Third World Cities in the World Economy

The research project submitted to the "Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung" intends to investigate the role of Third World mega-cities in the global economy, taking Mexico City as case study. The theoretical approach is based on the Global City debate. However, this approach shall be modified to make it suitable for Third World mega-cities. To realize the project, I got an invitation by Prof. Saskia Sassen, Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago. Concerning the topic of cities in the world economy, Prof. Sassen is without any doubt one of the most outstanding scholars in the world. At present she expands her own studies from First World cities to those of the Third World. Finally, Prof. Sassen is setting up an international network of scholars on global cities. The Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago will be the nodal point of this network, gathering both prominent scholars and young researchers from different countries working on different cities. Thus, to join Sassen and her colleagues there would be an exceptional chance for me. The main reason why I propose an institutional affiliation with the University of Chicago has to do with a central focus of my project on conceptual issues. My general hypothesis is that the magnitude represented by mega-cities as such neither entails a qualitative transformation of cities nor determines their importance. I think that it is forces operating at a global scale which strongly influence the social, economic and political relations and processes within Third World cities. Furthermore, it is the operation of their externally linked functions that shape a city`s place in the global economy. Based on these reflections, the following questions shall be analyzed: How do Mexico City`s transformations relate to the broader level of the world economy? Does globalization strengthen the position of the main metropolis? Which are the principal connections between the Mexican capital and other cities? What are national and international functions of Mexico City? Do those international functions lead to an increasing polarization within the city? The invitation by Prof. Sassen is not only an honour, but also a chance for me and my home University. Mega- cities constitute a research priority for at least two Departments, and it is a topic much sought after by the students. Therefore it can be granted that my home University will benefit from my institutional affiliation with the University of Chicago.