Review on Habibul Haque Khondker’s article
Glocalization as Globalization: Evolution of a Sociological Concept
(Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology, Vol. 1. No.2. July, 2004 )
Some see globalisation as a devestating notion, other see it as economical accretion and modernization. In social sience globalisation as a notion has a short history. Globalisation as a term came into use in the 90s, when it first appeared in the title of Martin Albrow and Elizabeth King‘s book; Globalization, Knowledge and Society. However globalisation as a social process is old and have longer history, many authors have dealt with early globalisating progress. Sociology has been traditionaly detremined as the study of society, which is understood as an abstract system of social relations, a web or network of social. Globalization as a field in sociology is an inference of the macro-sociological interests, it addresses itself to the connectivity of broad processes of technological, economic, political, cultural interactions. On the matter of globalization of cultures there are three prominnet views according to Nederveen Pieterse. The clash of cultures and civilizations, the “McDonaldization” of the world, where only one culture is dominating and the hybridization, which is the fusion of cultures where local need mix with the global influence.
Prof Roland Robertson was the first time English user of the term Glocalization. The meaning of glocalization is originated from Japan. It is coming from marketing experts who were refering to the loclalization of products with Japanese origin, that are shaped according ot local taste but purposed to global  in reach. From 1980s a couple of related experession became popular to use in the social siences, like the term “indigenization” which is more meaning localization. With the evolution of the phrase, in the 90s the examination of globalisation became strongly interrelated with glocalization process. In the text it‘s described as “twin processes of macro-localization and micro-globalization”. Glocalisation is claiming something similar to the gobalisation, what is coming with the fear of wiping out diversity and cultural autonomy. Glocalzation is the notion that exempts globalisation from accusations of erasing differences.
There are authors who see globalisation as the worldwide spreading westerniasation. No one can argue that the world is becoming more and more westernised. Many places around the world people are listening to western music, watching Hollywood movies and using western products. Also it must be reconed that in a different society this fashion carries a different meaning and sometimes comes customised to suit the local context. Westernisation as an expresion does‘t equal globalisation but can be seen as the begginig of the process. Westernization as a concept has limited analytic value, siences benefit more from its descriptive feature.
Development in Singapore
Glocalisation is only substantive when it connects to the local system, addressing the local values, culture and practice. The case of technology and glocalisation is well appearing through the example of Singapore that was opened about adopting technology without modification. The alteration is in the way how the singaporeans used it.The local attitude towards technology is more then favorable, Singapore is a one-way destination for new techonological tools. The economical success of Singapore is coming from the means of “homegrown methodology”, the effectiveness of glocalisation as deliberate development strategy and that it resonates well with globalism.