What is it in simple terms?

Global things reshaped as they mix with local ways.

Is it the opposite of globalization?

No, it describes how globalization takes local forms.

Glocalization

👥 Sociology By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated October 27, 2026

Glocalization, a blend of globalization and localization, is the sociological concept for how globally circulating goods, cultures and institutions are reshaped as they meet local conditions.

Contents

1. Origins
2. Cases
3. Critiques
4. FAQ
5. References

Origins

Robertson (1992, 1995) argued the global and local are produced together.

Cases

McDonald's in East Asia (Watson, 1997) and football (Giulianotti & Robertson, 2004); compare cultural diffusion.

Critiques

Ritzer (2003) adds grobalization, extending McDonaldization; world-systems scholars stress hierarchy; see Roudometof (2016).

FAQ

What is it in simple terms?: Global things reshaped as they mix with local ways.
Is it the opposite of globalization?: No, it describes how globalization takes local forms.

Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26

References

Robertson, R. (1995). Glocalization: Time-space and homogeneity-heterogeneity. In M. Featherstone, S. Lash, & R. Robertson (Eds.), Global modernities (pp. 25–44). Sage. The essay that established the concept: homogenisation and heterogenisation together.
Ritzer, G. (2003). Rethinking globalization: Glocalization/grobalization and something/nothing. Sociological Theory, 21(3), 193–209. Introduces 'grobalization' as a critical counterpart.
Giulianotti, R., & Robertson, R. (2004). The globalization of football: A study in the glocalization of the 'serious life'. British Journal of Sociology, 55(4), 545–568. Uses football to show local identities remade within globalization.
Roudometof, V. (2016). Glocalization: A critical introduction. Routledge. A critical introduction covering history and debates.
Watson, J. L. (Ed.). (1997). Golden arches east: McDonald's in East Asia. Stanford University Press. Ethnographies of McDonald's localised in East Asia.
Ritzer, G. (1993). The McDonaldization of society. Pine Forge Press. The contrasting thesis of global standardisation.
Robertson, R. (1992). Globalization: Social theory and global culture. Sage. On the world becoming a single place, the concept's background.

Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

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This article was last updated on October 27, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.