Local Enclosures of Globalization: The Power of Locality
Author(s)
Korff, Ruediger
Abstract
In the discussion of globalization and localization, the main perspectives are either to unveil how global issues are localized, or to analyze local modifications resulting form global integration. In contrast, a perspective from the local to the global is proposed to be able to point at local contents of globalization. Such a perspective requires an analysis of how locality is constructed locally. In much of the current discussion local stands for places, indigenous people, villages, cities, quarters within cities, factories, regions, nations or places. Following older research on ethnicity and recent studies of migrant cultures, locality is described as a social construction, which connects space, local knowledge and social organization. Locality disconnected to support among those belonging to the locality, interests and the control of resources. Thus competition and potential conflict is linked to locality. Therefore, speaking of locality implies speaking of power-differentials. Whether a locality can assume a dominant position vis-à-vis other localities and define its discourses as dominator even as universal depends on its organizational and integrative capacity for the mobilization and application of resources. Though control of resources required by others, the respective local knowledge becomes a necessity for gaining access to these resources. Consequently, global discourses can and often do have a local background. Accordingly, globalization in quite often global dominance from particular local context.
