Can We Do Better? Globalization from the Perspective of the Economics of Belonging

This paper develops the Economics of Belonging as a new framework for understanding globalization. It argues that globalization should be evaluated according to five objectives: growth, stability, income distribution, capability distribution, and belonging. The paper introduces the concept of the Global Belonging Deficit and argues that contemporary globalization has generated unprecedented economic interdependence without corresponding institutional, social, and emotional integration. The article proposes that globalization should be interpreted not merely as the globalization of markets but as a possible next historical stage in the expansion of human belonging. It compares this perspective with existing approaches in economics and political economy and argues that the distinctive contribution of the Economics of Belonging lies in shifting the central question from how globalization should function to what kind of human civilization globalization should ultimately create.