INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

The second account of globalization is the traditionalists or
sceptics who see globalization as a historically precedent and
continuous phenomenon and as a myth. They emphasize the
continuous dominance and capacity of nation-states in various areas
and their adaptability to globalization processes in ways that ensure
their enduring power. Globalization skeptics claim that the long-term
trends are of intensified levels of internationalization through the
openness of the international economy and that transnational trade and
production relations occur within and between the triad nation-states
that lead to regionalization through the economic integration based on
geographical cooperation 1 . By applying the pluralist position and
distinguishing between a strictly globalized and a highly internationalized
economy, Hirst and Thompson particularly highlight that
the necessary role of nation-states to control the forms of international
governance by conferring legitimacy on regulatory regimes,
international agencies, common policies with treaties as the
‘monopoly lawmaker’ (1999, 275-280; see also Krasner, 1993; Hirst,
1997).
In terms of cultural globalization, sceptics emphasize that there is
neither common global history nor language and that the deeply
rooted national identity and nationhood would not be eroded by
multinational and transnational forces of Americanization or its
popular culture. Nationally based cultural symbols and identity are
still dominant as the integrative force by using the ‘pre-existing,
historically inherited proliferation of cultures or cultural wealth
(Gellner, 1983: 48-9) which are represented in international sporting
event 2 . By facing mass-market cultural products, globalization
skeptics emphasize that people are bound into states by sharing the
commonalties in language, culture and history, for which sport plays
its effective role for binding people through such symbols as national
anthem and national flag. It is a dominant feature in such seemingly
global sport event that the representation is inter-national and it is also
claimed that imported cultural products will be contested or
interpreted into its own ways.
The third account of globalization concept is transformationalists,
who place their argument between the previous two schools of thought
and their argument is particularly important in terms of the cultural
sphere of globalization. Within this account, the pattern of
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