Overview

In this book, sociologist William Robinson offers a theory of globalization that follows the rise of a new capitalist class - and a new type of state formation. He explains how global capital mobility has allowed capital to reorganize production worldwide in accordance with a whole range of considerations that allow for maximizing profit-making opportunities. This worldwide decentralization and fragmentation of the production process has taken place alongside the centralization of command and control of the global economy in transnational capital. In turn, this economic reorganization finds a political counterpart in the rise of the transnational state. In the future, Robinson argues, hegemony will be exercised not by a particular nation-state but by the new global ruling class who, regardless of their nationality, tend to share similar lifestyles and interact through expanding networks of this transnational state. In this way, the process of globalization is unifying the world into a single mode of production that is increasingly integrating different countries and regions into a new global economy and society. Robinson concludes that, because the new global capitalism is rife with contradictions, the twenty-first century is likely to harbor ongoing conflicts and disputes for control between the new transnational ruling group and the expanding ranks of the poor and the marginalized.

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9780801879272

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Reviews

Bill Robinson has earned a reputation as one of the leading critical analysts of capitalist globalization as a system of power. This book - both rigorous and readable - develops his thesis that we are witnessing a world-historical transition into a new phase of capitalism, with new forms of power, resistance and struggle. Whether or not you agree with Robinson's controversial thesis, you will agree that this book represents formidable scholarship and raises crucial political questions for the twenty-first century. - Mark Rupert,

Robinson has some interesting things to say... What began as a dry theoretic treatise has morphed into a tub-thumping harangue. -- William Lasser The New Leader 2004 Clever and panoramic analysis. Written in a conversational, yet rigorous style. Development and Change 2005 This book is an impressive accomplishment. One need not agree with its thesis... to find it interesting and worthy of further study. Choice 2004 A must read, presenting a powerful theoretical thesis. -- Jerry Harris Science and Society 2008

Author Information

William I. Robinson is associate professor of sociology, global and international studies, and Latin American and Iberian studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

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