Civilización

Salvador Giner

Civilization

Authors

Salvador Giner Institut d´Estudis Catalans y Universidad de Barcelona

Keywords:

culture, globalization, historical evolution, hegemony, macrosociology

Abstract

The sociological study of civilization is as old as the discipline itself. From Montesquieu, Comte and Marx to Weber and Elias, theories of civilization have been an essential component of the macrosociological explanation of complex societies. This essay critically covers the history of the concept and the diverse relevant theories, including those related to the civilizing process, up to our day. It evaluates their relative strengths and relates the dynamics of civilizations to current inter-civilizational conflicts and exchanges in the framework of globalization. It analyzes the possibility of the rise of a world civilization and looks at its contradictions, discontents, and conflicts in the framework of globalization. The essay includes a critique of current theories of the «clash of civilizations» and also the assumptions about the «dialogue of civilizations» ideology.

Author Biography

Salvador Giner, Institut d´Estudis Catalans y Universidad de Barcelona

Catedrático emérito de sociología de la Universidad de Barcelona. MA y PhD por la Universidad de Chicago. Cofundador y antiguo presidente de la Federación Española de Sociología. Presidente del Institut d’Estudis Catalans, academia de las ciencias y humanidades. Coeditor y coautor del Diccionario de Sociología y autor de Historia del Pensamiento Social, Carisma y Razón y Sociedad Masa, además de diversos estudios empíricos de macrosociología y ensayos sobre la dimensión cívica y moral de la sociología. Gran parte de su obra ha aparecido en diversas lenguas.

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Published

2008-01-01

How to Cite

Giner, S. (2008). Civilization. Spanish Journal of Sociology, (9). Retrieved from https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/res/article/view/65063

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Issue

No. 9 (2008): Sumario Número 9

Section

Articles

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