The Dictionary of Globalization is designed for first and second year classes on or related to globalization (i.e. on global economic integration, global politics, global cultural change, international relations after the Cold War and so on). It will serve as a companion volume for the author's Blackwell textbook, Introduction to Globalization (in the pipeline). At the same time it is independent in organization and comprehensive in coverage and it will function as a supplementary volume alongside other key globalization texts including, Peter Dicken's Global Shift, Lechner and Boli's Globalization Reader, Jan Art Scholte's Globalization: A Critical Introduction, Manfred Steger's Globalism: The New Market Ideology, Richard Robbins' Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism, Mark Brawley's The Politics of Globalization, Robin Cohen's Global Sociology, James Mittelman's The Globalization Syndrome, and Held et al's Global Transformations. Wherever these sorts of texts are being adopted, the Dictionary promises to work well for students both in introductory 'globalization-related' courses and in upper division classes on more specialized topics such as governance, development, migration, world politics, economic sociology, world cities, neoliberalism, and the cultural politics of transnationalism. For these sorts of upper division students as well as for those in big introductory classes, the definitions offered in the Dictionary will provide a personal resource that not only unpacks and explains the meaning of specialized terms and jargon, but also offers tips on how best to explore the contested disciplinary, institutional and legal entailments of different meanings. For instructors the Dictionary will simultaneously offer an alternative to the sometimes wasteful moments spent in class endlessly re-clarifying key terms for particular students who have not taken the necessary introductory level courses in particular areas. Each definition will use bold terms within entries in order to provide the possibility of open-ended ‘definitional trails’, which can lead students situated across the social sciences on global pedagogical journeys based on their own interests. At the same time, students who are just in need of a quick reminder of the meaning of a single term will be able to use the text simply as a straightforward list of definitions.
Having put the word out that we were looking for a dictionary editor, it became clear that the glossary for Matt Sparke's textbook was expanding rapidly, and he agreed to have a shot as an author at adapting and developing this into a full-blown Dictionary. Following positive reviews of an initial proposal, work has been underway for several months and I've now agreed with John Agnew at UCLA that he will act as advisor to the project (he will review draft material over the summer). Additional reviewers will be engaged to suggest gaps in the headword list and review material in their areas of interest. With all this in mind I think we've now reached the point where we can be confident about offering a contract.
In its current state it contains 170 finished draft definitions, and 250 unfinished definitions, with an overall target at the end of the process of around 500 definitions. The finished definitions vary in length from simple 10-15 word sentences (such as the definition of CEO) to middle range 300-400 word single paragraphs (such as the definition of privatization) to much longer 1000+ word entries with multiple paragraphs (such as the definition of NAFTA). Most of the longer definitions contain or will ultimately contain citations and suggestions for further reading, as well as the occasional quotation. There will be a sprinkling of illustrations to break-up the pages and invite students into the text visually. In response to one of the key suggestions made by reviewers, the suggested further readings will be placed at the end of each entry and considerably expanded. Once a contract has been offered, and with the help of two research assistants, the author will undertake this work over the summer with a view to expanding significantly the referencing of work outside geography across the social sciences, humanities and popular literatures on globalization.
As much as possible definitions themselves will draw on writing from right across the social sciences and humanities. Suggested readings will be as wide as possible following the vast variety of the key terms themselves. Currently these run the gamut from the Bretton Woods Agreement, Export Credit Agencies and Fordism/Post-Fordism through to certain key terms which recur across definitions like neoliberalism, and more theoretically difficult concepts such as geopolitics and ideology.
The front matter of the Dictionary will feature a short introductory essay outlining the ways the text can be used, the status of the definitions, and the way they relate to some of the key debates over the meaning of globalization itself. Following reviewers' suggestions, the introductory essay will also provide an opportunity to foreground recent theoretical debates over globalization, discussing the implications of these debates for student use of the dictionary.
An index will be included at the end of the book. Based on reviewer's suggestions, the content of entries will be revised to include: more factual details; more cross-referencing; more suggested readings; more entries oriented away from geography; and more global coverage of health, political and legal affairs outside America.
I would like to get some feedback on the project from an electronic market survey but hesitated as I wasn't certain how to get the best out of such a survey given the dictionary content (asking for responses to the headword list of around 500 entries might be problematic). There is a new network involving over 100 players worldwide called the Global Studies Network (hosted at the University of Warwick) from which we could hope to get feedback.
