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Ernest Gellner's theory of nationalism (eg, 1965, 1983) is criticized for failing to provide a scientific explanation of the origins of nationalism & for being politically biased. Gellner's theory asserts that economic development forces a choice of assimilation or differentiation on formerly separate communities. Either path leads to the development of nations, on which further industrial development is predicated. However, nationalism is neither necessary nor sufficient for industrialization. Nationalism does not cause industrialization; these two characteristically modern phenomena merely intersect & overlap. It is argued that nationalism as an ideology actually retards economic prosperity & dynamism. Gellner identified nationalism with the moral fault of collective egoism & was thus a hostile critic, rather than the neutral analyst he professed to be. 3 References. H. von Rautenfeld

Compares the organization of financial sectors in Germany, Japan, & the US to challenge the notion that bank-based financial systems are a product of late industrialization & the state's need to focus on financial investment. Differences between bank-based & market-based finance are described. It is noted that banking systems account for most of the financial-system assets in Japan & Germany but only for about 25% in the US. However, Germany is closer to the US than to Japan in relation to the state's role in credit allocation. An exploration of the timing of industrialization (TOI) thesis for explaining these differences shows that TOI understates the significance of varied patterns of state regulations & overstates both the importance of bank-based finance for rapid industrialization in Germany & Japan, as well as the degree of difference between them. The need for a more nuanced analysis of the emergence of different types of financial regimes is discussed, along with the potential for transformation toward a market system in both countries. 5 Tables, 1 Figure. J. Lindroth

Compares the organization of financial sectors in Germany, Japan, & the US to challenge the notion that bank-based financial systems are a product of late industrialization & the state's need to focus on financial investment. Differences between bank-based & market-based finance are described. It is noted that banking systems account for most of the financial-system assets in Japan & Germany but only for about 25% in the US. However, Germany is closer to the US than to Japan in relation to the state's role in credit allocation. An exploration of the timing of industrialization (TOI) thesis for explaining these differences shows that TOI understates the significance of varied patterns of state regulations & overstates both the importance of bank-based finance for rapid industrialization in Germany & Japan, as well as the degree of difference between them. The need for a more nuanced analysis of the emergence of different types of financial regimes is discussed, along with the potential for transformation toward a market system in both countries. 5 Tables, 1 Figure. J. Lindroth

Examines the emergence of Hong Kong's new rich class & explores its political, economic, social, & international implications, drawing on the literature. This new group, including members of the capitalist & middle classes who have emerged from the process of industrialization since the 1960s, is categorized into four types: local bourgeoisie, local middle-class liberals, local middle-class nationalists, & mainland Chinese bourgeoisie. Politically, the rise of the new rich has contributed to the emergence of pluralism in Hong Kong. However, because Hong Kong is increasingly tied economically to the People's Republic of China, its politics in the future will likely be shaped by China's political & economic circumstances. The social liberalization brought about by the middle class is also likely to be tempered by China's authoritarian political system. However, China's influence over postcolonial Hong Kong may be kept in check by international concern over Hong Kong's future. D. M. Smith

Describes the new rich class in Taiwan, which has emerged since the 1960s as a fragmented, heterogeneous group of individuals from different social classes & status groups. The new rich class includes the old middle classes, encompassing the military, civil servants, school teachers, owners of small & medium-sized businesses, affluent workers in labor-intensive, export-oriented technology industries, & lower-administrative & managerial employees attached to the service sector. It is suggested that because these groups emerged at different stages of the industrialization process, they are susceptible to different sets of social values & support different political platforms & parties. However, social & political harmony has been achieved between these classes through the common, binding experience of ascending from hardship to abundance. It is forecast that if the economic restructuring project is kept on track, this harmony should continue. D. M. Smith

This discussion of the slow food-fast food revolution in Mexico focuses on the tortilla, a staple of the country's peasant cuisine, an occasional part of the diet of most Mexicans, & today a global food, fried as the shell for tacos, sold worldwide by Taco Bell & other fast food franchises. For centuries, rural women rose before dawn to grind the corn into flour, combine it with water, knead the dough, shape it into round flat patties, & bake the tortillas -- all before the men left for the fields. Making good tortillas was a talent required of women. The first change came with a mechanical grinder, which was denigrated at first by the peasant women, but then accepted because it gave them time to engage in other work. Then small factories developed that made tortillas but also sold ground corn to those who wanted to make their own. With industrialization came the rise of Grupo Maseca, a multinational producer of masa harina, or corn flour. Still there were those who insisted that there was no substitute for fresh hand-ground corn flour. Eventually the fast food tortillas & tacos made their way back to Mexico. At present, slow food, moderate-speed food, & fast food coexist. References. J. Stanton

(Originally published in John A. Hall & Ian C. Jarvie [Eds], Transition to Modernity, 1992, see abstract 93c01707.) Builds on Ernest Gellner's theory (1983) that nationalism results from the development of impersonal, universalistic, context-free communication, which in turn develops from industrialization. The cases of France, England, Prussian Germany, & Austria in the 18th century are used to make a historical argument that industrialization arrived too late & too unevenly to give rise to nationalism in this period. The two principle causes of the rise of discursive literacy were the rise of commercial capitalism & its attendant universal social classes, & the development of the modern state & its armed forces & bureaucracy. The combined pressures of external fiscal & military competition & internal agitation for popular representation produced a variety of modern nationalisms. 39 References. H. von Rautenfeld

Problems engendered by globalization processes that could cause mass death on an international scale are examined. The need to realize that historical periods of industrialization have caused significant hardships for the peasant classes is stressed. After discussing the connection between population growth, modernization, & urbanization, it is contended that various factors, eg, gender inequity, must be addressed to reduce population growth. Additional associations between industrialization processes & (1) migration trends & (2) energy resource usage are considered. It is contended that the current rates in population growth, energy consumption, & decrease in land resources & certain environmental constraints could potentially create an insurmountable obstacle for the market-oriented international community. Several issues that the international community must address to help humankind persevere are raised, eg, determining whether social control over production processes will augment national solidarity. J. W. Parker

The acceptance of the decreasing relevance of the core- periphery structure as a one of the characteristic themes of globalization is contested to argue that the global political economy shows few signs of the superseding that form of stratification. The arguments by the globalization scholars that the North-South core periphery divide that are being superseded by the formation of a transnational capitalist class & a world proletariat are refuted as being based on cursory observations that do not pay much attention to the empirical evidence on global inequality & the conceptual problems of interpreting various models of global industrialization. The contention that the absolute novelty of contemporary globalization makes multi-century time frames irrelevant is also refuted by the rules of the comparative method that require identifying what is recurrent as opposed to the true peculiarities of contemporary globalization. The benefits to critical globalization studies of the world systems analysis are explained in terms of the reorganization of world society in which financialization & hypermobility of capital are premonitory signs, & the trajectories of such reorganization. Monitoring the unrealistic US universal world empire project is the important task for true critical globalization studies, as well as providing the global social justice movement with a reliable map to lead to more equitable & just world as opposed to exploit hated empire or endless chaos. References. J. Harwell