Dating 1901, Early Sophisticated Globalization Technologies Were Emerging. This Depiction Illustrates The Ability To Communicate Via Undersea Telegraph Cables Commissioned By Eastern Telegraph Company’s Early Systems.

Globalization: A Brief History

ISBN – 978-0691133959 | Princeton University Press (August 23, 2009)
The book’s two authors, Osterhammel and Peterson, hold professorships -both teaching history- at the University of Konstanz. Elaborating on historical economic policies such as those ratified at the Bretton Woods Conference – the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstructing and Development (IBRD)- the authors give readers a better understanding of the complex inter tangled web of historical circumstances, giving birth to the events leading up to the “golden-age” of the 1970’s. The reader is urged to think of globalization in terms of a complicated, enduring process rather than a 21st century phenomena. Essentially, the authors present 8 densely succinct, informative chapters, broadening the readers perception of current worldly cultural, political and economic standings.

Touching on topics we’ve studied this semester like intergenerational issues I was able to couple this text with course assigned readings to better understand facts I hadn’t already known. In specific, I better understand the immensely powerful World Bank. More surprisingly, I discovered that the seeds of the World Bank -IMF and IBRD- were planted during a chaotic period of the second World War. I was alarmed to learn that such world domineering systems were established when decision making was inherently skewed, as global domination was imminent.

Briefly discussed in 2 introductory chapters -1. Globalization: A Contested Concept  2. Globalization and History: is Globalization a New Phenomenon?- is a standardized definition of globalization -both past and current. Currently globalization is loosely defined as “the development, concentration, and increasing importance of worldwide integration.” Newly redefined, its current definition allows for an exploration into the history of worldwide integration.

The emergence of globalization is credited to the late Middle Ages of Europe. As globalization talk permeates academic and economic circles, Osterhammel and Peterson introduce to these conversations a historically conscious voice: complete with detailed accounts of policy change and events as seemingly obscure as the introduction of plant and animal species to the Americas, Australia and Africa in the 1700’s.

Later chapters -3. The Economic Dimension of Globalization 4. The Political Dimension of Globalization 5. The Cultural Dimension of Globalization 6. The Ecological Dimension of Globalization- begin to outline the affect of globalization on political, cultural and ecological systems predominately spanning 1750 to 1880. Along with industrialization, this age of imperialism and political upheaval spread throughout the Atlantic world. The northern hemisphere is said to have created networks of traffic, communication, migration, and commerce. Consequently, subsequent economic systems developed, primed for expansion and diversity.

What followed, along with the advent of “heavy-industry” technology, were brief periods of nationalist-driven, industrial revolutions. Free market economies thrived, and experienced violent growth. Nations began to redefine history, newly able to keep score with tallies of war and growth, defined in terms of globalized fiat currency.

Around 1990, a worldwide awareness of the macro process termed “globalization” occurred. Suddenly, complete with global connections, people were aware and “noticed” globalization happening. Osterhammel and Peterson contend that although the discussion of globalization has surfaced popularly as of late, societal systems on a global scale have long been molded by a culmination of its worldly-connected affects.

A thirty year period ensued, described by the authors, from 1945 to the mid 1970’s where, by most accounts, the dust had settled; Proverbial lines were drawn, and nations understood what would be the battlefield for commandment an ever evolving global economy.

Concluding the text in the last chapters -7. Ideologies of Globalization: Market Globalism, Justice Globalism, Jihadist Globalism 8. Assessing The Future of Globalization- readers are implored to take cautionary measure when analyzing such a macro term as globalization. When discussing affects of globalization the authors leave us with these succinctly, well-received thoughts:

“Globalization should not be thought of as an autonomous process, an unstoppable historical movement, and an imperative political necessity. When using such an encompassing term, we must take particular care not to reify globalization and must repeatedly insist that macroprocesses always be interpreted as the result of individual or collective action.” (page 151)

This book has changed my perception of information presented as historical truth. I’ve been made aware that information may be presented in multiplicity, leaving readers with any number of assumptions. In order to draw valuable insight, we must look at subprocesses as intensely as we look upon their convergence, and resulting macroporocess.