Full size book cover of The Sources of Social Power: Volume 4, Globalizations, 1945-2011}

The Sources of Social Power: Volume 4, Globalizations, 1945-2011

Michael Mann

3.96(51 readers)
Distinguishing four sources of power ideological, economic, military, and political this series traces their interrelations throughout human history. This fourth volume of Michael Mann's analytical history of social power covers the period from 1945 to the present, focusing on the three major pillars of postwar global order: capitalism, the nation-state system, and the sole remaining empire of the world, the United States. In the course of this period, capitalism, nation-states, and empires interacted with one another and were transformed. Mann's key argument is that globalization is not just a single process, because there are globalizations of all four sources of social power, each of which has a different rhythm of development. Topics include the rise and beginnings of decline of the American Empire, the fall or transformation of communism (respectively, the Soviet Union and China), the shift from neo-Keynesianism to neoliberalism, and the three great crises emerging in this period nuclear weapons, the great recession, and climate change.

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Publication Date

1/7/2013

ISBN

9781107028678

Pages

496

Categories

History

About the Author

Portrait of author Michael Mann
Michael Mann
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Michael Mann is a British-born professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Visiting Research Professor at Queen's University Belfast. Mann holds dual British and United States citizenships. He received his B.A. in Modern History from the University of Oxford in 1963 and his D.Phil. in Sociology from the same institution in 1971. Mann is currently visiting Professor at the University of Cambridge.

Mann has been a professor of Sociology at UCLA since 1987; he was reader in Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science from 1977 to 1987. Mann was also a member of the Advisory Editors Council of the Social Evolution & History Journal.

In 1984, Mann published The Autonomous Power of the State: its Origins, Mechanisms, and Results in the European Journal of Sociology. This work is the foundation for the study of the despotic and infrastructural power of the modern state.

Mann's most famous works include the monumental The Sources of Social Power and The Dark Side of Democracy, spanning the entire 20th century. He also published Incoherent Empire, where he attacks the United States' 'War on Terror' as a clumsy experiment of neo-imperialism.

Mann is currently working on The Sources of Social Power: Globalizations, the third volume in the series. [wikipedia]

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Questions & Answers

Michael Mann's "The Sources of Social Power, Volume 4: Globalizations, 1945-2011" illustrates that the four sources of social power—ideological, economic, military, and political—interact and shape the global order since 1945. Ideologies, like capitalism and communism, have driven global conflicts and shaped political landscapes. Economic power, particularly from capitalist economies, has driven globalization, with the Bretton Woods System and the Marshall Plan fostering economic integration. Military power, exemplified by the United States' global reach, has maintained geopolitical stability and order. Political power, concentrated in nation-states, has regulated social life and governance. These sources have not operated independently but have intertwined, creating complex dynamics that have shaped the postwar global order.

The postwar global order was characterized by the expansion of capitalism, the nation-state system, and the American empire. Capitalism expanded through the Bretton Woods System, which stabilized international trade and finance, and the Marshall Plan, which facilitated European reconstruction and integration into the American-led global economy. This era marked the Golden Age of capitalism, with high production and consumption, and state-regulated economies.

The nation-state system expanded with decolonization, leading to the creation of numerous new states. These states, while gaining sovereignty, often struggled with economic development and political stability, reflecting the challenges of nation-building.

The American empire emerged as the sole remaining global empire, exerting influence through military power and economic dominance. The U.S. military presence and economic policies shaped global affairs, particularly during the Cold War, when it supported capitalist states against communist threats. This period saw the U.S. intervene in various regions, establishing informal empires and exerting hegemony over global affairs.

The decline of colonialism and the rise of nation-states in Africa and Asia were significantly influenced by the four sources of social power: ideological, economic, military, and political.

  1. Ideological Power: The rise of nationalism, a response to colonial oppression, fueled independence movements. Ideologies like anti-colonialism and pan-Africanism were central to this shift.

  2. Economic Power: Economic exploitation by colonial powers, often focusing on extracting resources, hindered local development. Post-independence, some nations pursued state-led development strategies, while others integrated into global markets.

  3. Military Power: Colonial powers maintained military control, but post-independence, African and Asian nations often faced internal conflicts and external interventions.

  4. Political Power: The transition from colonial rule to nation-states was often chaotic, with power struggles and the rise of autocratic leaders.

Colonialism's lasting legacies include:

  • Economic: Persistent economic dependence, often on a single commodity, and uneven development.
  • Political: Autocratic governments, corruption, and weak institutions.
  • Social: Racial and ethnic tensions, and a legacy of colonial education systems.
  • Cultural: The spread of Western languages and cultural influences, alongside the preservation of local traditions.

The rise of neoliberalism was driven by the economic policies of the post-World War II period, particularly the shift from Keynesianism. Key factors include the desire for economic growth, the influence of capitalist ideology, and the expansion of global markets. The faltering of neoliberalism is attributed to its harmful economic policies, such as deregulation and tax cuts, which led to the Great Recession of 2008.

Neoliberalism relates to other sources of social power as follows:

  1. Ideological Power: It promotes capitalist ideology, emphasizing individualism, free markets, and minimal government intervention.
  2. Economic Power: It strengthens the power of corporations and financial institutions, which influence economic policies.
  3. Military Power: It justifies military interventions to protect economic interests and maintain global order.
  4. Political Power: It influences political systems to adopt policies favoring capitalism and reducing government regulation.

The global crises of nuclear weapons, the great recession, and climate change reflect the interconnectedness of the four sources of social power—ideological, economic, military, and political—and the challenges they pose to the current global order in several ways.

Nuclear weapons embody the military power's lethal potential, challenging the political order's ability to maintain peace and stability. The ideological power of fear and the military power of nuclear deterrence are intertwined, creating a delicate balance that can unravel in times of crisis.

The great recession, rooted in economic power, highlights the challenges of managing global capitalism. It reveals the economic power's potential to disrupt the political order, as seen in the global financial crisis of 2008. The ideological power of economic theories like Keynesianism and neoliberalism shapes the economic policies that can either exacerbate or mitigate such crises.

Climate change, a product of economic and military power, poses a challenge to the ideological power of economic growth and the political power of nation-states. It requires a coordinated global response that transcends national boundaries, testing the ability of the political order to address a transnational issue.

These crises underscore the need for a more integrated approach to global governance, where the four sources of social power are balanced and managed in a way that promotes sustainable development and global stability.

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