Is the world today still a global village?

Abstract

The idea of a global village, as proposed by Marshall McLuhan in the late sixties of the previous century was widely (although not universally) acknowledged as a defining precedent for the understanding of the oncoming globalization process, noticeably accelerated at the end of the Cold War. Globaliphobia and the reemergence of nationalism, xenophobia and protectionism among other fragmentary movements characteristic of the first decades of the 21st century, however, seem to suggest that the notion of a global village is now outdated and thus, practically useless for the study of the current status of international society. I argue in this essay, it is not. My central hypothesis is that, in spite of all the anti-globalization movements we see today, the idea of a global village, as suggested by McLuhan, is still as valid, useful and important today as it was when originally presented. My intention in this work is to demonstrate how and why this is so.