Global Theory from Within and Without is a critical examination of the concept of globalization. There are in sociological theory many definitions of globalization. Sociological theory constructs a new theory of globalization starting from the structural changes of social systems at the beginning of the 21th century. The research subject is the ongoing connection of global studies and the research program of multiple modernities. The structural change is initiated by growing pace and different intensities of social exchange of the subsystems of societal communication in contemporary societies. The studies of global scholarship show that the structural change is not an indicator of any unified constitution of social systems.

Barrie Axford is Professor of Politics and Director of the Centre for Global Politics, Economy and Society (GPES - http://www.social-sciences.brookes.ac.uk/research/gpes/). He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Global Studies Association. Recent books include 'Theories of Globalization' (Polity, 2013) and 'Cultures and / of Gobalization' (CSP, 2011) edited with Richard Huggins.