“Globalization (outcome): an end-state in which the whole earth is criss-crossed by global processes and in which individual places, groups of people and individual societies have lost their significance and power – there is a single global economy and society.”
Abercrombie and Ward, Contemporary British Society, 3rd edition, 2002, page 13.
The processes definition I personally agree with, but I do not agree with the outcomes one at this point in time. I believe that it may be possibly in many years time but that is not the case now. British society has taken on many aspects of global society such as a wide and diverse tastes in food, a large number of international products easily available for our purchase and consumption, whether from UK or international retailers, many international global organisations feature heavily in British economy, but this is not tot say that Britain, or British people have lost their national identity and I don’t believe that there is a “a single global economy and society.”
National Identity
This is something that is hard to describe in such a short piece, what is Britishness? Nationalisation lies, I believe, at the heart of globalization. As different nations now wish to experience different cultures and societies within their own lands e.g. going out to a restaurant in Manchester and eating traditional Chinese food, in Chinese surroundings and Chinese waiters. The experiences gained by eating out for example, enables people to remember what their culture is like and how it compares.
“Becoming aware of other cultures sharpens the consciousness of the domestic culture.”
Abercrombie and Ward, Contemporary British Society, 3rd edition, 2002, page 16.
Despite the Indian cuisine of Chicken Tikamasala reportedly the most popular dish in Britain, I don’t believe characterises a total global society. Admittedly food seems to be a global aspect within British society, but our national identity is still strong. An example of this is within newspapers. Today I searched the archives several newspapers and found the following quotes and I believe that it is incorrect to say that British and other major “global nations” national identity has been lost;
“Never in our history have so many baseball caps come within sight of the Palace windows.”
The Telegraph, title: No corner of the Queen's realm can have felt excluded from this joyous celebration By W F Deedes
(Filed: 05/06/2002) Speaking about the crowds of people which filled the mall during the Queen’s golden Jubilee
I found then clear nationality being shown by the Australian Prime Minister John Howard is this statement:
"Our nation has been changed by this event. Perhaps we may not be as carefree as we have been in the past, but we will never lose our openness and sense of adventure."
The Telegraph, title: 'They will never break our spirit'
By Alex Spillius in Denpasar
(Filed: 18/10/2002)
And another example of patriotisms being shown here by George Bush speaking with regards to war:
"Our nation is committed to freedom, for ourselves and for others."
The Telegraph, title: Hawk-dove split reopens
By David Rennie in Washington
(Filed: 12/11/2002)
Throughout all of these examples ownership and belonging references are made throughout, showing a clear feelings of belonging to their collective nations.
A key example of this was during the summer 2002 when the Queen celebrated her golden jubilee. If Britain was a country that had lost it’s national identity then there would not have been so much widespread lavish celebrations over something that I see as epitomising Britain, the monarchy.
Which aspects of modern society have led to the use of this word globalization?
One of the main influences on British society, which has led to this term being used, is the concept of Scapes and Flows. Scapes and flows are the means by which movement occurs through societies. The example that I will use to help explain this concept is that of television. A television program can be produced anywhere within the world e.g. in Australia. The location of and the transmission mask are used to send these signals out. It is then the end users who receive the information through cables, aerials, satellite dishes etc. and then they are then able to watch and listen to the images and sounds. Scapes are the technology and networks etc, which enable a series of nodes to be connected. The main global scapes, which are;
- Transport system for people e.g. road, air, sea, rail
- Transport system for objects e.g. the postal service
- Wires, fibre-optics cables which carry telephone messages, television images and computer data and information
- Microwave signals used to transport mobile phone signals
- Satellites for transmitting television and radio signals.
Once these scapes have been established people and organisations want to get connected to them and it is then that various flows occur along the scapes e.g. the transport of goods, information, data etc.
The basic concept of this is as I see it is different societies sharing their positive features with ours and vice – versa.
In this sense Britain is very global because there are virtually no organisations that don’t use or rely on one of these scapes. It is the use and reliance upon these scapes and which incorporate many global features into our British society that has resulted in the term globalization being used towards our society.
Global organisations
Global organisations are one of the key aspects of what represents globalization. Now with the ever-increasing limitations of technology, goods, information, data and persons are able to be transported around the world with greater ease and speed and this has resulted in the creation of global economies. Competing globally involves more risk but the rewards are potentially greater and this is why we see greater emergence of foreign owned companies competing in various British markets, for the lure of greater rewards. This is of course happening all over the world and this quote summarises my point quite well:
“It is not so much now that money makes the world go round, as that the world is money going round faster and faster.”
Abercrombie and Ward, Contemporary British Society, 3rd edition, 2002, page 15
Conclusion
In answer to one a question raised in the introduction, what characterizes a global society, this is very difficult to answer because the term globalization means and implies so many different and sometimes contradictory things. A society, I believe, that has global influences upon it, can be classified as a global society. By global influence this could mean many things from foreign made television, to working for a foreign company, but in modern society I would say that almost all societies have global influences and can therefore, in my view, be classified as global societies and these influences are becoming greater and more common.
So in what ways is British society a global society? As I proved above, there are many aspects of globalization within British society, however I don’t think that this means that it is now a global society and has lost its national roots. The number of British cultural influences within society still naturally massively outweigh foreign or global aspect, admittedly there are more creeping into British, and every other national society, but I believe that so long as there are still historical record, nationality can never be truly and totally eroded.
Bibliography
Abercrombie and Ward, Contemporary British Society, 3rd edition, 2002,
Giddens 1990, page 64
T. Bilton, Introductory Sociology, 4th edition, 2002
The Telegraph newspaper using their web site at
No corner of the Queen's realm can have felt excluded from this joyous celebration
By W F Deedes
(Filed: 05/06/2002)
Hawk-dove split reopens
By David Rennie in Washington
(Filed: 12/11/2002)
'They will never break our spirit'
By Alex Spillius in Denpasar
(Filed: 18/10/2002)
R. Cohen and P. Kennedy, Global Sociology, 2000
U. Beck, What is Globalization, 2000