Europe and globalization

Book abstract:

The concept of globalization has been the source of much debate, passion and protest, both historically, certainly at least in the twentieth century since the 1968 demonstrations, and more recently. This collection combines historical, economic, political, sociological and legal analyses, in order to explore the specific but far-reaching and complex relationship between Europe and globalization. How have the two, ask the contributors, influenced and continue to influence each other? An especially difficult and ongoing problem thrown up by globalization, for example, is the question of global income inequality.

The work comprises of thirteen chapters, each from a different contributor. This gives it scope to deal with a number of important issues. Chapter one, for instance, confronts what the writer calls the 'myth' of reducing income inequality through globalization, chapter three deals with Europe in terms of the causes of globalization since 1790, and chapter seven assesses the situation of Europe in a global financial market. Chapter eleven looks at the role of central Europe, chapter twelve explores the nature of globalization and the European Welfare State at both ends of the twentieth century, and chapter fourteen considers some alternative histories of Europe's role in globalization, in particular what the writer describes as the search for more locationally disparate 'processes' and 'transactions' in globalization.

The book is intended for scholars, economists, policy-makers, and anyone with an interest in the relationship between Europe and globalization.