Globalization and life history research: fragments of a life foretold

The goal of this paper is to understand, by way of a life history of one low-income working-class youth, how globalization impacts the working class in a developing nation. The concept of globalization and the method of life history seem diametrically opposed. Globalization is an idea about large social forces that impact the economic and material conditions of nations. Life history assumes that understanding the specific context of one person is paramount. The author takes issue with the idea that the two concepts are incompatible and instead suggests that life history affords a way to come to terms with globalization that is often missing from large cross-national studies. The text suggests that life history provides opportunities for understanding globalization from a new vantage point that does not contradict previous research, but instead lends depth and understanding about how individuals act and react to the forces of globalization.