162
See also: Zygmunt Bauman 136–43 ■ Manuel Castells 152–55 ■
Saskia Sassen 164–65 ■ David Held 170–71S
ince the 17th century, new
technologies have been
emerging that have enabled
people, objects, and ideas to move
around the world more easily than
before. British sociologist John Urry
advises that the consequences of
this increase in global mobility
demand that the social sciences
develop a “new paradigm” for the
study of how goods, people, and
ideas circulate. For Urry this
movement creates new identities,
cultures, and networks, giving rise
to cultural diversity, economic
opportunities and, at times, new
forms of social inequality.Systems and mobilities
Urry’s primary contribution to the
study of globalization is his focus
on the social systems that facilitate
movement. The 20th century, in
particular, saw the emergence of
cars, telephones, air power, high-
speed trains, communications
satellites, networked computers,
and so on. These interconnecting
“mobility systems” are the dynamic
heart of globalization, says Urry.He argues that the study of
“mobilities” makes apparent the
impacts and consequences of
globalization. Likewise, the study
of the forces preventing mobility—
“immobilities”—is essential for
comprehending contemporary
social exclusion and inequality.
By understanding this global
flow, sociology can better explore
globalization’s social and
environmental advantages and
costs (such as economic growth
or industrial pollutants), as well as
the forces driving social change. ■IT SOMETIMES
S E E M S A S I F T H E
W H O L E W O R L D
I S O N T H E M O V E
JOHN URRY (1946– )
IN CONTEXT
FOCUS
MobilitiesKEY DATES
1830 The world’s first
inter-city railway opens in
England between Liverpool
and Manchester.1840 In Britain the first
prepaid adhesive postage
stamp, the “Penny Black,”
revolutionizes the circulation
of information and goods.1903 US brothers Wilbur
and Orville Wright make
the first powered flight in
North Carolina.From the 1960s
Telecommunications satellites
go into orbit, heralding the
instantaneous global
transmission of information.1989–91 British scientist Tim
Berners-Lee develops the
World Wide Web.2007 British sociologist John
Urry publishes Mobilities.Being physically mobile
has become... a ‘way
of life’ across the globe.
John Urry