TOPIC 9- GLOBALISATION, MODERNITY AND POSTMODERNITY tm question n answers rated A+

TOPIC 9- GLOBALISATION, MODERNITY AND POSTMODERNITY tmINTRO - correct answer most of the theories examined so far in this chapter can be placed under the heading of modernism. modernist theories are part of the enlightenment project- the idea that society can progress through the use of human reason. rationality and science will enable us to discover true knowledge about the world. with this knowledge, we can progress to a future of freedom and prosperity. modernist theories therefore set out to explain the workings of modern society and to identify the direction it should take if it is to progress. what is modern society? - correct answer modern society first emerged in western europe from about the late 18th century. it has a number of characteristics that distinguish it from the previous traditional societies. THE NATION-STATE CAPITALISM RATIONALITY, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INDIVIDUALISM what is the nation state in mordern society? - correct answer is the key political unit in modern society- a bounded territory ruled by a poweful centralised state, whose population usually shares the same language and culture. we tend to think of the modern world as made up of a series of separate societies, each with its own state. the state is the focal point of modern society, organising social life on a national basis. modern states have created large administrative bureaucracies and educational, welfare and legal institutions to regulate their citizens' lives. the nation-state is also an important source of identity for citizens, who identify with its symbols such as the flag. how does capitalism link to modern society? - correct answer the economy of modern societies is capitalist- based on private ownership of the means of production and the use of wage labourers. capitalism brought about the industrialisation of modern society, with huge increases in wealth. however, wealth distribution is unequal resulting in class conflict. the nation-state becomes important in regulating capitalism and maintaining the conditions under which it operates. scott lash and john urry describe this as organised capitalism. in modern industry, production is organised on fordist principles: the mass production of standardised products in large factories, using low skilled labour. cheap, mass produced consumer goods lead to a rising standard of living. what is rationality, science and technology in modern society? - correct answer rational, secular, scientfic ways of thinking dominate and the influence of magico-religious explanations of the world declines. technically, efficient forms of organisation, such as bureaucracies and factories, dominate social and economic life. science becomes increasingly important in industry, medicine, and communications. what is individualism and modernity? - correct answer tradition, custom and ascribed status become less important as the basis for our actions. we experience greater personal freedom and can increasingly choose our own course in life and define our own identity. however, structural inequalities such as class remain important in shaping people's identity and restricting their choices. what is GLOBALISATION? - correct answer until recently, the nation state provided the basic framework for most people's lives. however, many sociologists argue that we are now increasingly affected by globalisation- the increasing interconnectedness of people across national boundaries. we live in one interdependent global village and our lives are shaped by a global framework. four related changes have helped bring this about. what are technological changes? - correct answer we can now cross entire continents in a matter of hours, or exchange information across the globe with the click of a mouse. satellite communications, the interent and global television networks have helped to create time-space compression, closing the distances between people. technology also brings risks on a global scale. for example, greenhouse gases produced in one place contribute to global climate change that leads to a rise in sea levels and flooding in low-lying countries. ulrich beck 1992 argues that we are now living in risk society, where increasingly the threats to our well being come from human-made tech rather than natural disasters. what do economic changes have to do with globalisation? - correct answer economic factors play a huge part in globalisation. economic activity now takes place within a set of global networks that are creating ever-greater interconnectedness. the glibal economy is increasingly a 'weightless' or electronic economy. instead of producing physical goods, much activity now involves the production of information, such as music, tv programmes and data processing. these commodities are produced, distributed and consumed through global electronic networks. in the electronic economy, money never sleeps. global 24 hr financial transactions permit the instantaneous transfer of funds around the world in pursuit of profit. this too contributes to the risk society. another major economic force pushing globalisation forward is transnational companies. these companies operate across frontiers, organising production on a global scale. most tncs are western-based. some, such as coca-cola, are colossal enterprises, and the largest 500 together account for half the total value of the commodities produced in the whole world. so powerful are the small elite who control these companies, that leslie sklair 2003 says they now form a separate global capitalist class. how do political changes link to globalisation? - correct answer some sociologists claim that globalisation has undermined the power of the nation-state. for example, ohmae 1994 argues that we now live in a borderless world in which tncs and consumers have more economic power than national governments. states are now less able to regulate the activities of large capitalist enterprises, a situation lash and urry describe as disorganised capitalism. ?what are changes in culture and identity - correct answer globalisation makes it much harder for cultures to exist in isolation from one another. a major reason for this si the role of information and communications technology ICT, especially the mass media. today we find oursevles living in a global culture in which western-owned media companies spread western culture to the rest of the world. economic integration also encourages a global culture. for example, tncs such as nike, selling the same consumer goods in many countries, help to promote similar tastes across national borders. in addition, the increased movement of people as tourists, economic migrants, refugees and asylum seekers helps to create globalised culture. globalisation also undermines traditional sources of identity such as class. for example, the shift of manufacturing from the west to developing countries has led to the fragmentation and delcine of wc communities that previously gave people their class identity. explain the changes??? - correct answer the changes we have just examined raise some important questions: