Globalisation and Economic Determinism

There has been a reaction against economic determinist explanations of globalisation. This paper takes antiGeconomistic arguments in globalisation studies and argues that they unwittingly show the importance of theeconomy, or fail to undermine the importance of economic determinants in globalisation. The&paper looks at meanings that economic determinism in globalisation studies is given and argues that economic determination is more complex than it is made out to be. It is politically important not to dismiss economic causality as out of date, reductionist or too determinist because structures of power and inequality in globalisation come from the economy. If the determinant role of the economy is pushed out then globalisation is made to look more benign, equal and democratic than it is and its darker sides are concealed.