Prologue Imagining Globalization through Changes in Place

Abstract

Globalization is a fact of life. Perhaps, this statement may appear too bold to many people. Some might even argue that globalization is only a matter of rhetoric (see Hirst and Thompson 1996) and question its veracity. However, globalization is very real, particularly in this millennium. The 2008 global financial crisis, or tsunami, as some Asian countries call it, is a good example. Economists, politicians, financial advisers, journalists, and other experts have been trying to comprehend how it happened and how to solve this problem through global collaboration. “This is a global crisis and it needs global solutions,” said a statement released after the meeting between the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the heads of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, the International Labour Organization, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development at a summit in Germany (Deutsche Welle February 5, 2009). Even though some small investors outside the United States may not consciously understand this crisis from a global perspective, the collapse of Lehman Brothers Inc., one of Wall Street’s investment giants, had a deep impact on their lives. Many other crises also altered our consciousness of interconnectedness in our world. The outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, 9/11, energy shortage, and global warming are good examples. However, crises are not essential to spark an awareness of globalization at work.