Globalization in Question: The International Economy and the Possibilities of Governance - Hardcover

Hirst, Paul Q.; Thompson, Grahame

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 074561244X ISBN 13: 9780745612447

Publisher: Polity Pr, 1996

Synopsis

"Globalization" has become a very familiar term in recent years and almost a byword for both the right and the left in their analyses of the international economy and polity. In both political and academic discussions, the assumption is all too often made that a process of globalization is well under way in the contemporary world and that this represents a qualitatively new stage in the development of international capitalism. But exactly how should we characterize the present state of the international political economy? Is there such a thing as a genuinely "global" economy? In this volume, the authors question the notion of "globalization" as a new stage in international economic, political and cultural relationships. They assess the present configuration of international economic tendencies, the policy implications of these tendencies, and the direction the international economy might follow in the future. Particular attention is paid to the way in which the international economy is governed, and to the interrelationship between domestic economic policy and international processes. The authors argue that there are still opportunities for the development of governance mechanisms at the level of the international economy that neither undermine national governance nor the creation of national strategies for international control. This work is a timely intervention into current discussions about the nature and prospects of globalization; the book has far-reaching implications which should be of interest to students and academics, as well as to journalists and policy makers.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"Globalization" is one of the key concepts of our time. It is used by both the right and the left as the cornerstone of their analysis of the international economy and polity. In both political and academic discussions, the assumption is commonly made that the process of economic globalization is well under way and that this represents a qualitatively new stage in the development of international capitalism. But is there in fact such a thing as a genuinely global economy? Globalization in Question investigates this notion, providing a very different account of the international economy and stressing the possibilities for its continued and extended governance.

The new edition of this best-selling text has been thoroughly revised, updated and expanded to take into account new issues which have become salient in the period since the first edition was published, including the impact of the internationalization of economic relations on the welfare state; the various debates about the concept of "competitiveness"; the Asian crisis; and the relationships between the North and the South in terms of their effects on wage rates and living standards.

Globalization in Question, Second Edition, is a timely intervention into current discussions about the nature and prospects of globalization. The book has far-reaching implications which will be of interest to students and academics in a number of disciplines including politics, sociology, economics and geography, as well as to journalists and policy-makers.

About the Author:

Paul Hirst is Professor of Social Theory, Birkbeck College, University of London and Senior Lecturer in Economics at the Open University.

Grahame Thompson is Professor of Political Economy at the Open University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Polity Pr
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 074561244X
• ISBN 13: 9780745612447
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 227