Table Of Content

Global Shaping and its Alternatives edited by Yildiz Atasoy Simon Fraser University and WilliamK. Carroll University of Victoria G Garamond Press Aurora. Ontario © The authors, 2003 No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Printed and bound in Canada Published 2003 in Canada by Garamond Press Ltd, 63 Mahogany Court, Aurora, Ontario L4G 6M8 Published 2003 in the United States of America by Kumarian Press Inc., 1294 Blue Hills Ave., Bloomfield, Connecticut 06002 Cover photo courtesy Y. Atasoy National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Global shaping and its alternatives / by Yildiz Atasoy and William K. Carroll, editors Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-55193-043-9 I. Globalization. 2. Globalization—Social aspects. 3. International economic relations. I. Atasoy, Yildiz, 1961 - II. Carroll, William K. JZ1318.G5589 2003 303.48'2 C2002- 905394-3 Garamond Press gratefully acknowledges the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada, for its publishing programme, the Canadian Studies Bureau of the same department for support of special projects, and the Vice-President, Research, of the University of Victoria for support of this specific work.. Contents Preface by Vanaja Dhruvarajan vii Part I Sociology of Globalization 1 Chapter One ~ Explaining Globalization by Yildiz Atasoy 3 Part II Economic Shaping of Globalization 13 Chapter Two ~ Is Globalization a Reality, a Tendency or a Rationale for Neoliberal Economic Policies? by Robert Chernomas and Ardeshir Sepehri 15 Chapter Three ~ Undoing the End of History: Canada-Centred Reflections on the Challenge of Globalization by William K. Carroll 33 Chapter Four ~ Explaining Local-Global Nexus: Muslim Politics in Turkey by Yildiz Atasoy 57 Part III Global Politics: The Role of Non-Governmental and Governmental International Organizations 81 Chapter Five ~ Globalization, Competitiveness and Human Security: Revisited by Helen O'Neill 83 Chapter Six ~ Interrogating Globalization: Emerging Contradictions and Conflicts by Elaine Coburn 1ll Part IV Politics of Alternatives 137 Chapter Seven ~ Women and Globalization in the Economic North and South by Ann Denis 139 Chapter Eight ~ Two Faces of Globalization in Mexico: Maquiladoras and Zapatistas by Jean-Luc Chodkiewicz 161 Chapter Nine ~ Feminism and Resistance to Globalization of Capitalism by Vanaja Dhruvarajan 179 Afterword: September 11 and the Reorganization of the World Economy by Yildiz Atasoy 195 Selected Bibliography 207 Index Contributors Yildiz Atasoy received her Ph.D in sociology from the University of Toronto. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, specializing in transnational political economy, political sociology, and gender relations. William K. Carroll is Professor of Sociology at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, where he participates in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Contemporary Social and Political Thought. He is currently Sociology Editor of the Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology. Robert Chernomas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Manitoba. Elaine Coburn is currently competing her Ph.D at Stanford University in California, researching the emerging resistance to globalization. Jean-Luc Chodkiewicz received his Ph.D in anthropology from Columbia University. He is an Associate Professor in the Anthropology Department at the University of Manitoba and President of the Society for Applied Anthropology in Manitoba. Ann Denis is Professor and Chair in the Department of Sociology at the University of Ottawa. Vanaja Dhruvarajan is Professor of Sociology, retd., from the University of Winnipeg, and former President of the Canadian Sociology and Anthropol- ogy Association. Helen O'Neill, Ph.D (Economics, McGill) is Director of the Centre for Development Studies in the National University of Ireland, Dublin (University College Dublin). Ardeshir Sepehri is Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Manitoba. Preface Vanaja Dhruvarajan This book originates from a colloquium titled "Globalization, Societies and Cultures" which was held during the Congress 2000 in Edmonton, Alberta. The colloquium was sponsored by the Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada (HSSFC), the organizer of the Congress, which also provided financial and organizational support. The then president Dr. Louise Forsyth gave strong moral support and encouragement for the colloquium and Mr. Paul Ledwell, the director of the Congress took care of many administrative details and provided help to organize the colloquium. This colloquium was the second one on the theme of Globalization sponsored by the HSSFC. The first one held during the Congress 1999 was titled "Globalization and the Nation State" and focussed on understanding the structures of Globalization and the role of Canadian state in that context. This particular colloquium was considered a sequel to the previous one with a focus on critical appraisal and suggestion of alternate paradigms. Globalization, Societies and Cultures, was one of the three major themes chosen for the Congress 2000 by the HSSFC Board of Directors. The procedure is that for each Congress, the member associations are asked to submit the themes and three out of the many submissions are chosen for a given Congress. I proposed this theme which was titled "Globalization, Discourse of Inevitability and a search for Alternate Paradigms" as president of the Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association (CSAA) with the backing of the Women's Caucus of the Association. This theme was chosen with some modification in the title, which I understand was for the sake of simplicity in presentation, but the objective was not altered. I was motivated to propose this theme because I was profoundly disturbed by the many negative impacts of corporate sponsored globalization currently underway. I was particularly appalled by the general lack of rather than global arena. Bureaucracies residing in the distant global centres cannot respond to the needs of people in different localities with varied histories, cultures and consequently different hopes and aspirations. The attempts to impose a monoculture and homogenize all institutional structures will be tantamount to dehumanization and cloning. In order to be able to lead an enriching creative life, people should be empowered to choose their own way of life and be in control of their own destiny. There are many such alternatives coming from multiple sources. The events of the last two decades have cast in doubt the hopes and aspirations of people who thought that they had emerged victorious after casting off the yoke of colonial rule and imperialistic control. Fond hopes of feminist and anti-racism movements worldwide of ridding us of sexism and racism are being shattered. The old bondages are taking new forms, as corporate colonialism becomes the order of the day. Thus, there are many continuities in the nature of oppression and exploitation as the new economic regimes are built on existing patriarchal, racist, colonial and imperial foundations. But the globalization currently underway also differs from the old forms of oppression and domination. Significant among them is its speed and reach. The awesome power the centralized global economic institutions can wield with the help of new technology and sophisticated organizational structure is frightening. Governments across the globe are being forced to cede the power of governance to these global bureaucracies, while the people have nowhere to turn to protect their interests. But, the carefully crafted discourse constructs this project as having been naturally evolved and freely chosen as the only alternative to serve the needs of humanity. The objectives of this colloquium were to deconstruct the discourse of inevitability by demystifying the project. Making the process of the project's implementation transparent establishes that it has neither evolved naturally, nor do the people have a choice to exercise their options. The discussions and dialogues also were meant to show how the negative outcomes of this project are intrinsic to it rather than short-term effects, which eventually will correct themselves. Such revelations establish that 'the tide of economic growth and prosperity does not raise all boats'. By delineating alternate paradigms the slogan 'there is no other way', was intended to be proved a myth. The hopes and expectations were that these efforts along with many such efforts underway will help provide conditions conducive for the spread of counter-hegemonic movements that eventually discredit the project of corporate sponsored globalization and deprive it of the hegemonic status it currently enjoys. History is full of examples in which struggles against structures of oppression and domination, apparently insurmountable, have been successful. This has been possible when people get rid of their apathy, feel empowered rather than alienated, and participate enthusiastically in the movements for change. But the future is uncertain, as there are always unforeseen factors. It is under these circumstances that I am inspired by the exhortations of the Geetha, the Hindu religious sacred scripture—"Do your duty because it is the right thing to do. You do not have control over the outcome but only on your own actions." So the struggles must continue... Part I Sociology of Globalization This page intentionally left blank