Global cities of the South : Mexico City and Johannesburg in an era of globalisation
Date
2006-12
Authors
Hamilton, W. Michael
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006.
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The global city discourse posits a new role for cities in light of increased economic
integration and the rise of a global economy. Firms are increasingly investing capital
in locations where profits are anticipated to be highest, creating a geographic dispersal
of economic activity. As a result, the central command functions of firms –
management, coordination, servicing, and financing of vast networks of operations –
have become more complex and strategic. Firms thus outsource a portion of their
central command functions to specialised service firms. Specialised service firms
tend towards high levels of agglomeration and concentrate in a small number of
locations, giving rise to command and control centres of the global economy or global
cities.
Cities of the South are increasingly fulfilling global city functions, yet are generally
approached through a developmentalist framework. The global city discourse places
salience on specialised services and exhibits a Western bias. This study develops an
alternative analytical framework that recognises an array of activities and processes,
across three spheres of globalisation – markets, mafias, and movements – that
contribute to the global connectivity of cities. In this way the role of cities of the
South in the global economy is better understood. This study focuses on Mexico City
and Johannesburg as global cities of the South. What the research uncovers is that
these cities fulfil many global city functions and are amongst the best connected cities
in their respective regions in terms of their ability to service global capital through
growing specialised service sectors.
In this way Mexico City and Johannesburg emerge as global cities of the South that
integrate large geographical areas, populations, and sub-global economies with the
global economy. This study also illustrates that the way in which global cities are
conceptualised limits the extent to which the concept can be applied in Southern
context. Global cities of the South service far less global capital because of the nature
of core/semi-periphery/periphery relations and underdevelopment, the role they fulfil
in the global economy is, however, no less critical than that of global cities of the
core. This study therefore proposes thinking of global cities as constituent units of a global urban network, garnering certain power by occupying a particular niche
constitutive of the whole network.
Description
Thesis (MA (Political Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.
Keywords
Global cities of the South, Mexico City, Johannesburg, Era of globalisation, Dissertations -- Political science, Theses -- Political science