Multinational Culture

The papers collected here were originally presented at a conference on multinational culture held at Hofstra University to explore the sociocultural impacts of the transformation to a global economy. Written by a distinguished group of contributors from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and North America, the essays address such questions as: Which particular changes have already taken root? How can we assess the efficacy of interventions by nation states and transnational authorities? How are the globe's resources being managed and how should they be managed in the future? Specific topics explored include government policies and their relationship to multinational activities, the formation and regulation of international capital, labor market segmentation and protectionism, managing multinationals without sacrificing ethical standards or profits, environmental impacts, and the language, legal, gender, and race dimensions of a global economy. Following a general introduction, the volume is divided into six groups of chapters, each of which examines a specific aspect of global transition. The contributors first look at the more general issues of global movements and global policies, with articles on critical social movements and the future of the global political economy, the evolution of multinational public policy towards business, and the implications of internationalization for development and welfare in the Third World. The next section describes globalization's reach into the arenas of monetary policy, banking, financing, and debt. Subsequent chapters look at the explicit and implict prejudices and differences that can undermine or enhance our global experience, present case studies of the contradictory imperatives between indigenous culture and globalization, affirm the importance of collective action in protecting labor and the environment, and consider the controversial and multifaceted nature of technology transfer. The diversity of topics and perspectives presented make this an ideal set of supplemental readings for advanced level courses in development economics, political economy, and international economics.