Social Actors and Power Relations: Globalization as a Socio-Political Process and Phenomenon

Abstract

There is an idea about globalization that emerges like an unavoidable fact; a kind of force that is located beyond any human possibility. This is the dominant concept, forged by neoliberal ideology. Nevertheless, this is a metaphysical idea, not a scientific one, which implies that globalization itself is a social and human process. In other words, it is performed through the dynamic interactions between human beings, and it could change if the quality of these interactions is modified. There are different social actors involved. Each of these actors have different resources of power and besides them, different interests and ideological views and different political projects. Thus, some actors are in a hegemonic or dominant position. This makes them able to have a very strong influence on the forms, structure and tendencies of globalization. This paper discusses those political, social and economical forces beneath globalization. It tries to clarify a very basic but important fact: globalization is just and no more than a human thing.