Losers of representation: Gains and losses of globalization as seen by workers in internationalized companies in the Netherlands

Dichotomization between winners and losers is a prominent element of the debate on globalization, with ordinary workers often considered losers. However, little is known what these ordinary workers make of globalization, how they experience the phenomenon and how they talk about it. We use a set of focus group to explore meaning making on the globalization of the economy among lower educated employees of Dutch internationalized economy. We find that they weigh up the pros and cons and proudly struggle with the consequences of globalization. To the degree that they feel left behind, it is by politics and government. This suggests that dislike of globalization is the result of negative experiences with politics, rather than the other way around.