Globalization and World Government
(Northern Arizona University)
Through economic, political, sociocultural, and technological means the world is presently changing in its modes of governance. The rise of new forms of government spanning the globe could come to pass within the 21st century. In this setting, anthropologists have a unique role to play in understanding the situation and educating the public. While many proponents and opponents of globalization exist, current research takes neither a positive nor negative viewpoint; instead it simply tries to interpret the facts. By scrutinizing and combining the work of other researchers it is possible to gain a better understanding of the situation and draw conclusions one way or the other. Evidence does support the conclusion that powerful elite groups and individuals are currently working to make world government a reality. This paper explains why anthropologists must be on the forefront of understanding this change and the impacts that may be felt by all the world’s cultures.