Debating globalization: Perceptions of the phenomenon based on political positioning and on ideological understandings of economy, culture, and the nation‐state

Abstract

Globalization is an object of debate as it affects many groups worldwide. Two studies examined perceptions of globalization in the Greek context based on scholarly debates, and how these perceptions are grounded in political positioning and ideological understandings of the nation‐state, economy, and culture. In student and non‐student samples, perceptions of globalization were organized around the dimensions of global modernization, global cooperation, and global power inequalities. In a second study, the pro‐globalization views of modernization and cooperation were both associated with right‐wing positioning and fair market ideology, but the two views were associated with different preferred economic roles and policies of the state. The left‐leaning factor of power inequalities was negatively associated with fair market ideology and positively with preference for redistributive and pro‐left‐wing state policies. Implications of these differences and similarities among globalization views are discussed for sociopsychological theories of lay ideology, political discourse, and collective action.

‘Betrayed Believers’: The Target of Influence of Extreme Right-Wing Minorities

“…The authors present four conceptions of the social order: moral order, free market, social diversity, and structural inequality. We have also found similar distinctions in our analysis of the social representation of globalization associated with conceptions of economic roles and policies of the state (Griva & Chryssochoou, 2015). The categorization of the participants here, their ideological profiles, and their presumed practices seem to fit these analyses.…”

Social representations of globalisation and the functioning of the metasystem in social comparison contexts: evidence from two studies in Portugal

“…They support the non-neutrality of social representations and the way representations are born within and legitimize (or otherwise contest) existing power relations (Voelklein and Howarth, 2005). Moreover, they show that the neoliberal ideological framework prevailing in globalisation (e.g., Stiglitz, 2002), characterized by a preponderance of self-interested pursuits, is also present in lay people's social representations (see Griva and Chryssochoou (2015) on anchoring of Greeks' views of globalisation in political right-left-wing ideology). However, and in line with the studies about the 'mute zone' of social representations (Abric, 2003;Guimelli and Deschamps, 2000), self-interest seems to be counter-normative to the inquired Portuguese respondents, since it only becomes visible in the representations attributed to other countries.…”

Globalisation and global concern: Developing a social psychology of human responses to global challenges

“…The papers by Guerra et al () and Griva and Chyssochoou () suggest that we should expect nuanced responses to new waves of immigrants. The work of Guerra et al, in particular, suggests that the successful integration of a new and large segment of the population in nations such as Germany may depend on crafting an understanding of social relations in the host population that would enable a positive engagement between communities.…”

“…The issue of how the global infuses local politics is also central to Griva and Chryssochoou's () study. Conducted in Greece just before the eruption of the Eurozone crisis, this study documents lay perceptions of globalisation and relates them to local political affiliations, as well as ideologically laden questions surrounding the function of the state in this globalised era.…”

“…What is additionally called for, in our opinion, is a more thorough integration of insights from neighbouring disciplines into this bourgeoning psychological inquiry. Griva and Chryssochoou (), for instance, in their investigation of the social representation of globalisation, provide a review of current scholarly debates regarding this charged term from elsewhere in the social sciences. Staerklé et al (), in another example, offer a nuanced discussion on the meaning of ‘democracy’ informed by political science inquiries.…”