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Globalization in the Era of Sexualized Bodies

December 9, 2025

This contribution develops a single point: the new forms of nationalism arising before, during, and after COVID-19 are not counter to globalization; instead, they are different expressions of a globalized, politicized body. For centuries, the body has been the kernel of normalizing power, and its discursive determinants have embodied experiences and language around the world. Contrary to their claims, these various nationalisms are not opposed to globalization; they aspire to be globalized. They may reject a form of “universal democratization,” as Benedikter and Kofler suggest, yet they cultivate their own dream of globalization, one that reflects their historical and cultural particularities. Societies, as well as cultures, are not unified essences but multiform entities, constantly transforming through internal and external pressures. Thus, a form of globalized nationalism may coexist with a tentative movement toward universal democratization within the same society, reflecting the complex intersections between globalization and local identity politics.