Challenging the Postcolonial Quasi-liberal Paradigms of Globalization and Neo-imperialism: A Critical Investigation into the Alternative Forms of Cosmopolitanism

Abstract

This paper offers a critical examination of how postcolonialism and globalization—two influential intellectual and socio-economic forces—shape contemporary life in an increasingly interconnected world. It foregrounds the complex and often conflictual relationship between these frameworks, arguing that while they intersect in their analyses of power, culture, and mobility, they diverge sharply in their ideological foundations and socio-political implications. Central to this discussion is the persistence of neocolonialism within global capitalism, wherein former colonial powers continue to exert dominance through economic dependency, development discourse, multinational corporations, and global financial institutions. By extending beyond the historical legacies of empire, postcolonial studies provide diagnostic tools for engaging with modern crises such as ecological degradation, neo-imperial exploitation, mass displacement, and cultural fragmentation. Conversely, globalization, despite its rhetoric of integration, has intensified inequalities by reinforcing structural asymmetries between the global North and South. The paper also interrogates the Eurocentric underpinnings of conventional cosmopolitanism and calls for alternative, inclusive models that foreground subaltern agency, ecological responsibility, and multicultural coexistence. Ultimately, the discussion lays a theoretical foundation for reimagining global structures in more equitable and sustainable ways.