Osnova sekce

  • The „technological knowledge“ belongs to one of the five „spheres of globalization“ (see Arjun Appadurai) and due to its importance it will be encompassed into the lectures. This part of the course will start with the postmodern philosophical reflection. French sceptical postmodern political theory with prominent philosopher Jean-François Lyotard and his book The Postmodern Condition (1979).

    Further, this theory will be confronted with advantages and disadvantages of technological globalization which will be analysed and discussed during the course. There is a wide range of issues worth to be reflected with technological innovation and its impact on one world economy, easy trade, online communities, reducing poverty, digital divide, mechanization, computerization, automatization and the fate of human workforce.

    The teacher of the course will trigger discussion over the rising economic and political power by some of the states as well as „colonization“ of the society by the Multinational Technology Corporations (Microsoft, Apple and Google) which became important part of the global world order as well as rising power of some of the world powers due to technological advancement (the USA and Arpanet, China and Huawei etc.).  

    Lastly, on global, state and micro level, the role of technologies in mutual cooperation among the states (e.g. covid pass), in building up effective e-state, e-governance and smart cities will be also taken into consideration during the lecture.


    Recommended literature:

    The Postmodern Condition (1979) of F. Lyotard rewived and reproduced here. Online: http://lcwu.edu.pk/ocd/cfiles/English/MS-ENG-701/ThePostmodernConditionbyJean-FrancoisLyotard.pdf

    Castells, ManuelI (1999): "Information Technology, Globalization and Social Development." In: UNRISD Discussion Paper No. 114, September 1999. UN research institute for social development. Online: https://unrisd.org/80256B3C005BCCF9/(httpAuxPages)/F270E0C066F3DE7780256B67005B728C/$file/dp114.pdf

    Rycroft, Robert W. (2003): "Technology-based globalization indicators: the centrality of innovation network data. Technology in Society, Vol. 25, no. 3, Aug. 2003, 299-317. Online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X03000472


    Kordos, Marcel - Vojtovic, Sergej (2016): "Transnational corporations in the global world economic environment." 

    International Conference on New Challenges in Management and Organization: Organization and Leadership, 2 May 2016, Dubai, UAE Transnational corporations in the global world economic environment. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 230 ( 2016), 150–158. Online (accesible via internet):


    Manoharan, Aroon P. - Alex Ingrams - Dongyoen Kangc Rutgers and Haoyu Zhao (2020): Globalization and Worldwide Best Practices in E-Government. International Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 44, No. 6, 465-476. Online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01900692.2020.1729182


    Question asked to the students:

    i) Why F. Lyotard was sceptical towards technological determination of postmodern age?

    ii) Why Manuel Castells was optimistic about the role of technology in the process of globalization?

    iii) What is the role of TNK (transnational corporations) in the world economy and global power (in relation to states)?

    iv) What does it mean e-state, e-governance and which states are best at it?

    v) why neomarxists criticize technocratic globalization?