Yale Podcast: Where Do Brexit and Anti-Globalization Sentiments Come From?

Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School

A Podcast from the Yale Podcast Network

Recorded by Hira Jafri, Director of Global Programs, the MacMillan Center, Yale University

The pushback against globalization—manifested in the Brexit vote, support for nationalist leaders like Trump, and protectionist tariffs—stems from (somewhat overblown) anxieties about cultural identity, stagnating incomes among the lower one-third of employees, fears about migrants and terrorists, and a general feeling of “loss of control” over one’s own life.

The “angst” has been magnified by unscrupulous politicians and by social media platforms whose profits depend on steering customized, fear-mongering images to “like”-minded viewers whose fears increase with every soundbite, image, post, and Tweet. Social media platforms have, in turn, been manipulated by foreign agents seeking to magnify divisions within western societies.

To understand the roots of this angst, listen to this podcast* (11 minutes) by clicking the link below:

https://soundcloud.com/yaleuniversity/globalizations-angst-and-the-brexit-vote

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* Based on my earlier articles at YaleGlobal Online and GlobalBusiness.blog.