In The News

Globalization: Concept and Concerns

C. Rangarajan January 6, 2003
Writing for The Hindu, India’s national newspaper, C. Rangarajan outlines the concept of economic globalization and its problems. One of the concerns of the current period of globalization is its connection to unequal distribution of wealth within and between countries. Looking at ‘developing economies,’ and at India in particular, Rangarajan examines the impact globalization has had so far and...

Looking at History in the Light of Globalization

Bruce Mazlish January 3, 2003
Although there is nothing totally new under the sun, there is merit in studying the past from the newly acquired global perspective. The traditional way of looking at history - bound in geographical space and bracketed in a particular time period - is no longer adequate. Scientific and technological advance allows us to look at the earth from “outside” as a unit, and challenges us to trace...

When Nike Speaks

December 10, 2002
The debate over sweatshops and corporate responsibility for factory working conditions has again made its way to American courts. When Nike issued misleading statements about its third-world labor policies, consumer groups took the company to court, charging Nike with false advertising. In May 2002, the California Supreme Court sided against Nike, allowing lawsuits against the company and...

A Jurisdictional Tangle

December 10, 2002
A high-court ruling in Australia may make it possible to sue a publication for libel from halfway around the world. An Australian businessman sued the Dow Jones Company using the libel laws in his home state of Victoria, claiming that because he could access the Wall Street Journal website from Victoria, any libelous material on that website could be prosecuted under Victoria’s jurisdiction....

Pew Survey Finds America’s Global Stature Diminished

December 4, 2002
The globalization of media and the information technology revolution have made American actions visible to the entire world. In a wide-sweeping survey of 38,000 people in 44 countries – a feat accomplished in large part thanks to globalization – the Pew Foundation finds a gloomy image of the US overseas. From the state of American democracy to America's unilateralist stance in the...

A Camellia Grows in Boston

Peter Del Tredici November 26, 2002
According to many scientists, the Industrial Revolution and the explosion in the use of fossil fuels have led to a worldwide rise in air and sea temperatures. Although some skeptical politicians and scientists argue against the evidence for global warming, the personal experience of Harvard's arboretum director indicates otherwise. This seasoned horticulturalist finds a degree of joy in...

The Globalist Cookbook

Chris Mooney November 24, 2002
Images of American cultural dominance – McDonald’s, Hollywood, and megastores – rile groups as diverse as Muslim fundamentalists, French nationalists, and anti-globalization activists. But Tyler Cowen, a pro-free market cultural economist, sees opportunity in the globalization of culture. “Capitalist multiculturalism” offers consumers different options – in their restaurants, music, and fine...