The University of Aberdeen is holding a seminar on Wednesday, October 3, at 4.00pm at the King’s College Conference Centre, which is open to all.
Globalization is one of the most important and controversial dimensions of life in the modern world and will be the focus of Understanding anti-globalization, which is being organised by the Centre for the Study of Globalization.
The reality of globalization is that we are increasingly interconnected with peoples and cultures from throughout the world. But, this has given rise to major concerns that comparatively weak societies or cultures are exploited by the most powerful social groups or institutions at a global level.
The seminar will be chaired by Dr Richard Giulianotti, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, and will include three leading figures from the Centre, who will discuss issues arising from the various anti-globalization protests through to the recent attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon, and the aftermath.
The speakers are:
- Professor Roland Robertson, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
- Dr. Roland Axtmann, Department of Politics and International Relations
- Dr. Nigel Dower, Department of Philosophy
Dr Giulianotti said: “In the past decade, different kinds of resistance to particular, economic aspects of globalization have taken shape. These ‘anti-globalization’ movements are not all connected with each other, as they take many different forms and express a diversity of critical views on what are argued to be the major problems and evils of globalization. Western anti-globalization movements have been most active at the meetings of the major Western powers or Western dominated international organisations, such as at Seattle, Washington, Gothenburg and Genoa. Outside of the West, opposition to current trends in globalization has many different sources and takes many forms – from industrial action by workers in factories owned by Western multinationals, to more extreme forms of direct or ‘terrorist’ action against symbols of Western global power.”
Should the recent attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon be seen as part, a continuation or an extension of the general anti-globalization movements, or should we think of these events as something entirely different? This seminar will address the core questions surrounding globalization and anti-globalization, with regard to their social, moral, cultural, political and economic dimensions.
Following presentations by the speakers, questions will be invited from the audience. The seminar is open to all members of the public, as well as University staff and students.
The venue for the seminar is Room KCG5 at the King’s College Campus. This is located inside the King’s College quadrangle, on the east-side of the High Street.
For further information contact Dr Richard Giulianotti, Department of Sociology & Anthropology for further information, telephone 01224-272760 or e-mail r.giulianotti@abdn.ac.uk or contact Angela Begg, Media Relations, on (01224) 272960.
Issued by Public Relations Office, External Relations, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen. Tel: 01224 272014 Fax: 01224 272086.
University Press Office on telephone +44 (0)1224-273778 or email a.ramsay@admin.abdn.ac.uk.