ABSTRACT

Since at least the mid-1990s, both the academic literature and the popular media have been obsessed with the process of globalization. This process has seemingly generated a new international division of labour (NIDL). Few writing about the NIDL and globalization mince their words. According to the World Bank (1995: 1), ‘These are revolutionary times in the global economy.’ According to the ILO (1995: 68-9), ‘Globalization has triumphed.’ While it is clear that the world has changed, it is less obvious what precisely has changed. And, if some parts of the world have been fully embraced by the NIDL, others still play a rather peripheral role. What few understand, although many claim to, is what effect the NIDL is having on our lives. Perhaps the only

certain answer is that it depends on who you are and where you live; some people are doing very well in the NIDL, whereas others are most certainly not.