1. Theories explaining globalization

2. Liberalisms
Political realisms
Marxisms
Constructivisms
Postmodernisms
Feminisms

3. The dynamics of explanation
Globalization: both cause and effect (explanans/explanandum)
Transplanetary connectivity due to the combined influence of:
- production
- governance
- identity
- knowledge

4. Defining features of the theories
Outlook on:
- central issue to be investigated
- generators of (global) social relations
- main actors
- structures shaping globalization
- historical dynamics stimulating globalization

5. Liberalisms Economic developments (market-based) Liberal democracy
Welfare and freedom
Technology
Suitable institutions
Investigating these elements produces explanations of the ”transnational connectivity”
Drawbacks (generalizing the ”natural” drives; culture-blindness)

6. Political realisms Power
Importance of sovereign states (balance of power, dominant state at a particular moment; consequent interests)
Stressing the uneven nature of globalization
Exaggerating the significance of power (cultural, psychological, economic, ecological aspects not reducible to power); too much focus on the state (neglecting NGOs, private/macro-regional institutions)

7. Marxisms Class relations/conflict
Production, distribution, (social class) emancipation
Capitalist mode of production as an explanation of transplanetary relations and technological progress; seeking for ”deeper social forces” than just power struggles between states
Profit and accumulation
Excessive emphasis on class (conflict); overlooking factors such as culture, gender, sexual orientation, race; stress on surplus accumulation is too simplistic; limited by ”historical materialism”; the effects of 1989

8. Constructivisms
Transplanetary connectivity due to the importance of symbols, language, interpretation, etc. in constructing the social world
Inter-subjective communication decisive (producing and sharing ways of understanding reality, norms, values)
Overdoing the ”methodological idealism”; neglecting power structures, inequality

9. Postmodernisms (postcolonialism, postructuralism)
The importance of power in shaping knowledge (Foucault); dominant discourses
Rationalism: the current dominant ”discourse”; critical view of its instrumentalism, objectivism, control
Problematic limitations because of its ”methodological idealism”

10. Feminisms Gender relations; gender as a social construction
Subordination/marginalization of women
Supplementing other theories (feminist postmodernists/liberals/etc)
Ascribing too much significance to gender relations; reductionist

11. Eclecticism
Interaction, mutual influence, ”weaving together” aspects of the current theories
Production, governance, identity and knowledge; none is the source of the others; they are both causes and effects