

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• Chasek, Pamela S., David L. Downie, and Janet Welsh Brown. Global Environmental Politics. 5th ed. Boulder, CO: Westview, 2010.

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  Extremely well-regarded and recently updated textbook in its field. Excellent introductory text for undergraduates new to the field. Its consideration of security, trade, political, and scientific issues will also appeal to students seeking context for broader research projects. Useful glossary and chronology. Highly recommended.

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• Haas, Peter M., ed. International Environmental Governance. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate, 2008.

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  Impressive edited volume featuring significant essays from esteemed scholars. Includes essays on realism, institutional bargaining, the role of science, the developing world, multinational corporations, and environmental activism. An essential collection for all scholars of environmentalism and globalization, although undergraduates may find some essays dense and difficult to master.

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• Harris, Paul G., ed. Environmental Change and Foreign Policy: Theory and Practice. London: Routledge, 2009.

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  Wide-ranging essay collection offering theories and case studies of international environmental politics. Impressive international list of contributors. Includes essays on Uganda, Argentina, Finland, Canada, the European Union, the United States, and Asia. Novice students may find it difficult to penetrate at times, but experienced students and scholars will find much to stimulate their research.

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• O’Neill, Kate. The Environment and International Relations. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

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  Well-received new textbook designed primarily for undergraduates. Well-written and engaging prose. Includes useful historical introduction. Chapters on international environmental problems, actors, state-led governance, treaties, and nonstate governance. Highly recommended for undergraduates seeking a theoretical and empirical introduction. Experienced researchers may also benefit from its excellent grasp of recent literature.

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• Vertovec, Steven, and Darrell Posey, eds. Globalization, Globalism, Environment, and Environmentalism: Consciousness of Connections. Linacre Lectures 2000. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

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  Important interdisciplinary collection of essays. Features leading academic and public figures on international environmentalism and globalization/globalism. Includes essays on ecology, trade, citizen movements, cities, sustainable development, and indigenous peoples. Best suited for graduate students and experienced scholars, but advanced undergraduates will also benefit from its insights.

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• Vogler, John, and Mark Imber, eds. The Environment and International Relations. New York: Routledge, 1996.

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  Somewhat dated but nevertheless informative essay collection. Places environmental issues firmly in the context of international-relations theory and globalization. Includes essays on theory, gender, the United Nations, international law, and climate change.

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Technology

The scholarly literature on technology and globalization can be challenging for uninitiated researchers. Not surprisingly, perhaps, it tends to be technical, dense, and occasionally impenetrable for casual readers. Nevertheless, a number of studies recommend themselves to students and researchers in international relations. Rosenau and Singh 2002 is an ideal place to begin researching this constantly changing subject. This collection of essays addresses a wide range of issues that establish the challenge technology presents to the nation-state’s power. Allison 2002 is another accessible collection that will introduce new researchers to the many implications of technological globalization for democracy and development around the world. For those prepared to tackle more technical studies, McMahon 2002 is an important study of technological innovation that traces the significance of technological innovations through time. Similarly, Narula 2003 explores the relationship between technological innovation, multinational corporations, and their remote production and research sites. Schultz 2009 is an outstanding and comprehensive resource for those interested in the ethical dimension of technological development, while Mann and Kirkegaard 2006 is a dense but rewarding study of information technology’s impact on the United States’ economy and its place in the world. Finally, James 2001 is an accessible and interesting article that explores the uneven impact of technology and globalization in developing countries.

• Allison, Juliann Emmons, ed. Technology, Development, and Democracy: International Conflict and Cooperation in the Information Age. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2002.

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  Collection of theoretical and empirical essays on challenges and possibilities of information technology and its relationship to democracy. Includes essays on technology transfer in Africa, women’s organization efforts and the Internet, and human rights and information technology. Incisive theoretical essays complement empirical case studies. Suitable for all researchers.

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• James, Jeffrey. “Information Technology, Cumulative Causation and Patterns of Globalization in the Third World.” Review of International Political Economy 8.1 (2001): 147–162.

  DOI: 10.1080/09692290010010281Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  Accessible article on information technology’s impact in the developing world. Slightly dated, but remains a succinct and clear exposition on major issues. Argues that while some developing countries benefit from technologies, others become estranged from the global economy without appropriate policies.

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• Mann, Catherine L., and Jacob Funk Kirkegaard. Accelerating the Globalization of America: The Role of Information Technology. Washington, DC: Institute for International Economics, 2006.

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  Policy-oriented study of information technology’s role in the American and global economy. Establishes centrality of information technology for economic globalization and its implications for the American economy. Written by a former World Bank, Council of Economic Advisers, and Federal Reserve economist. Novice undergraduates may find it difficult to penetrate.

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• McMahon, Peter. Global Control: Information Technology and Globalization since 1845. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 2002.

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  Intriguing study of technology, globalization, and transnational “control systems.” Sees symbiotic relationship between developments in information technology and states, corporations, and institutions. Also notable for its provision of historical context to telecommunications revolution of the 19th century. Undergraduates may find this dense and opaque.

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• Narula, Rajneesh. Globalization and Technology: Interdependence, Innovation Systems and Industrial Policy. Cambridge, UK: Blackwell, 2003.

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  Study of technological innovation and globalization. Posits a paradoxical relationship; finds interdependence between multinational corporations and their local sites, yet also retention of distinct innovation systems at the local level. Undergraduates may find it difficult, but graduate students and experienced researchers of globalization and technology will benefit from its analysis.

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• Rosenau, James N., and J. P. Singh, eds. Information Technologies and Global Politics: The Changing Scope of Power and Governance. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2002.

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  Insightful and accessible range of essays exploring implications of information technology and globalization for power at all levels of government. Includes essays on biotechnology, satellite imagery, security, international telecommunications, and the WTO. Sees increasing challenges to the nation-state from a range of newly empowered actors.

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• Schultz, Robert A. Information Technology and the Ethics of Globalization: Transnational Issues and Implications. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference, 2009.

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  Thorough and impressive reference on globalization’s implications for applied ethics and information technology. Will especially appeal to researchers interested in ethical and technological aspects of globalization, but also philosophical approaches.

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