Sociologist argues globalization concept is defunct, proposes global-glocal-local trinity

A conceptual analysis published in Frontiers in Sociology argues that the notion of “globalization” popularized after communism’s collapse has become empirically defunct and intellectually indefensible. The article, authored by Victor Roudometof of the University of Cyprus, proposes replacing the single umbrella term with a trinity of analytically distinct concepts: the “global,” the “glocal,” and the “local.”

The core of the argument is that most analyses of the “global” bundle together substantive dimensions that should be separated. By pluralizing the concept, the author aims to decenter globalization and revise understanding of the “global” beyond global modernization or the modernization of the “world.”

According to the abstract, each of the three terms should be seen as analytically autonomous from the others, while taken together they form a trinity of mutually defined concepts. The framework is therefore not a replacement label but a structured vocabulary in which the terms gain meaning through their relations to one another.

A distinctive feature of the proposed overview is that specific terminology is assigned for each concept along three registers: the processes signified, the conditions indicated, and the worldviews that express normative endorsement of each concept. This distinguishes, for example, a social process from the condition it produces and from the value-laden perspective that celebrates or endorses it.

The article is classified as a conceptual analysis in the journal’s Sociological Theory section, and its keywords include culture, globalization, glocalization, localization, and general sociological theory. It was received on 18 July 2026 and accepted on 28 September 2026, and is published open access under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

The claim that post-communist globalization discourse has lost empirical footing is an argument about concepts rather than a report of new data. The article’s contribution lies in its terminological proposal: separating processes, conditions, and worldviews is intended to make sociological analysis of the global more precise.

The publisher’s disclaimer notes that all claims expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of affiliated organizations, the publisher, the editors, or the reviewers.

Subject of Research: A sociological conceptual analysis proposing to replace globalization with analytically autonomous global, glocal, and local terms

Article Title: Decentering globalization: processes, conditions, and worldviews

Article References: Roudometof, V. (2026). Decentering globalization: processes, conditions, and worldviews. Frontiers in Sociology, 11, Article 1941732. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2026.1941732

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2026.1941732

Keywords: globalization, glocalization, sociological theory, localization, conceptual analysis, global modernization, social theory, Frontiers in Sociology, Victor Roudometof, worldviews, Decentering, processes