The Globalization Reader, 5th Edition

Preface to the Fifth Edition

In this fifth edition of The Globalization Reader, we retain several features of the previous editions:

• Purpose: Our goal is to provide a variety of perspectives on different dimensions of globalization, thus conveying its importance and complexity.
• Structure: Like its predecessors, this book is organized into sections covering many aspects of globalization, from theoretical to experiential, and from economic to cultural.
• Issues: The Reader illustrates many issues related to globalization, including trends in global inequality, the specter of greater cultural homogeneity, and the movement for global justice.
• Selections: As in the fourth edition, we draw from several disciplines to offer a diverse sample of high-quality, readable scholarly work on globalization.

To reflect new developments and to make the Reader even more useful and engaging, we have also made some changes:

• Introductions: We have updated several editorial introductions.
• New section: We have added a new section on globalization and identity, covering aspects of individual and collective identity with examples ranging geographically from Nepal to Senegal.
• Revised sections: We have enhanced various sections as follows:
  • A new item offering a critical perspective in the section on debating globalization
  • A new item on neoliberalism in the section on explanations of globalization
  • New items on food, health, and tourism, covering Jamaica, Dubai, Haiti, and Japan, in the section on ...