Globalization: The Key Concepts

by Thomas Hylland Eriksen

The causes and the effects of globalization are hotly disputed and the book aims to present the range of arguments in a clear and balanced way. However, arguing that variation is as characteristic of globalization as standardization, the book stresses the necessity for a bottom-up, comparative analysis. Distinguishing between the cultural, political, economic and ecological aspects of globalization, the book highlights the implications of globalization for people's everyday lives. Throughout, the discussion is illustrated with wide-ranging case material. Chapter summaries and a guide to further reading underline the book's concern to clarify this most complex and influential of ideas.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, Sociology, Academic

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2007

About the author

Geir Thomas Hylland Eriksen was a Norwegian anthropologist known for his scholarly and popular writing on globalization, identity, ethnicity, and nationalism. He was Professor of Social Anthropology in the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo. He has previously served as the President of the European Association of Social Anthropologists (2015–2016), as well as the Editor of Samtiden (1993–2001), Norsk antropologisk tidsskrift (1993–1997), the Journal of Peace Research, and Ethnos.
Hylland Eriksen was among the most prolific and highly cited anthropologists of his generation, and had been recognized for his remarkable success in bringing an anthropological perspective to a broader, non-academic audience. In Norway, Hylland Eriksen was a well-known public intellectual whose advocacy of diversity and cultural pluralism had earned both praise and scorn. Right-wing terrorist Anders Behring Breivik, perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, cited Eriksen critically in his manifesto and during his 2012 trial.
In the academy and beyond, Hylland Eriksen had been highly decorated for his scholarship. He was the recipient of honorary degrees from Stockholm University (2011), the University of Copenhagen (2021), and Charles University in Prague (2021), as well as one of anthropology's most prestigious honors, the Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography's Gold Medal (2022). He was a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read for Uni, an easier read than I thought it would be, some interesting points, even if a few were a little opinionated and biased, but made anthropology and sociology ideas easy to understand and interesting to read. Suitable for older teens and adults, with student focus with case studies and review questions.

[Salome Pachkoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good one to skim. There are a lot of clear examples and the whole book is easy to read.

[Lulu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very similar to his other book 'Overheating'. He gives good examples to explain the concepts.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the very few books i read in university that i didn't hate with all my being.

i'd genuinely re-read this for fun now. it has enough information to be very useful for someone like me who studied social anthropology but it's written in a way that is accessible to anyone.