Globalisation and Inequality

Abstract

Neglected in liberal and other writings about globalisation is one particularly important feature of world politics: inequality. This chapter highlights the relationship between globalisation and inequality. It argues that inequality matters not just on grounds of equity, but is also important for understanding the nature of globalisation and its impact on world politics. Inequalities among states both shape the process of globalisation and are affected by it. The chapter describes globalisation, drawing on both an international society view of international relations and a view of the international political economy which emphasises the causes and promulgation of global inequalities. It examines four areas which illustrate the linkages between inequality and globalisation: state strength, international institutions, values and norms, and non-state actors. The liberal orthodoxy highlights the progressive enmeshment of economies and societies that results from globalisation. It emphasises the powerful international and transnational pressures that both constrain the range of viable state policies and influence the complexion of domestic politics.