Relevance: Sociology paper I
Model Answer:
A number of contemporary sociologists claim that a process of globalization has been taking place. Globalization refers to increasing ‘inter connectedness’ of societies. In this process, it is argued that national boundaries are becoming less significant in social life. Communication systems such as ‘satellite TV’ transcend such boundaries, travel gives individuals a less localized view of the world, and International organizations such as the UN and the EU also reduce the importance of nation states.
Statehood is objective, whereas nationhood is subjective. Nation- states, bound people together within a defined territory. Nationalism is the growth of feeling of oneness among people belonging to a nation state. According to McCrone, the ‘ideology of nationalism’ – that people should have a nation- state to which they belong – has never been stronger. In some ways the power and importance of nation states have been undermined by globalization and by supranational bodies such as the European Union, however nationalism has survived and prospered because it is a flexible, adaptable ideology. As societies undergo rapid change and there is more confusion and fluidity over identity , nationalism can be an effective ideology for uniting groups of people.
Nations ,though , have ‘less economic power’ of their own than they used to have, as a result of the spread of the global marketplace, yet it would not be accurate to say that we are witnessing the end of the nation-state.
In some ways, the opposite is the case, today as every country in the world is a ‘nation-state’ or aspires to be one ,and the nation-state has become a universal political form. There are actually far more sovereign nation -states in the world today than there were about twenty years ago.
National identities are socially created. According to Kenichi Ohmae, as a result of globalization we increasingly live in a ‘borderless world’ in which ‘national identity’ is becoming weaker. However , another thread of argument is that as globalization progresses, people often react by ‘reviving local identities’, in an effort to achieve security in a rapidly changing world.
According to , Andrew Pilkington, national identities have over a period of time become pervasive. However, one of the most significant factors affecting ‘national identity’ in recent times has been globalization. Globalization, however produces contradictory results affecting ‘national identities’. It can lead to ‘cultural homogenization’, ex, people in most countries in the world now drink Coca-Cola and watch films made in Hollywood. But there is also an increasing ‘fascination with difference’ so that ‘ethnically distinctive products’ are also now available around the world.
He further argues that globalization create ‘conflicting pressures’ between centralization and decentralization. Whereas ,the powers of some business organizations , multinational corporations and political units(transnational organizations like UN,EU,WTO) ,become more concentrated, on the other hand there is pressure for ‘decentralization’ too. Pilkington, is of the opinion that globalization creates a ‘dual threat to national identity’. Centralization creates ‘pressures from above’(increasing concentration of powers in WTO, EU) and decentralization creates pressures from below, through the strengthening of ‘ethnic minority identities’.
Therefore , according to Pilkington, response to globalization, which is a healthier one, is to accept that there are ‘multiple identities’. For eg., in the context of British society ,to argue that it is possible to be British, English and European all at the same time. There is evidence of this approach in the new ‘hybrid identities’ of ethnic minority groups in the UK, whose identities merge ‘different cultures.’
It can therefore , be argued that in the wake of increasing globalization , ‘nationalism’ still is an important feature of social life , which shows little sign of becoming less important. In fact ,it has been argued that there has been a great resurgence of nationalism in recent decades and individuals usually seem to ‘identify’ more with their nation that with any other grouping. As national identities , are socially created , there is always the possibility of them changing ,as a result of social change in society and it has responded variedly to forces of globalization.