What is the relation between politics and globalization? - Kim Yeong chan

 Summary

 The core argument of this article is that political globalization increases the complexity of politics. In a way, it suggests that modern freedom has made politics more complex, leading to the emergence of new political forms. This transformation arises from the interaction of the three processes introduced at the beginning: global geopolitics, global normative culture, and polycentric networks. The specific details show that the nation-state is not disappearing but is transforming, that politics is no longer confined to one country and is influenced by global norms, and that borders are not disappearing but are instead being relocated more densely into all places.

Interesting Points

What was most interesting was the authors' assertion that the "borderless world" is a "chimera." This is because globalization is usually associated with free movement and the dissolution of borders. However, this article argues that globalization simultaneously causes "rebordering"—where borders are actually strengthened to respond to new types of threats (like terror or immigration surveillance). This was fascinating because it implies that my daily actions, such as tagging a transit card to ride the bus or using my student ID to prove my identity for the library, are all defined as acts of crossing a "border" in this new, "dispersed" sense.

The second interesting point was the section on global normative culture. As humanity has progressed and the concept of human rights has become central, it now seems as if human rights and international law exist above the laws of an individual nation. This was compelling because it refutes the traditional concept that rights (citizenship) are the exclusive possession of a state’s nationals, showing how globalization is "decoupling" citizenship from nationality.

Further Questions

  The point I want to question is whether other actors in world politics, excluding the state, truly possess the "weight class" to make demands on nations. To be frank, these non-state actors—which this article calls 'global civil society'—still have a very weak voice compared to the traditional masters of world politics: the states, which are based on strong, tangible power. For instance, these global actors failed to stop, or even halt, Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They also appear to be merely watching China's pressure on Taiwan. Of course, the accomplishments of global civil society are significant, but we must still place a question mark on the actual influence they wield in the international community.

 I believe this question connects directly to the dilemma of 'autonomy versus fragmentation' that the authors present in their conclusion. The authors state that global civil society has gained new 'autonomy' separate from the state. However, they also warn that this leads to 'fragmentation'. I see this 'fragmentation' not just as the 'dark side' (like terrorists) they mention, but as a fragmentation of power itself. In other words, has global civil society gained the autonomy to speak, while lacking the actual power to stop the geopolitical actions of powerful states like Russia or China? Does this ultimately allow the world to be 'fragmented' by state power anyway, proving that the autonomy of GCS is, in fact, an 'ineffectual autonomy'?

Ai use 

Use Gemini for simple translation


Comments

  1. Hong DahyeonNovember 16, 2025 at 7:06 AM

    Your reflection provided a very thoughtful perspective, especially in showing how globalization reshapes borders rather than removing them. I also found your questions about the limits of global civil society’s influence very meaningful, since they highlight the gap between increased visibility and actual political power.

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  2. Kim younggyunNovember 18, 2025 at 8:02 PM

    I think this article is not overly optimistic about the influence of non-state actors in world politics, but rather coolly pointed out the imbalance of actual power. In particular, it seems to clearly raise the problem that global civil society has gained "autonomy" but does not have the power to control the military and geopolitical actions of powerful countries. At the same time, it is also good to interpret this phenomenon as a structural change called "segmentation of power" rather than simply "the emergence of negative actors." However, it is also necessary to consider whether the influence of global civil society can be evaluated only by military deterrence and that there are various forms of influence.

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