Routledge Glocalization: A Critical Introduction (Routledge Studies in Global and Transnational Politics)

This book seeks to provide a critical introduction to the under-theorized concept of Glocalization. While the term has been slowly diffused into social-scientific vocabulary, to date, there is no book in circulation that specifically discusses this concept. Historically theorists have intertwined the concepts of the ‘global’ and the ‘glocal’ or have subsumed the ‘glocal’ under other concepts – such as cosmopolitanization. Moreover, theorists have failed to give ‘local’ due attention in their theorizing. The book argues that the terms ‘global’, the ‘local’ and the ‘glocal’ are in need of unambiguous and theoretically and methodologically sound definitions. This is a prerequisite for their effective operationalization and application into social research. Glocalization is structured in two parts: Part I introduces the term, seeking to provide a history and critical assessment of theorists' past use of glocalization and offering an alternative perspective and a clear, effective and applicable definition of the term, explaining the limitations of the term globalization and the value of defining glocalization. Part II then moves on to illustrate how the concept of glocalization can be used to broaden our understanding and analysis of a wide range of issues in world politics including the 21st century culture of consumption, transnationalism & cosmopolitanism, nationalism, and religious traditions. Utilizing a wide range of historical, ethnographic and real-life examples from various domains this work will be essential reading for students and scholars of Globalization and will be of great interest to those in the field of Global, Transnational and Cosmopolitan Studies. Review 'This is a fine book. Roudometof conceptualizes glocalization as a relatively autonomous phenomenon that cannot be subsumed under any other rubric, and he employs it to ambitiously reconsider core issues of modernity. Rigorous and sophisticated sociological theory.' - Jeffrey C. Alexander, Yale University, USA 'Finally, here is the book that fills an important gap in the growing globalization literature by providing the first comprehensive and in-depth treatment of 'glocalization'--the fusion of the local and the global. Roudometof's historically informed and analytically rich account offers a balanced assessment of the advantages and limitations of a concept that has gained in popularity in recent years.' - Manfred B. Steger, University of Hawai'i-Manoa, USA and RMIT University, Australia  'Globalization is a phenomenon still tremendously underestimated in academy. The author fills this gap with a wondrous, prominent and keen book that every politician, entrepreneur and, of course, social scientist should read and keep in handy on the shelf.' - Giampietro Gobo, University of Milano, Italy 'This is a very important and timely book. Ideas of glocalization have been applied intermittently across the social sciences for over two decades. Roudometof finally provides us with a well-informed and critical assessment of the uses of globalization, its strengths and limitations. This clearly written volume will be valuable to both experts and students alike.' - Robert J. Holton, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland 'This book offers a much needed critical introduction to the concept of glocalization, its scholarly and popular genealogies, and what it does and cannot do, analytically speaking, to help us understand the complex interconnected world in which we live.' - Noel B. Salazar, University of Leuven, Belgium 'With scholarly precision Victor Roudometof dissects the concept of glocalisation and assesses its contribution to the sum of knowledge about world-making practices. His expansive coverage and obvious erudition in this regard allows the reader to make an informed judgement about the descriptive and analytical weight of a concept that has for too long played second fiddle to other terms with a global root.' - Barrie Axford, Oxford b