CIAO DATE: 12/2008
Volume: 3, Issue: 9
Spring 2006
Guest Editorial
Globalization, International Relations and Hegemony
E. Fuat Keyman
Since its inception in 1648 Westphalian Treaty, modern international relations have contained both continuity and change. Today, there is a need to analyze both continuities and changes that have occurred in the course of the development of international relations, in order to better understand the main characteristics of world politics. In this article, I have attempted to provide the reader with a brief historical and thematic analysis of the international system. In doing so, my aim was to demonstrate that the relationship between modernity and hegemony has been one of the constitutive elements of modern international relations. In other words, it is possible, also useful, to read the modern history of international relations as a history of hegemony.
Where is the World Economy in the Globalization Process?
Aydin Findikçi
Globalization is difficult to characterize, because it takes place on many different levels. Even if one could agree on "hard " facts, yet it would not be clear how such information would affect the actions of economic and social participants. At present, dramatic global change processes are taking place within the economic sphere, which permit one to speak of a new quality of internationalization and regionalization of economics. This has led to the use of the new term "globalization" to describe this development. However, in terms of such factors as capital structures, management and the location of research and development facilities, the term "globalization," is not applicable. Therefore, we should rather refer to a further internationalization and regionalization of the global economy.
European Union as a Postmodern and Multicultural Space: Technicalization of Politics and the Dilemmas of National Democracies
Nazim Irem
Basic principles of the EU's politics of expansion have begun to be laid down since the mid-1990s following the historical decision to expand the Union towards Eastern Europe. By giving a meta-norm status to the principle of reciprocal intervention, the EU, as described by Robert Cooper, has taken the form of a postmodern state during the long process of integration. Unlike the integration policy, the EU formulates its expansion policy on realistic terms assuming that the candidates, which are not fully incorporated into the postmodern policy realm of the EU, are modern nation states. It is argued that the structural problems such as democratic deficit and/or the erosion of legitimacy inherent to the EU's postmodern integration politics have been exported to the candidate states in the process of the adaptation of the acquis communautaire.
Globalization in International Relations and Reconsidering the Nation-State Concept
Hüseyin Sevim
By developing a conceptual work on the phenomena of globalization and the nation-state, this article will enable a better understanding of the concepts that will be used either as independent variables or as dependent variables. Next, it will study the impacts of globalization, phenomena that will be presented as independent variablea of the nation-state. It will then introduce various approaches to globalization, in order to go thoroughly into this phenomenon and avoid reductionism. Finally, by studying globalization, it will show how we have tried to rethink the present international system as well as its actors.
Globalization and Turkish Business Associations: The Case of TÜSIAD
Berrin Koyuncu
This study aims to analyze the impact of globalization processes on the leading Turkish business association in Turkey, the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association, TÜSIAD. It is believed that there is a need to focus on globalization processes within the context of Turkish business life by taking TÜSIAD as a case since the Asssociation has played an important role in linking the Turkish economy to the global market, and acting as a strong internal actor of globalization in Turkish politics and the economy. It is argued that, in the TÜSIAD case, the impact of globalization revealed itself as the transformation of a business association, in terms of its role as a pressure group concerned with the particular interests of businessmen, to a civil society organization concerned with the general interests of the country, with its emphasis on democracy and EU membership.
Küresellesme ve Bilgi Toplumu: Egitimin Küresellesmesi ve Neo-Liberal Politikalarin Etkileri
Mehmet Dikkaya, Deniz Özyakisir
The concept of globalization which refers to the transformation of economies especially emerged after 1980 has been the central focus of discussions in both academic and politic environments. The impact of this concept has been examined with different dimensions. From this point of view, this study overviews the results of the globalization process with regard to the information society and educational policies. The study also analyzes the information society as a new social paradigm of globalization and emphasizes how education has been transformed in line with the neo-liberal policies in contemporary settings.
Identity Fragmentation and Identity Governance within the Triangle of Globalization, the European Union and Turkey
Haluk Özdemir
This article is based upon the assumption that the European Union has a goal of resolving certain problems pertaining to globalization that its members face, and that Turkey views the membership procedure as a solution of such problems. The awakening sub-identities and the erosion of dividing borders are causing nation-states to face a series of problems concerning sovereignty and identity, such as ontological security and identity fragmentation. To solve such problems, the nation-states compromise their single-centered and assimilationist identity management policies in favor of multi-centered identity governance. With identity governance, not only the national governments, but also the local authorities and the European Union have a word on identity issues. Identity governance, despite dwindling sovereign rights, is performed successfully within the European Union, and is recommended to the Turkish government. From Turkey's side, as a solution to the problem of identity fragmentation, the membership process provides a common, unifying and shared goal for groups with different identities.
Globalization of Culture and Change of Established Political Positions
Kudret Bülbül
This article argues that the modernization process has created standardization in different areas of life, while culture has been relatively and independently preserved during this process. Nevertheless, it is difficult for societies to sustain independent compartments in the cultural area while employing standardized techniques, institutions, and principles in the areas of economics, politics, and technology. This article explores the reflections of members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) on cultural globalization, since the TGNA is the main policy maker in Turkey. Although the perceptions of TGNA members generally differ, according to whether they are members of the AKP (Justice and Development Party) the CHP (Republican People's Party), their approaches do not depart greatly from that expected from general theoretical discussions. The approaches of the members of parliament (MPs) do not pertain to Turkey only.
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