2. WITH GLOBALIZATION, THE NATION-STATE FACES
INNUMERABLE CHALLENGES, LEADING TO A
SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF CONTROL OVER ECONOMIC
FLOWS AND
TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
ALTHOUGH THE ROLE OF THE NATION-STATE HAS
DECLINED, IT IS STILL AN IMPORTANT POLITICAL
STRUCTURE. HOWEVER, IN THE GLOBAL AGE, THE “
POROSITY ” OF THE
NATION-STATE, THE INCREASING GLOBAL FLOWS
THROUGH IT, SHOULD BE A FOCAL CONCERN.
3. BENEDICT ANDERSON’ S
“ IMAGINED COMMUNITY”
IS AN IMPORTANT IDEA IN THINKING ABOUT
THE NATION -STATE. AS A RESULT OF THE
DEVELOPMENT OF “ PRINT CAPITALISM, ” IT
CAME TO BE CONCEIVED OF AS BEING
ACTIVELY CONSTRUCTED, SOCIALLY AND
POLITICALLY, BY PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY
WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT IS
REPRESENTED BY THE NATION -STATE. THIS
CONCEPT IS EXTENDED FURTHER BY
EXAMINING HOW THE NATION -STATE
TRANSCENDS ITS GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES
IN THE FACE OF RAPIDLY DEVELOPING
TECHNOLOGY AND INCREASING
IMMIGRATION FLOWS. EMPHASIS IS PLACED
ON THE “ RE -IMAGINING ” OF THE NATION -
STATE IN THE LIGHT OF SUCH GLOBAL FLOWS.
4. CHANGING GEO-POLITICAL SCENARIO
THE WORLD CAN BE SEEN AS EVOLVING
THROUGH THREE STAGES :
• BIPOLAR (DURING THE COLD WAR),
• UNIPOLAR (ASCENDANCY OF THE US),
• AND FINALLY, TO A TRI -POLAR FUTURE
WITH THE US, EU, AND CHINA AS THE
THREE CENTERS OF POWER. ALSO
EXAMINED IS THE EMERGENCE OF THE
UNITED NATIONS, AS WELL MORE
SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS
UNCTAD, UNESCO, AND IAEA.
