CONTEMPORAY WORLD

RELIGION IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION

Having articulated the meanings that people attach to religion and religious experience, the
question we ask now is this: In the time when rapid and widespread globalization of economic, political,
and cultural information and process, where does religion lie in the greater scheme of things?
Secularization
The hypothesized demise of religion and its value in societies, manifested, for instance, in the
separation of the church and state. It can be said that secularization is the enforcement of secularism---a
philosophical view oriented toward the need for a secular life beyond one’s religious life.

Secularization hypothesis—suggesting that the demise of religion will happen alongside the rise
of modernization—does not hold fast as a sound sociological hypothesis, citing evidence that across
centuries there have not been a change in people’s religious belief and commitments.

TWO DISTINCT PERSPECTIVE RELATED TO SECULARIZATION IN THE MODERN TIMES:

1. The notion of post-secularity or the return of religious consciousness in the public sphere; and
2. Religious modernity, where secularization is an active process emerging from social action.

Religious Pluralism and Tolerance

One of the consequences and promoters of globalization is cultural diversity. As people let ideas
flow in and out of geographical spaces, we bring in and out, as well, our beliefs, values, and traditions.
We heard from old religions the Jewish’s experience of exile or diaspora- when they were sent out from
the land of Israel and scattered toward different parts of the world. Today, the same journey is taken by
the people. The age of diaspora in the contemporary times happen for various reasons. And as people
move in and out of territories, they also carry with them their religious affiliation and its correspondent
philosophies and practices.

Cultural Pluralism- this phenomenon when a small group of shared identity maintains their
cultural practices if it aligns with the larger society’s norms.

Religious tolerance- allowing others to abide by their own religious practices and beliefs, such
as consenting the establishment of places of worships. It is quintessential in fostering peace in the
community.
In a study among university students, it was found that adolescents tend to be more tolerant when
they can appreciate the entire spectrum of their religious tradition than “be religious exclusively with a
legal-style ideology”.

Religious Fundamentalism
A critical issue on religion, which emerges in the contemporary world, is the debate on religious
fundamentalism. Altemeyer and Hunsberger (1992) defined religious fundamentalism as:
The belief that there is one set of religious teachings that clearly contains the fundamental, basic,
intrinsic, essential, inerrant truth about humanity and deity; that this essential truth is
fundamentally opposed by the forces of evil which must be vigorously fought; that this truth must
be followed today according to the fundamental, unchangeable practices of the past; and that
those who believe and follow these fundamental teachings have a special relationship with the
deity. (p.118)
There are varying opinions as to religious fundamentalism. Some studies have established that it
relates to cognitive and affective processes that influence behavior (Kossowska et al., 2018).
Two Ways Manifestation of Fundamentalism

1. Nonviolent intolerance
2. Violent intolerance

Glocalization of Religions
Another phenomenon that matters in analyzing religion trends in the age of globalization is referred to
as a glocalization---“universal religion is thematized alongside local particularly” (Beyer, 2007, cited
by Roudometof, 2013, p.229). This linked with deterritorialization—the flow of religious traditions
in areas where these traditions are unfamiliar or unpopular, paving way for the emergence of
transnational religions.

ROUDOMETOF FOUR FORMS OF GLOCALIZATION

FORM DESCRIPTION
▪
VERNACULARIZATION Linking “religious universalism with vernacular language”
▪
Sacred practices remain to be tied to sacred language
▪
INDIGENIZATION Linking “religious universalism with local particularism”
▪
Religious practices are blended with indigenous practices
▪
NATIONALIZATION Linking “universal religion and local, national particularism”
▪
Emergence of local religions tied with universal religions

TRANSNATIONALIZATION ▪
Absorption of a universal religion into one’s own culture;
naturalization of religion
▪
Allegiance to global religious community
 CONTEMPORAY WORLD
RELIGION IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION

At the end of the lesson students should be able to:

 Understand the concept of global cities and its characteristics;
 Identify the various global cities and the indices upon which they are measured; and
 Determine the other side of global cities and how these can be managed effectively.

Definition of Terms
Global cities – central sites for advanced services and facilities of telecommunication which
are necessary for the execution and the management of global economic activities. In those
sites, corporate headquarters tend to center, particularly companies that are operative in more
than one country (Sassen, 2005).

Global Population and Mobility

The Global Cities
Global cities are major nodes in the interconnected systems of information and money, and the
wealth that they capture is intimately related to the specialized businesses that facilitate those flows.

According to Sassen (2005), global cities are central sites for advanced
services and facilities of telecommunication which are necessary for the
execution and the management of global and the management of global
economic activities. In those sites, corporate headquarters tend to center,
particularly companies that are operative in more than one country. Examples:
New York, London, Tokyo, Paris, and Singapore.
(IMAGE: https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=sassen&sxsrf)
The global city is, therefore, the main physical and geographic playground of the globalizing forces;
in this space of population concentration and mixing, the global flows of people, capital, and ideas are
woven into daily lived experiences of its residents.
Cosmopolitanism is a phenomenon most readily associated with the global city: large, diverse cities
attract people, material, and cultural products from all over the world. The idea of cosmopolitanism usually
invokes pleasant images of travel, exploration, and “worldly” pursuits enjoyed by those who have benefited
from globalization and who can, in some ways, consider themselves ‘citizens of the world’ (Steger, 2014).
Globalization as a Spatial Phenomenon

Globalization happens in physical spaces-foreign investment, economic opportunities, and human

capital-move to cities. Globalization is spatial as it is based on places.
In other words, global cities are integral to globalization as it is essential to these
global cities. General Characteristics of Global Cities
✓ International, first -name familiarity
✓ Active influence and participation in international events and world affairs
✓ A large population
✓ A major international airport that serves as an established hub for several international airlines.
✓ Presence of an advance transportation system
 ✓ Presence of international financial institutions, law firms, and stock exchanges
✓ Presence of advanced communications infrastructure on which modern transnational corporations rely
✓ Presence of world-renowned cultural institutions
✓ Presence of several powerful and influential media outlets with an international reach

✓ Presence of a major sports facilities, home teams in major league sports, and the ability and
historical experience to host international sporting events

Identification of global Cities

In the Global City by Sassen (1996), she only identified three global cities- New York, London,
Tokyo. Attempt to define and categorize world cities was made in 1999 by the Globalization and World
Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC). GaWC ranked cities based on provision of “advanced producer
services” such as accountancy, advertising, finance, and law by international corporations.

Global City Index

Global City index consists of indicators and parameters used to determine and measure the
categories of global cities and to what extent they function as global cities. Global Cities uses criteria across
five dimensions:
1. Business activity
2. Human capital
3. Information exchange
4. Cultural experience
5. Political engagement

Global Power City Index

Evaluates and ranks the major cities of the world according to their magnetism or their
comprehensive power to attract people, capital, and enterprises from around the world. In 2011, a report
called “The Global Power City Index 20111” considered several functional areas:

1. Economy
2. Research and development
3. Cultural interaction
4. Livability
5. Environment
6. Accessibility

Top 10 Global Power Cities

1. London
2. New York
3. Tokyo
4. Paris
5. Singapore
6. Seoul
7. Amsterdam
8. Berlin
9. Hongkong
10. Sydney