Author: Laura Bowen
Last Wednesday, November 14, Director of Publications at the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization Nayan Chanda gave a presentation entitled “Globalization: Another Name for Americanization.” The presentation outlined ideas in his recently published book, Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Warriors, and Adventurers Shaped Globalization.
Chanda began his presentation by describing globalization as “an enduring trend to reconnect human communities with a thickening web and increasing speed, creating—in the process—a global awareness.”
Chanda justified the movement of globalization as “born of human impulse,” by explaining that everyone’s origins are rooted in Africa. Four main motivations for this desire to reconnect were given, outlined by Chanda as, “truck and trade,” “convert fellow human beings,” “explore the unknown,” and “dominate others.”
He explained that trading among humans began because people were “in search of profit.” The effects of these exchanges caused “oppression and suffering,” yet there was also an intertwining of native species to the extent that, “the things we take for granted as ours actually have multiple origins,” Chanda said.
Missionaries and preachers who desired to spread their religion also spurred globalization. Chanda noted the changing, but still present, concept of missionaries and how Amnesty International embodies some of the same principles of the missionaries before them, but without a religious motivation.
A lust for adventure and an exploration of foreign lands, specifically in the Americas, led to a “decimation of the natives by germs brought from the Old World,” Chanda said. However, these voyages proved educational to the world, and are similarly played out today. Chanda spoke of people today who are visiting little-known areas of the world, and thanks to technology, “connecting [the rest of] the world with their travels.”
Finally, Chanda said the desire to conquer others led to the integrating of cultures and resources within and between the East and the West. Chanda then posed the main question of his presentation: why “globalization is considered Americanization.”
Chanda said that “America, a product of globalization, emerged as the principal globalizer,” because of its attained power and resources. America “accelerated globalization” through inventions, such as the telephone and steamship. Chanda argued that although America often prefers to look at itself in isolationist or patriotic terms, items like “Support Our Troops” ribbons are made in China and other countries.
He also predicted the reemergence of countries that were once principal components of globalization such as India and China, saying this would happen as a result of the United States’ role in bringing about globalization. This change is in large part due to the “pressure to expand production” and the “speed [of] electronic [monetary] transfer,” which were set as economic precedents by the United States.
James Thalman (sophomore) said Chanda’s argument clearly showed how globally, “everything was tied very closely.” Chanda proved effective to him, because, as Thalman noted, “I bought his book.” Others were less impressed. “I had not expected him to go into so much history . . . I had hoped he would spend more time on globalization currently,” Conor Anderson (first-year) said.
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