Leslie Sklair

Iconic architecture and capitalist globalization

The production of architectural iconicity and its relationship to contemporary capitalist globalization is the focus of this article by Leslie Sklair. While Sklair notes that iconicity can take a range of forms, here he is particularly concerned to understand the iconicity ascribed to buildings or spaces (or indeed architects) on the basis of their uniqueness or difference. For Sklair, this form of contemporary iconic architecture is now corporate to an extent that is historically unprecedented. He accounts for this historical shift with reference to an analysis of the new conditions of architectural production associated with the agents and institutions of an emergent transnational capitalist class. Iconicity can not be accounted for with reference to explanations which focus solely on the symbolic/aesthetic qualities of a building or space. Rather, Sklair demonstrates how the agents and institutions of the transnational capitalist class have increasingly come to define the times, places and audiences that make buildings, spaces, and architecture iconic.

Capitalism and development

Histories and theories of capitalist development development - lodestar or illusion, Henry Berntein democracy and development - deconstruction and debate, Mahmoud Dhaouadi Agrarian classes in capitalist development, Rhys Jenkins capitalist development in the NICS, Kyong-Dong Kim Confucianism and capitalist development in East Asia, Maria Mies gender and global capitalism, Ronaldo Munck development and the environment - managing the contradictions?, Michael Redclift capitalism, humane development and other underdevelopment, Leslie Sklair capitalism and development in global perspective uneven development and the textiles and clothing industry, Diane Elson capitalism, develoment and global commodity chains, Gary Gereffi tourism, capitalism and development in less developed countries, David Harrison electronics industries and the developing world - uneven contributions and uncertain prospects, Jeffrey Henderson Japanese multinationals and East Asian development - the case of the automobile industry, Richard Child Hill and Yong Joo Lee capitalism, agriculture and world economy, Philip McMichael and Laura Reynolds gender and Third World industrialization, Ruth Pearson

Iconic Architecture and the Culture-ideology of Consumerism

This article explores the theoretical and substantive connections between iconicity and consumerism in the field of contemporary iconic architecture within the framework of a critical theory of globalization. Iconicity in architecture is defined in terms of fame and special symbolic/aesthetic significance as applied to buildings, spaces and in some cases architects themselves. Iconic architecture is conceptualized as a hegemonic project of the transnational capitalist class. In the global era, I argue, iconic architecture strives to turn more or less all public space into consumerist space, not only in the obvious case of shopping malls but more generally in all cultural spaces, notably museums and sports complexes. The inspiration that iconic architecture has provided historically generally coexisted with repressive political and economic systems, and for change to happen an alternative form of non-capitalist globalization is necessary. Under such conditions truly inspiring iconic architecture, including existing architectural icons, may create genuinely democratic public spaces in which the culture-ideology of consumerism fades away. In this way, a built environment in which the full array of human talents can flourish may begin to emerge.

The transnational capitalist class and global politics: deconstructing the corporate-state connection

Transnational corporations (tncs) engage in a variety of political activities that take place at all levels of the political sphere, from community and urban through national to global politics, and involve many different groups of actors. This article addresses two sets of questions: (1) What forms do these activities take? (2) Do they enhance or undermine democracy? The systemic organization of politics for global capitalism is conceptualized in terms of a transnational capitalist class (tcc). The role of this class is analyzed through three brief case studies: Codex Alimentarius, the Multilateral Agreement on Investment, and the global tobacco industry.

Democracy and the Transnational Capitalist Class

While globalization means many different things to many different people, there is growing consensus that capitalist globalization is its most powerful contemporary form. This article argues that capitalist globalization, and thus effective power in the global system, is increasingly in the hands of a transnational capitalist class (TCC) comprising four fractions: those who own and control the major corporations and their local affiliates, globalizing bureaucrats and politicians, globalizing professionals, and consumerist elites. The TCC engages in a variety of activities that take place at all levels, including community, urban, national, and global politics, and involve many different groups of actors. Two sets of questions are addressed : (1) What forms do these activities take? and (2) Do they enhance or undermine democracy? The role of the TCC is analyzed through brief case studies on Codex Alimentarius and the global tobacco industry.

Transcending the impasse: Metatheory, theory, and empirical research in the sociology of development and underdevelopment

Abstract The sociology of development is said to be in an impasse. This paper attempts to transcend the impasse by setting out some epistemological/methodological principles and by the critical analysis of some theoretical and substantive issues. These issues are focussed around the contentious concepts and theories of “dependency” that have dominated the development debate A scheme for the evaluation of metatheory, theoretical alternatives, and empirical research programs is elaborated for the analysis of dependent underdevelopment, dependent development, and dependency reversal. The neglect of questions of gender in the study ofdevelopment is also highlighted and a similar scheme is elaborated.

Global capitalism and major corporations from the Third World

Most major transnational corporations (TNCs) are domiciled in the First World and are owned and controlled largely by citizens of these countries. On the basis of an analysis of the largest corporations outside the USA by revenues published annually by Fortune magazine since the 1950s, this paper demonstrates that there have been major corporations from the Third World for decades. Most of the literature on Third World TNCs concentrates on the large number of relatively small companies that have operations abroad in low technology sectors. The argument of this paper is that systematic study of major corporations from the Third World is important for debates about the national bourgeoisie, comprador capitalism and the controversy that currently surrounds the contentious concepts of the developmental state and globalization.

Capitalist globalization, corporate social responsibility and social policy

This article outlines how the twin crises of capitalist globalization — of class polarization and ecological unsustainability — combine to produce the need for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to attempt to bridge the gap between the rhetoric and reality of corporate conduct. The first section outlines how CSR relates to capitalist globalization and how it is integrated into the activities of the Transnational Capitalist Class (TCC). The role of CSR in relation to social policy is examined next leading on to an account of the uses to which CSR is put in policy discourse, particularly its strategic use in lobbying and the advance of corporate power.

The transnational capitalist class and the discourse of globalisation

Transnational corporations (TNCs), the transnational capitalist class (TCC) and the culture‐ideology of consumerism are the three building blocks of what is termed ‘global system theory’, an attempt to conceptualise capitalist globalisation. This articles focuses on the transnational capitalist class and its four fractions: owners and controllers of TNCs and their local affiliates; globalising bureaucrats and politicians; globalising professionals; and consumerist elites (merchants and media). The purpose of the article is to explain how combinations of these fractions of the transnational capitalist class have captured the discourses of globalisation, competitiveness and sustainable development to further the interests of global capital. It is concluded that these obfuscate the two central crises of capitalist globalisation ‐ the class polarisation crisis and the ecological crisis ‐ and that other, non‐capitalist ways of resolving these issues are urgently required.

The globalization of human rights

The argument of this article is that what I term generic globalization has created unprecedented opportunities for advances in human rights universally, but that the dominant actually existing historical form of globalization – capitalist globalization – undermines these opportunities. Substantively, I argue that taking the globalization of human rights seriously means eliminating the ideological distinction that exists between civil and political rights on the one hand, and economic and social rights on the other. Doing this systematically undermines the three central claims of capitalist globalization – namely, that globalizing corporations are the most efficient and equitable form of production, distribution and exchange; that the transnational capitalist class organizes communities and the global order in the best interests of everyone; and that the culture-ideology of consumerism will satisfy our real needs.