Democracy and the challenges of globalisation: a theoretical framework

Abstract

Globalization is an increasingly broad, dynamic and complex phenomenon. Given the previous context and in an attempt to reduce its complexity, the underlying objective of this article is to contribute to a broader and more comprehensive discussion on globalization in the light of the theme, democracy. We used a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive methodology, which focused on a theoretical analysis through a systematic literature review. The systematic review made it possible to synthesize the existing literature in order to provide a holistic view of the phenomenon. Therefore, our intention is to present a theoretical framework on the dimensions that contain the essence of globalization in a postmodern version of democracy. The results suggest that there are no unambiguous metrics to measure the impact of globalization. In that regard, it is essential to recognise globalization as an opportunity and not as a threat, being aware of the underlying inequalities and the risks that they can pose to democratic states. Future studies can analyse the impact of the dimensions identified in this article and examine the differences within different countries and cultural contexts. The identification of opportunities that globalization creates, as well as ways to mitigate possible inequalities and risks, can be useful in looking for new scientific and academic ventures.