Globalization and Postcolonialism by Sankaran Krishna - Book Report/Review Example

Political changes and economic developments have taken place with rapidity in the post-colonial era in countries that gained independence and in countries that practiced hard-core communist ideology until recently and globalization have assumed importance in every conceivable segment of life that affects humankind. Globalization and economic/sociological changes Sankaran Krishna gives a broad hint about the objectives that he has attempted to explain in his book. He argues, “Even a casual observer of the academic and intellectual world of today will be stuck by the ubiquity of two words: globalization and post colonialism.

This book will investigate the intimate relationship between the historical and contemporary socioeconomic processes that these two terms attempt to capture.”(2) Globalization has brought important sociological issues to the fore, which the politicians, administrators and economists of the respective countries cannot afford to ignore. Globalization has impacted the advanced as well as the countries that seek advancement, in one way or the other. It has thrown light on the production and distribution systems of goods.

The free-market capitalism ideology is taking shape to attain new dimensions. Individual consumerism has gained prominence. At every level of the society resistance to exploitation is growing. New awareness has dawned with the leadership of the labor movement and new concepts of trade-unionism are being perfected. Ethical and political choices are being redrafted. In many important countries the logic of ideology-based economic policies are being challenged in the overall interest of the society.

The author states, “In brief, this book will argue that if globalization is the reigning or hegemonic ideology in the world today, post colonialism, at its best, constitutes one of its main adversaries or forms of resistance to its way.”(2) Post colonialism and free-market ideology Sankaran agrees about the benefits of globalization and disagrees about the merits of the traditional postcolonial theories and contests the thinkers on the subject. He admits, “Postcolonial theory stands at this juncture in its engagement with globalization.”(106) He is the critic as well as the synthesizer.

He is able to locate the difference between the political compulsions of the economy and working of the free market in terms of the requirements of trade and commerce. He argues, “Globalization can be seen as the accelerated spread of a free-market-based, capitalist style of production over an increasing swath of nations on this planet, especially over the past three decades. The entry of previously closed or inward-looking economies like China and India…”(2) He has good grasp of the issues related to postcolonial literary theory and cultural studies, and their impact on the working of the economy in context of globalization.

The powers, institutional, cultural, political and material work in tandem and their mutual interaction produces results that are difficult to comprehend in advance. These powers may impact on varying scales in different countries due to fixed conditions and situational demands. The author has penetrated into a difficult area of globalization and evolved a unique postcolonial thought to throw light on his findings. No political authority, no intellectual, no economist is able to estimate where globalization will lead to.

Globalization grows like the octopus in all direction and the leaders of different disciplines