The Sociology Book

165

See also: Ferdinand Tönnies 32–33 ■ Georg Simmel 104–05 ■ Henri Lefebvre 106–07 ■ Zygmunt Bauman 136–43 ■
Immanuel Wallerstein 144–45 ■ David Held 170–71

LIVING IN A GLOBAL WORLD

employees of local, national,

and multinational firms interact.

Influential universities and research

facilities also contribute to the

production of knowledge and

innovation, which are central to

information-based economies.

Sassen’s research shows that

global cities are sites where the

human activities behind the

processes of globalization are

performed and their consequences

dispersed through the socio-

economic networks of the global

economy. While global cities are

not free from poverty and other

forms of social inequality, they

are nevertheless cosmopolitan

sites of diverse economic and

social opportunities. ■

...command posts

for the direction and

policies driving the

global economy.

...key locations for

service industries,

including financial

and legal firms.

...sites of

knowledge

production and

innovation for new

industries and

sectors.

...markets in which

the products of new

industries and

services are

bought and sold.

Globalization is transforming industrial cities and giving rise to “global cities,” which are...

Global cities are strategic sites for new types of operations.

globalization. This is because
the headquarters of many major
transnational companies are
located in global cities. Consultant
firms are also “over-represented”
in these urban hubs. These
companies make the decisions that
direct global flows of money and
knowledge, and that can cause
economic activity to expand or
contract in other regions.

The global marketplace
Global cities are also marketplaces
where financial goods are bought
and sold. New York, London, Tokyo,
Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Shanghai,
Frankfurt, and Sydney (among
others) are major financial centers,
home to large banks, businesses,
and stock exchanges. In the global
city, national and global markets
interconnect, which leads to a
concentration of financial activity.
Global cities are supported by
multifunctional infrastructure.
Central business districts provide
employment clusters where the

Multinational urban culture

Sassen’s work highlights that

global cities are increasingly

cosmopolitan. As migrants add

new foods, cultural expressions,

fashions, and entertainments

to the host national culture,

this diversity enriches a city.

In a nation-state that

encourages multiculturalism

and social inclusion, global cities

can become even more vibrant

sites of cultural innovation as

ideas and values are freely

shared. This multicultural

texturing of a pre-existing

national culture also increases

economic activity. This is

because global cities are more

appealing for transitory visitors

and migrants, who can maintain

aspects of their ethnic and

national identities, while

embracing the new experiences

and values of a cosmopolitan

city. The cultural diversity of

global cities also means that

they are orientated toward

supporting the activities

of a global economy and a

cosmopolitan global culture.