People from all walks of life often discuss or seek meanings of global phenomena such as security, sovereignty and globalization. While some contest their meanings, others take them for granted and never ask how they came about. This article examines how global phenomena acquire their meanings. My argument is based on three assumptions. The first is that people and other purposive agents have a need to understand global phenomena, while the second is that there is an interpretive community, which seeks to satisfy this need. The third assumption is that the global interpretive community often reflects the perspectives of hegemonic actors…