American-style globalization. A study in economic sociology

Nowhere is it more apparent what globalisation can mean in practice than in the United States. A country where you can find a mixture of races, customs and languages from all over the world. Some might say that America has always been like this. After all, it is a country built by immigrants and African slaves. This is true. Perhaps this is why America, open to different cultures, gives the greatest impetus to world processes. The world’s largest corporations have sprung from this country and are penetrating the globe in search of new markets. American pension and insurance funds have also gained enormous importance, mainly due to the investment funds they have accumulated in recent years. Thanks to them, nearly one and a half trillion dollars circulate on the world’s currency markets every day. The liberal economy, modelled on American standards, is promoted by a number of influential international institutions, above all the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. It is this way of developing the economy that clearly rewards the strongest companies. America is also the centre of modern mass culture. Most of the films seen in cinemas around the world are made here.