Roland Robertson (born 1938, died 2022) was a sociologist and theorist of

globalization Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...

who lectured at the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...

in Scotland. Formerly, he was a professor of sociology at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

, and in 1988 he was the President of the

Association for the Sociology of Religion The Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR) is an academic association with more than 700 members worldwide. It publishes a journal, ''Sociology of Religion'', and holds meetings at the same venues and times as the American Sociological A ...

. Robertson's theories have focused significantly on a more phenomenological and psycho-social approach than that of more materialist oriented theorists such as

Immanuel Wallerstein Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein (; September 28, 1930 – August 31, 2019) was an American sociologist and economic historian. He is perhaps best known for his development of the general approach in sociology which led to the emergence of his worl ...

Fredric Jameson Fredric Jameson (born April 14, 1934) is an American literary critic, philosopher and Marxist political theorist. He is best known for his analysis of contemporary cultural trends, particularly his analysis of postmodernity and capitalism. James ...

. For Robertson, the most interesting aspect of the

modern Modern may refer to: History * Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Phil ...

(or

postmodern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of moderni ...

) era is the way in which a global consciousness has developed. He lays down a progression of "phases" that capture the central aspects of different eras in global history, asserting that the fifth phase, Global Uncertainty, has been reached. Robertson's main works are ''Globalization: Social Theory and Global Culture'' (1992) and the edited volume ''Global Modernities''. In 1985, he was the first sociologist to use the term

in the title of a sociological article. His 1992 definition of globalization as "the compression of the world and the intensification of the consciousness of the world as a whole" has been credited as the first ever definition of globalization, though a more detailed analysis of the history of this term indicates it has many authors. He is also said to have coined the term

glocalization Glocalization or Glocalisation (a portmanteau of ''globalization'' and '' localism'') is the "simultaneous occurrence of both universalizing and particularizing tendencies in contemporary social, political, and economic systems." The notion of gloca ...

in 1992.

Publications

Books

* Roland Robertson (1970 Shocken Books ISBN 9780805233476) ''The Sociological Interpretation of Religion'' * Roland Robertson (1978 New York University Press ISBN 9780814773741) ''Meaning and Change'' * Roland Robertson (1992 Sage Publications Ltd ISBN 9780803981874) ''Globalization: Social Theory and Global Culture'' * Edited by Mike Featherstone, Scott Lash & Roland Robertson, (1995 Sage Publications Ltd ISBN 9780803979482) ''Global Modernities''

References

External links

University of Aberdeen faculty information for Roland Robertson
1938 births Academics of the University of Aberdeen British sociologists University of Pittsburgh faculty {{UK-sociologist-stub