Globalization and Culture

by John Tomlinson

Globalization is now widely discussed, but the debates often focus on economic issues. A lucid and engaging writer, John Tomlinson goes far beyond traditional discussions to analyze the wide-ranging cultural, social, and moral aspects of globalization.

Tomlinson begins this ambitious project by studying the relationship between globalization and contemporary culture, explaining the importance of time and space concerns, cultural imperialism, "deterritorialization," the impact of the media and communication technologies, and the possible growth of more cosmopolitan culture. We come to understand how someone may face unemployment as a result of downsizing decisions made at a company's head office on another continent, or how the food we find in our grocery stores is radically different today from twenty years ago. He discusses the uneven nature of the experience of global modernity in relation to first and third world countries, and concludes that a genuinely cosmopolitan culture is unlikely to emerge unless we respect cultural differences and share a common sense of commitment about the world.

Genres: Cultural, Academia

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

John Tomlinson is Professor of Cultural Sociology, Head of Research in Communications, Cultural and Media Studies and Director of the Institute for Cultural Analysis, Nottingham (ICAn). His many publications on the themes of cultural globalization, cosmopolitanism, cultural modernity and mediated cultural experience include Cultural Imperialism (Continuum 1991), Globalization and Culture (Polity 1999) and The Culture of Speed (Sage 2007). His books have been extensively translated (twelve languages).

Reviews

[Husein abdul khaliq hussein]

كتاب جيد رغم صعوبة الطرح كمفردات.

[Deniz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kültür, küreselleşme, yerellik, metalaşma, tüketim gibi anahtar kelimeler çerçevesinde yazılmış bir kitap. Ayrıntı yyaınevlerinin klasik kitap tarzlarından, okuması oldukça kolay ve keyifliydi. Özellikle küreselleşme kısmında da bilgilenmeye ihtiyacınız varsa gayet güzel. Beni ilgilendirmediği için o kısma yoğunlaşmadım fakat ilgilenenler için öneririm.

[Frumenty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too abstruse for me. I could barely keep my eyes open through most of the first chapter, so I gave up. My ambition to expand my political perspective from the particular to the larger picture has been thwarted in this instance.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't agree with a lot of his opinions, but he argues well for his theories and they are fairly easy to follow.

[Nathaniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

decent survey of globalization theory at the turn of the millennium, but his analyses fall short imo. 3.5 stars probably.

[Zardasht]

chapter 2