Two sessions of the CSGR 10th Annual Conference conference "Pathways to Legimitacy" aim to study how globalisation influences the patterns of social change in different societies around the world. One of the most debated topics in the globalisation studies is in fact whether and how globalisation affects individual identification with groups. Some scholars have argued that, as an effect of globalisation, attachment towards traditional and national communities is replaced by a broader, and perhaps weaker, identification with the world community. On the contrary, others have claimed that globalisation spurs an even stronger sense of attachment to traditional communities as a direct effect of the sense of insecurity which may be triggered by globalisation processes – such as migration and international trade. Finally, it has also been maintained that globalisation provides individuals with a multiplicity of models of identification, thus radically restructuring the usual way in which social identity has been construed, that is, through the contrast of a group of ‘us’ pitted against a group of ‘others’.

Such changes at the individual level bear upon the social outcomes that stems from interactions among individuals at the local, national, and international level. For instance, the question of public goods provision in each of these contexts is arguably heavily influenced by the communities to which individuals attach their sense of belonging.

The session will address these issues by looking at empirical research in experimental and cultural studies, although theoretical contributions are also encouraged. During this session, some contributions will be presented from the research project “Globalisation, Co-operation and Trust”, which has addressed these issues by conducting comparative research in six different countries.

If you wish to participate in the conference and present a paper on this topic, please send an abstract (max. limit 1000 word) to Gianluca Grimalda at g.f.grimalda@warwick.ac.uk .

Organiser: Gianluca Grimalda