ABSTRACT
Processes of globalization have affected individuals and groups throughout the world. The policy changes described as economic and political liberalization have involved a shift in focus from state-directed development to more private initiatives. In the developing world this has often been expressed as the fulfilment of certain political and economic conditions for receiving aid and loans. Structural adjustment policies, together with more general global initiatives aimed at global competitiveness have changed, and frequently reduced, the role of the state. This, in turn, has made it possible for new groups to emerge and compete for power. Intensified processes of democratization have simultaneously opened up for previously silenced groups to have a political impact. The breakdown of traditional structures of domination has been especially important in this regard as it has changed the structural relationship between the powerful and the marginalized. The spread of mass media and increased communication have also been an important part of globalization. People have become increasingly aware of life outside their own geographic habitat and the revolution in communication has made it possible for leaders to propagate their messages to larger audiences. Migration and policies of multiculturalism have further deepened the processes of globalization, thus impacting on the growth of local identities and far-away nationalism.
