Available From UC Press

Since the explosion of the buzzword “globalization” in academic and public discourse more than thirty years ago, theoretical explorations of worldwide interconnectivities and mobilities have proliferated across major academic disciplines. Introducing Globalization Theories is a short yet comprehensive primer to major globalization theories from the 1990s to the present. This accessible volume explains how globalization frameworks have been assembled by influential thinkers who employ different modes of inquiry. Short summaries, illustrations, and a supplemental guide to further reading equip students with tools to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each theory. Intersecting with relevant contemporary themes such as inequality and ecology, the book also highlights and features postcolonial and Indigenous globalization theories that challenge Western-centric views and point to a more equitable world.

Manfred B. Steger is Professor and Chair of Sociology at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. He has served as a globalization consultant for the U.S. State Department and is coeditor of Globalization: Past, Present, Future.

"Introducing Globalization Theories is as eminently accessible as it is comprehensive. It is brief and synthetic—yet its scope is remarkable, insofar as it covers virtually the entire body of significant scholarship in the field. This 'little' book is destined to become the go-to text for a great many courses."—William Robinson, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Global Studies, and Latin American Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara

"Accessible, engaging, and persuasive. Steger's scholarship is top-notch. He has great skill in condensing complex ideas into accessible, engaging concepts and narratives. And as anyone who reads academic writing knows, this skill is by no means common."—Lane Crothers, author of Globalization and American Popular Culture