Globalization and Territorial Identification: A Multilevel Analysis Across 50 Countries

Abstract

In our era of globalization, individuals commonly experience both the destruction and construction of their social identification with local communities, ethnic groups, and nation-states. Some researchers propose that globalization is undermining people’s commitment to particular geographical regions and that it allows individuals to pursue self-value and plural identities free from traditional territorial boundaries ( Castells, 2010 ; Dijkstra, Geuijen, & Ruijter, 2001 ; Giddens, 1991 ; Huntington, 2004b ; Robertson, 1992 ). Other researchers suggest that globalization is reinforcing territorial identity and holding individuals close to their homelands because of increasing cross-cultural contrast and uncertainty ( Bekhuis, Lubbers, & Verkuyten, 2014 ; Birnbaum, 1996 ; Evans & Kelley, 2002 ; Kong, 1999 ; Tomlinson, 2003 ). Despite extensive discussion on the relationship between globalization and territorial identification, empirical research has not explicitly assessed the influence of globalization on people’s attachment to territories of different scales. The historical and qualitative approach to the study of territorial identity is critical in constructing basic conceptions and understanding the nuanced differences between certain countries or regions. However, the findings from such research are often context specific, difficult to generalize, and not reflective of the beliefs of ordinary people ( Jones & Smith, 2001 ). Using data from the World Values Survey (WVS) 2010, I address this gap in the literature by empirically examining the competing arguments and investigating to what extent globalization influences territorial identity worldwide.