'What is the impact of globalisation on the sovereignty and autonomy of the nation- state?'

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'What is the impact of globalisation on the sovereignty and autonomy of the nation- state?'

Before we can discuss the impact of globalisation on the autonomy and sovereignty of the nation-state we must define globalisation. This will be done using the concepts of stretching, intensification, interpenetration and emergence of global infrastructure. Then one needs to look at what constitutes a nation-state and analyse the Globalists, Traditionalists, and Transformationalists viewpoints of what is globalisation, with illustrative examples. We will then come closer to understanding the impact of globalisation on the sovereignty and autonomy of the nation-state.

There are four concepts, which go towards trying to define globalisation. The first of these is the 'Stretched Social Relations' where political, economical and cultural imperatives are taken in one place affect the outcome in another. For example the initiative taken by British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) to build a large nuclear waste plant in the out-backs of Australia. A plant, which would take the worlds nuclear waste and store it.

The second concept is the intensity of flows and networks. Such as the increased intensity and density of interaction and connection, across nation-state, e.g. the attack on the World Trade Centre on September 11th. The images minutes televised world-wide were within and the second attack was recorded live and witnessed across the world. In the past this type of news may have taken days if not months to travel across the world but now the communications networks are able to span into social space vis-à-vis, television, phones, internet etc. Therefore, the events taking place on the other side of the world make a strong impact on our senses, and our perception of what is happening around us globally.

The third concept is the increases in inter-penetrations. This is basically where distant cultures are brought face to face e.g. McDonalds and Hollywood films from the USA, songs from Japan and Bombay made films from India. In each instance one cultures identity is transported across nation states and has an impact. That is, local cultures from different parts of the world are brought together by way of shared experiences again McDonalds, song, Hollywood and Bollywood.

The last concept of globalisation is the global infrastructure. This is essentially the means by which ideas, culture, information, news and technology traverse across nation state i.e. the maintenance of a trade by nation states allowing trade to flow from Economic City Nodules across and through globally.

These four concepts help us to understand globalisation. So, next what do we mean by nation states. A nation state is constitutes having 'supreme jurisdiction over a demarcated territorial area' ((Held 1995, p.49) A globalizing world?  p.6). That is nation states have total control over legislative economic and social control and are able to coerce and enforce using whichever means the nation state feels to be appropriate within their boundaries. Globalisation transcends these boundaries, it seeks to rewrite what a nation state is and what control it can operate. Take for instance, the Murdoch Empire; before BskyB public broadcasting was the BBC. In 1975 its market share by percentage share of viewing time was 50%, by 1990 it had decreased to 48% and by 1995 it was 44%. Similarly in Germany 1975 the percentage share of viewing time was 100%, 1990 it was 68% and by 1995 it was 39%. (Table 2.5 Market share of public television corporations {by % share of viewing time} p.53 A globalising world). The reasons for the BBC gradual decline was because in the UK it has worked alongside commercial TV which in itself has been heavily regulated more so than any other commercial network in the world. By the year 1999, BskyB took a third of the viewing in the UK. This in itself is not a significant figure. However, what is important is that Rupert Murdoch's BskyB, being part of the Murdoch's global empire is able to transcend the nation-state boundaries and decide what the viewing public should consume in their home, whether it is news entertainment or music.

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So, after having defined nation-state and the four concepts, stretching, intensification, interpretation and the global infrastructure, one must now look at the different perspectives of what is globalisations. There are essentially three perspectives, there are the Globalist and the Traditionalist who take opposing viewpoints, whilst the third perspective is held by the Transformationalists who take a more middle ground.

Globalists essentially see globalisation as a process, which cannot be stopped by  'westphallian' type nation-states. Globalists view globalisation as something that is a real force, seeking to produce a global social culture, sipping coke, watching Disney, wearing gap, waiting at McDonalds, ...

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