Abstract
Is globalization a new phenomenon, and is it fundamentally different from the centuries-old process of modernization? ‘Globalization in history’ explores the spatial expansion of social relations and the corresponding rise of the global imaginary, recognizing them as gradual processes with deep historical roots. Following the settling of prehistoric tribes, the premodern period saw technological advances which formed the foundations of many of today’s innovations. The early modern period saw the birth of capitalism and the modern period brought about industrialization and a population explosion. Our current period is described as ‘the great convergence’, in which different and widely spaced people and connections can come together more rapidly than ever.
