Polity is one of the world's leading publishers in globalization, politics and international relations. We publish many of the key scholars in the field and our list has earned a reputation for innovative, cutting-edge publications. We also have a strong list of textbooks in politics which are widely adopted at colleges and universities around the world.
Our authors include internationally renowned scholars and analysts in security studies such as David Held, Anthony Giddens, Ulrich Beck, Zygmunt Bauman, Anthony McGrew, Paul Hirst, Grahame Thompson, Mary Kaldor, John Tomlinson and Robert E. Goodin.
Visit our highlights page for more information on our new and forthcoming general interest titles.
Martell: The Sociology of Globalization
"Globalization has become a central concept for understanding contemporary social processes and global crises. Martell has written an extremely lucid and comprehensive sociology of globalization that offers a welcome focus on political and economic issues whilst encompassing its cultural dimension. This book enriches our critical understanding of globalization."
Larry Ray, University of Kent
Hirst, Thompson & Bromley: Globalization in Question 3rd Edition
Is there such a thing as a genuinely global economy? Globalization in Question investigates this notion, providing a very different account of the international economy and stressing the possibilities for its continued and extended governance. The new edition of this best-selling text has been thoroughly revised and updated. Several new chapters have been added and others combined or re-written to assess the growing supra-national regionalization of the international economy, the rise of India and China, and the possibilities for the continued governance of the global system.
Jones: Globalization: Key Thinkers
"Andrew Jones has produced an absorbing and detailed analysis of some of the key writers on globalization that provides a timely and critical assessment of the current state of knowledge in this somewhat crowded field."
Diane Perrons, London School of Economics
This book offers a critical commentary on globalization studies, as well as new arguments about its future direction. It guides the reader through the key arguments of key thinkers, explaining their place in the wider globalization debate and evaluating their critical reception.
Centeno and Cohen: Global Capitalism
"Finally, here is a book that makes brilliant sense out of globalization's multiple and often contradictory facets. With deep insight and sparkling illustrations, Centeno and Cohen offer a comprehensive overview of how global capitalism works: both its promise and threats. Read it to understand our past, present, and future economic worlds."
Viviana A. Zelizer, Princeton University
Cockerham and Cockerham: Health and Globalization
This accessible book examines the multidimensional influence of globalization on human health and disease. Globalization has had numerous far-reaching impacts on health-related issues, both social and political, and as this book shows, continues to present both positive and negative implications for the state of human health..
Hopper: Understanding Cultural Globalization
"Hopper’s book should be required reading for anyone wishing to see globalization’s ‘big picture’. While many books have been written about globalization, almost all of them give culture short shrift and focus on more easily quantifiable matters such as economics and demographics. Understanding Cultural Globalization fills a most important gap in the literature on globalization. It will provide readers with a sophisticated and nuanced view of the complex phenomena that underlie globalization."
Steve Jones, University of Illinois
Scott Lash and Celia Lury: Global Culture Industry
Tells the compelling story of how material objects such as watches and sportswear have become powerful cultural symbols, and how the production of symbols, in the form of globally recognized brands, has now become a central goal of capitalism.
"This pathbreaking study will stimulate the intellectual debate for years to come."
Manuel Castells, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Jones:Dictionary of Globalization
"An excellent review of the key concepts linked to globilazation as well as brief resumes of the ideas of many key thinkers in the field. A really valuable text for all those working on globalization."
Diane Perrons, London School of Economics and Political Science
Comprises an A-Z of entries covering every major aspect of the globalization debate from 9/11 to Zapatistas, the World Bank to the World Social Forum.
The entries, ranging from 100 to 500 words in length, are divided into three core categories:
Each entry is accompanied by a few carefully selected recommendations for further reading to help students deepen their understanding of the topic in question. The dictionary concludes with a section of additional readings grouped around key themes such as economic, political and cultural globalization.
Held & McGrew:Globalization/Anti-Globalization
"Held and McGrew's second edition of Globalization/Anti-Globalization is a thoroughgoing revision of an already outstanding book. Held and McGrew do more than survey the field: they discuss how we might respond to globalization and how we could construct an effective politics to lessen its major negative consequences whilst improving the lives of the vast bulk of the world's population. This is a stunningly impressive book – a must-have reference work on the central debates within the globalization literature."
Steve Smith, University of Exeter
Held and McGrew argue that globalization is still a powerful force, by focusing upon the primary structures of world order namely: patterns of governance, organized violence, the economy, culture and environmental degradation. Patterns of inequality, exclusion and domination are also assessed.
Held & McGrew:Globalization Theory
"A timely and challenging volume from a first-rate roster of contributors."
Anne-Marie Slaughter, Princeton University
This book focuses on elucidating leading theoretical approaches to understanding and explaining globalization, in both its current form and potential future shapes. It is divided into two parts: the first examines competing explanatory theories of globalization in its contemporary form, and the second looks at competing prescriptions for the future of globalization.
Held:Global Transformations Reader
The reader is divided into six sections covering all the key issues in the debate:
"I was pleasantly and genuinely surprised by the depth and intensity of analysis and argument contained in the book despite its wide-ranging subject matter ... Students of international affairs who long for books that go beyond the minutiae of globalisation and look at the big picture should consider this book compulsory reading."
Nick Grimwade, Times Higher Education Supplement
Clarifies the notion of globalization, and places contemporary developments in a historical context. It provides detailed accounts of how the current phase of globalization is transforming modern societies in the areas of politics, economics, culture and communication, migration, environmental issues, law and military affairs. Throughout the book the authors bring out the implications of globalization for the sovereignty and autonomy of states and for the practice of modern politics and democracy.
Held and Kaya: Global Inequality
"This book offers a rich and diverse menu of perspectives on global inequality. There is no better place to start if you want to understand why so many intelligent people disagree so vehemently on the facts, their interpretation, and what to do about them."
Dani Rodrik, Harvard University
Held and Kaya examine the major issues that need to be confronted in conceptualizing, measuring and analysing contemporary patterns of global inequality. In addition, they explore the implications of these patterns for politics and public policy. In explaining the complex global patterns of social stratification, they highlight an intensive debate about whether and to what extent inequality matters. The book also addresses this debate, and seeks to set out the major alternative positions.
