Globalization and State: Four Paradigmatic Views

Any adequate analysis of globalization and state necessarily requires fundamental understanding of the worldviews underlying the views expressed with respect to the nature and role of globalization and state. This paper is based on the premise that any worldview can be associated with one of the four basic paradigms: functionalist, interpretive, radical humanist, and radical structuralist. It argues that any view expressed with respect to globalization and state is based on one of the four paradigms or worldviews. It, therefore, discusses four views with respect to the nature and role of globalization and state which correspond to the four broad worldviews. The paper emphasizes that the four views expressed are equally scientific and informative; they look at the nature and role of globalization and state from a certain paradigmatic viewpoint. Emphasizing this example in the area of globalization and state, the paper concludes that there are opportunities for each paradigm to benefit from contributions coming from the other three paradigms.