Return of the State, Globalization,

Return of the State, Globalization, State Theory

Capitalism, as we know, is an economic system that is simple in its definition -- but complex in its realization. Arising with the medieval practice of feudalism (lords owning land and controlling labor of the serfs), capitalism is can be simply defined as an economic system, marked by open competition in a free market. In this free market, however, the means of production and distribution are owned by individuals or groups (corporations) and only their continual growth and reinvestment (accumulation of wealth) drives the economy forward. However, for some, capitalism tends to incorporate a certain "way of thinking," driven by greed, the search for ever increasing profits, worldwide expansion, and internal development. Starting from the earliest origins of capitalism, only societies with the capabilities and the appropriate mindset could flourish amidst this period of economic, social, and religious dispersion. Modern capitalism arose and developed in Europe, largely due to the rise of technology, the Industrial revolution, and for some, the ethics of Christianity which promoted manual labor and helped provide the necessary hyper-productivity for a surplus of production (Bryer, 2004). By its very nature, though, capitalism requires a sort of imperialism -- markets and areas that can be exploited for economic development. Some even argue that the 21st century is a world of "new imperialism," characterized by the direct penetration of U.S. capital into foreign social formations, which induces the restricting of economic, political and ideological relationships within those nation states and their subordinate articulation with a new American superstate (Barrow, 2005).

There is a presumption, often promulgated by scholars and politicians in the developed world, that social, political and cultural development are synonymous with a move towards modernization. In fact, modernization theory is also sometimes referred to as the developmental doctrine, a paradigm spurred on particularly after World War II when the United States formed its Cold War policy and understood that it had obligations to the developing world (e.g. unindustrialized or newly independent post-colonial nations). Modernization can thus be an evolutionary movement of technological progress or a reaction to the past and a new template for the future. However, we must understand that it is both a continuous, and open-ended, process. It is not the type of social change in which there is a clear beginning, middle and end; but rather a movement towards equilibrium on a scale that is constantly changing. Historians, for instance, tend to link modernization to the process of urbanization and industrialization, as well as the spread of compulsory education throughout a population based in this view, humans come together in cities for a variety of reasons: safety, job specialization, etc. And then move technologically forward until much of their society is mechanized and there is then ample opportunity for even more specialization and adaptation through education (Inglehart 1997). In critical sociological theory, modernization is linked more to the more cognitive process of rationalization. This process holds that as modernization (especially technical acuity) increases within a society, the role of the individual begins to take on far more importance, and eventually replaces the family, the extended family, and even the community as the fundamental change agent for society (Roberts & Hite (eds.) 2000).