The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Consumption and Consumer Studies

Glocalization/Grobalization

J. MICHAEL RYAN

The American University in Cairo, Egypt

DOI: 10.1002/9781118989463.wbeccs139

Glocalization can be defined as the interpenetration of the global and the local, resulting in unique, hybrid outcomes (Robertson 1992). It is not the imposition of the global on the local nor is it the resistance of the local to the global, but rather a blending of the two to create a distinctly new phenomenon. And while the degree of dominance/survival of one over the other can vary greatly, glocalization still reflects the creation of a new hybrid form. Thus, proponents of glocalization argue that globalization is not leading to greater global sameness but rather creating opportunities for greater global difference.

Glocalization is rooted in the postmodern notions of hybridity, diversity, plurality, and pastiche. According to Robertson (1992, 1994), glocalization means that the world is becoming increasingly diverse and that it is sensitive to those differences. Cosmopolitanism is embraced. It sees individuals and local cultures as creative agents easily able to adapt and innovate. Social processes are thus viewed as relational and contingent, not unidirectional and imperialistic. On the level of consumption, commodities and the media are not seen as imposing uniformity but rather as providing means by which local realities can self-selectively create and refashion identities and communities. It is a generally positive view of globalization, particularly ...