help with ppt due in 4 days
Social Theory Presentation
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This presentation will discuss theorists such as Immanuel Wallerstein, C. Wright Mills, David Harvey, Dorothy Smith, and Talcott Parsons. All were influential social theorists who had an impact on understanding globalization.
Theorists to Discuss:
Immanuel Wallerstein
David Harvey
C. Wright Mills
Dorothy Smith
Talcott Parsons
What Is Globalization?
There are many different types of globalization such as cultural, political, technological and economic, and more.
Globalization is the interconnectedness of nations and cultures on a global scale and is diverse. It has been around and developed for many years but has been increasing due to recent developments (Kolb, 2022).
Immanuel Wallerstein (1920-Present)
Best known for his World-Systems Theory
The Modern World System on page 613 of our book, he describes a world system as “a social system, one that has boundaries, structures, member groups, rules of legitimation, and coherence” (Wallerstein, The Modern World-System (1974), as cited in Garner & Hancock, 2014, p. 613).
In his view, the entire world should be examined as a whole rather than as a collection of separate nation-states.
His world systems theory “provides a framework for understanding globalization as a central feature of our time” (as cited in Garner & Hancock, 2014, p. 612).
There are three types of subsystems:
States
Societies and cultures
Interlinked markets forming capitalism
Immanuel Wallerstein & Globalization
Wallerstein's world-systems theory is strongly related to globalization. It draws attention to the discrepancies in the allocation of resources and power between core and periphery regions and offers a framework for comprehending how globalization has made these differences even more pronounced.
World-Systems are composed of Core, Periphery, and Semi-Periphery, as supported in his excerpt of The Modern World-System (1974), “World-economies then are divided into core states and peripheral areas” (as cited in Garner & Hancock, 2014, p. 614), followed by “There are also semiperipheral areas which are in between the core and the periphery” (as cited in Garner & Hancock, 2014, p. 614).
David Harvey (1935- Present)
Harvey worked extensively on neoliberalism.
His outstanding work on this subject offers a critical viewpoint on the growth of neoliberalism and its effects on society and the global economy.
Neoliberalism is a term for a new structure of capitalism which means freedom from government intervention.
David Harvey & Globalization
He also explores how neoliberal policies have influenced urban planning and accelerated globalization.
In the writing excerpt published by Harvey titled “A Brief History of Neoliberalism (2005)”, it stated that “the capitalist world stumbled towards neo-liberalization as the answer through a series of gyrations and chaotic experiments” (as cited in Garner & Hancock, 2014, p. 65).
C. Wright Mills (1916-1962)
Was a sociologist best known for his concept of “Sociological Imagination”
He believed it was important to understand the difference between public issues and personal struggles.
He believed that a person’s experience was influenced by society.
C. Wright Mills & Globalization
His concept does not directly address globalization. However, it is important to understand globalization’s effect on societies and individuals within the society affected.
From Mills Excerpt The Power Elite (1956), examines the idea of a "power elite" that has enormous influence over political, economic, and military decision-making while examining the distribution of power in American society. “
Mills argues that the United States is dominated by a small, interconnected group of individuals who hold significant power, “The economy; the political order; the military order” (1956, as cited in Garner & Hancock, p. 300).
Dorothy Smith (1926-Present)
Dorothy Smith is a sociologist who developed the Standpoint Theory.
The standpoint theory of Dorothy Smith emphasizes the value of social context and the viewpoints of underrepresented groups in comprehending the world.
Dorothy Smith & Globalization
When used to examine globalization, this viewpoint can shed light on the various ways that various people and communities perceive and are impacted by it. For instance, it can illuminate the various ways in which globalization affects gender, race, class, and other social factors.
The following quote sheds light on standpoint theory and how it relates to globalization:
“Though an alienated knowledge also alienates others who are not members of the dominant white male minority, the standpoint of women distinctively opens up for exploration the conceptual practices and activities of the extra local, objective relations of ruling as what actual people do” (1990, as cited in Garner & Hancock, 2014, p. 494)
Talcott Parsons (1902-1979)
An American sociologist who made significant contributions to Structural functionalism.
Structural Functionalism is a theoretical framework emphasizing interconnectedness between parts of society and how this affects social stability.
According to this theory, for a society to function properly, these institutions must fulfill their respective functions effectively ( Parsons, 1961, p.283).
Talcott Parsons & Globalization
Parsons’s work does not focus on globalization primarily, but his ideas and concepts can be related to the study of globalization like his system theory and discussion on social change.
His work helps us understand how complex social systems are as well as social change. Researchers may use ideas from his structural functionalism or system theory to evaluate global processes and their influence on societal and economic systems.
When there is only one goal, the problem of evaluating the usefulness of facilities is narrowed down to their relevance to attaining this particular goal” (Parsons 1961, as cited in Garner & Hancock, 2014, p. 286).
Conclusion
During this presentation we looked at the work of C. Wright Mills, David Harvey, Immanuel Wallerstein, Dorothy Smith, and Talcott Parsons. All of their work is very informative and influential.
However, I believe the work of Immanuel Wallerstein is the most influential in understanding globalization and its different aspects.
References
Diaz, A.D. (2023). Investopedia [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/globalization.asp
Garner, R., & Hancock, B. H. (2014). Social theory: Continuity and confrontation: A reader. University of Toronto Press.
Kolb, M. (2022). What is globalization?. Peterson Institute For International Economics. https://www.piie.com/microsites/globalization/what-is-globalization
Vaidya, D. (2023). Globalization [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.wallstreetmojo.com/globalization/
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