The Building BRICs of 21st Century Globalization

At the beginning of the 21st century, the finanicial firm Goldman Sachs coined the BRIC moniker for the four countries that are likely to shape the globalization patterns of the first decades of this century. The countries are Brazil (B), Russia (R), India (I), and China (C). Demographically large, and with rising GDPs and incomes, these four countries are certainly poised to shake up and reshape the global economy. China and India, the two largest in demographic terms, would likely have more impact than Brazil and Russia -- but the latter two would also surprise us in many ways in years to come. All these four nations have momentous implications for the world system. Besides being large, these countries have often followed national policies that are somewhat independent of the large, established economic powers such as the United States, Japan, and Germany. The resulting patterns of BRIC-led globalization, therefore, could be quite different from the Euro-American and Japan-led globalization patterns of the 20th century.

In this blog, researchers from the University of Rhode Island (URI) -- faculty as well as students -- examine the BRIC-related patterns of globalization. Later, other observers and researchers could join this blog also.

This is a non-commercial blog, based on principles of civil dialogue. Therefore, those posting items to this blog are requested to refrain from including advertising messages and links, and to maintain decorum and civility in the language employed in the postings.

Welcome to "The BRIC Path to Globalization" blog.

Nik Dholakia, Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing, E-Commerce & International Business
University of Rhode Island