This innovative new text is derived from a highly successful Open University course of the same title. It takes as a dominant theme the contested issue of 'globalization' (the apparent intensification of global patterns of inter-dependence) and its implications for the autonomy of the modern nation-state.

Following a conceptual introduction, which critically examines the theoretical debates framing the study of world politics, the work is structured around four key processes of globalization which the authors identify as being the central determinants of contemporary global politics. These key processes are: the global impact of great power relations; the globalizing tendencies of technological innovation; the existence of a global economy; and the globalizing force of modernity.

Reflecting this structure the text is organized into four discrete sections. Each section explores, both theoretically and empirically, one of the four processes of globalization. Throughout, particular attention is paid both to a critical evaluation of these globalizing processes as well as to their consequences for the sovereignty and autonomy of the modern nation-state. Moreover, the authors combine a lucid treatment of theoretical debates with topical case-study material to produce a text which is extremely accessible to undergraduate students studying international relations and politics and to those readers with little prior knowledge of world affairs.

About the Author
Anthony G. McGrew and Paul G. Lewis are Senior Lecturers in Goverment at the Open University.

Reviews

'Consistently well-written and accessible, as well as being sophisticated ... highly recommended for undergraduate students, MA teachers, and interested lay readers.' International Affairs

'This is an excellent volume. The authors have gone to considerable length to impose a clear structure on a most wide-ranging and complex set of materials. The result is one of the most innovative and useful volumes published on global politics in recent years. It is a judicious mix of empirical coverage and theoretical sophistication, making it a truly well-integrated textbook. It will be widely appreciated by all those who teach and study international relations. - Steve Smith, Professor of International Relations, University of East Anglia

'... highly recommended for students and teachers, and also for interested lay readers.' - Political Studies

Book Information
ISBN 9780745607566
Author Anthony G. McGrew
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Polity Press
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 617g
Dimensions(mm) 246mm * 173mm * 21mm