Both can be criticized for their inability to develop an adequate geohistorical interpretation of globalization. In contrast, treating globalization as a new form of space means that there are no precedents: globalization is historically unique. Treating globalization as a shift in scale allows for a ‘comparative globalization’ approach wherein historical ‘trans-continental’ societies are compared to contemporary globalization. This can usually be seen in their associated temporal co-ordinates. There is no need for these two geographical perspectives to be contradictory but in most studies one or other of them tends to dominate the discussion. A more subtle argument is that globalization is associated with a fundamental change in the nature of social space: from an old ‘space of places’ to a new ‘space of flows’. Most obviously globalization implies a changing scale of human activity: processes previously operating at the level of the state have been relocated ‘upwards’ to larger, including world-wide, patterns of operation. Two particular perspectives are prominent. Hence, there has been much discussion of its spatial co-ordinates. Globalization is inherently geographical. My purpose here is not to try and ‘tame’ the concept by offering my own narrow definition – that would destroy its authenticity – rather I seek to provide basic co-ordinates, both spatial and temporal, through which to interpret contemporary social predicaments. In fact globalization is a very modern concept, reflecting as it does the ambiguities of living in a world of massive and continuous social change.
Furthermore, globalization has entered the political arena often bringing out the worse in politicians ranging from the specific and reactive, anti-foreign xenophobia, to the more general and proactive, anti-social neo-liberalism.
This is partly a feature of the peculiarly diffuse nature of the literature on this phenomenon: business gurus, populist journalists and social theorists are all well-represented. TaylorĪt times it seems that there are as many opinions about globalization as there are authors who write about it. Metageographical Moments: A Geohistorical Interpretation of Embedded Statism and Globalization P.J. GaWC Research Bulletin 33 Globalization and World CitiesStudy Group and Network
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