Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Accelerating Global Interaction

"globalization"refers to international economic transactions and has to seem inevitable. 
After WWII, the capital winner were determined not to repeat the great depression.
In 1970 major capitalist countries dropped many controls on economic activity; this approach was know as neoliberalism.  It was imposed on many poor countries as a condition for giving them loans.
Global economic transactions quickened dramatically afer WWII and the world trade skyrocketed.  Money became high mobile globally.
Globalization helped generate the greatest economic growth spurt in world history.  Life expectancies rose, infant mortality declined, literacy rates increased and resulted in a great decline in poverty.
Growing economic led to inequality within individual states both rich and poor and eventually the growing movement agains globalization emerged in the 1990's involving both rich and poor countries. 
The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war left the US without any equivalent power in opposition.   The US faced growing international economic competition since 1975.  The global exercise of American power has also caused controversy within the US.  The US invasion of Iraq provoked similar protests and controversies.
Feminism revived in the West in the 1960's with a new agenda.  Women had been wlecomed in communist and revolutionary movements in the South.  Many African feminists' interest in cultural matters.  Not all women's movements deal explicitly with gender.
Modernity presented a challenge to the world's religions. "Advanced" thinkers of the 18 century  believed that supernatural religion was headed for extinction.  There was a sharp decline in religious belif and practice in some places. The spread of scientific culture convinced small minorities that the only realities worth considering were those that could be measured scientifically.
"Fundamentalism" is a major reaction against modernization and globalization. Many features of the modern world appear threatening to establish religion.  Fundamentalists hae responded with selective rejection of modernity.
Religious Alternatives to fundamentalism are considerable debated within the Islamic world.  The global environment transformed from 3 factors that have magnified the human impact on the earth.   A world population quadrupled in teh 20 century, massive use of fossile fuels, and enormous economic growth. Human evnironmental disruptions are now of global proportions. Environmentalism began in the 19 century as a response to the industrial revolution.  It only became a global phenomenon  in the 20 century.  It took root in developing countries in 1970's and had shapr conflicts between the Global North and South.  Global environmentalism has come to symbolize focus on the plight of all humankind