The what, why, who and how of globalization: What is psychology to do?

Abstract

Globalization is an amorphous construct that requires demarcation. To do that, I attempt to answer the what, who, why and how of globalization. The first question consists of three elements: people, products, and processes. The second question contains two parts: by whom and for whom. The third answer consists of an agentic response and a socio-historical one. Finally, the last question contains several answers, ranging from the psychological to the political. The second part of the paper deals with the implications of globalization for psychology. I call on psychology to embrace (a) an ecological and multidimensional view of wellbeing, (b) an ecological and multidimensional view of justice, and (c) a systematic approach to personal, organizational, and societal change. These changes will be more likely if psychology renounced its support for the societal status quo.