Thesis D - The Hybrid of Glocalization
Hybridity: All the Rage
The debate between globalization and localization - and which should be supported - has been going on since the first inklings of globalization. In more recent discussions, a newer theory has come up - glocalization. This theory argues that the two phenomenon are not distinctly different and that neither could exist without the other. In his text “Regionalism in the World Economy: building block or stumbling stone for globalization?” Andreas Dür claims that neither of his title claims are correct:
“My starting point therefore was to accept that both effects are empirically relevant, and that neither of the two metaphors can capture the complexity of the effects of regional agreements for the process of globalization. Only the integration of the two perspectives in a comprehensive model can yield a satisfying explanation of the available evidence” (Dür 196).
Those who study glocalization, unlike supporters of globalization and localization, admit that neither attitude toward the phenomenon is absolute. The two are reactions to one another and an understanding of their integration is imperative to any study of their impacts.
