Themes

Special Theme, 2012 Conference: Eurasia and Globalization: Complexity and Global Studies

From the Conference Organizers:

The lead theme Eurasia and Globalization refers, first, to the central role of Eurasia in the historical depth of globalization, going back to the Bronze Age, as discussed in Jack Goody’s The Eurasian Miracle (2010). Secondly, it follows from the multicentric approach in global studies and the general premise that what matters is not just the perspective from hegemonic centers but each region’s perspectives and agenda in relation to globalization matters since each region is not just on the receiving end of globalization but is also an active globalizing force. So here the question is what is the agenda of globalization on the part of Russia and other social forces in Eurasia? This invites self-reflexivity on regional global agendas. The third reference is to geopolitics, geo-economics and Eurasian projects on the part of Russia and other societies and social forces.

The subtheme complexity and global studies is concerned, first, with complexity in ongoing global affairs, including questions of global risk (Beck 1999), global finance (where efforts at regulation have been termed ‘complexity cubed’), 21st century processes of global rebalancing and relations between emerging markets and advanced countries (Nederveen Pieterse 2011). Part of this is the engagement of global studies with the complexity turn and analytics such as chaos theory and nonlinearity (Urry 2003) and global studies as inquiry into the intersectionality of class, difference and sustainability (or redistribution, recognition, and ecology; cf. Pansters 2008, Ciochetto 2012). A related concern that runs through all Global Studies conferences is social inequality and economic policy. Russia’s Gini coefficient is 42.3 and in terms of social inequality its ranking among countries is 82nd, well below China (the Gini for the United States is 45 and its ranking is 93rd).

General Themes:

Theme 1: Economy

  • Global markets in an era of neoliberalism.
  • Patterns of global investment.
  • Logics of accumulation.
  • Engines of growth in the developing world.
  • The international division of labour.
  • Trade, current account balances.
  • Global financial flows and institutions.
  • Inequality – patterns and trends.

Theme 2: Power

  • Imperialism and neo-colonialism.
  • ‘Soft power’ and the structures of hegemony.
  • Social movements.
  • New global axes.
  • Flashpoints of social conflict.
  • Welfare in a global context.

Theme 3: Culture

  • Nationalisms and post nationalisms.
  • Diaspora.
  • Cosmopolitanism.
  • Cultural imperialism.
  • Hybridization.

Theme 4: Environment

  • Resources.
  • Agriculture.
  • Climate change.
  • Limits to growth?