Popular Culture, Geopolitics, and Identity

by Jason Dittmer

This innovative and engaging textbook is the first to survey the field of popular geopolitics, exploring the relationship between popular culture and international relations from a geographical perspective. Jason Dittmer connects global issues with the questions of identity and subjectivity that we feel as individuals, arguing that who we think we are influences how we understand the world. Each chapter focuses on a specific theme_such as representation, narrative, and affect_by explaining the concept and then considering some of the key debates that have revolved around it. Finally, each chapter illustrates its concept with a concrete case study, including first-person shooter video games, blogging, and comic books. Students will enjoy the text's accessibility and colorful examples, and instructors will appreciate the way the book brings together a diverse, multidisciplinary literature and makes it understandable and relevant.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Cultural

204 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2010

Reviews

[Bee Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason Dittmer set out to write a text to introduce the reader to the ideas of geopolitics, popular culture and identity and he does a great job! He not only lays down a good foundation but gives suggestions as to where to find more articles and books about the topics to someone who wants to dive deeper into the topics. I think this is a 5 star book for anyone interested in the three topics in the title!

[Daniella Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently in the process of applying for a Master's degree so was looking for a more academic look at the impact of popular culture on world politics. This didn't disappoint.

Informative yet accessible, this second edition introduces a range of concepts to understand and explore the field of popular geopolitics. With examples ranging from Captain America to #RhodesMustFall, Dittmer and Bos bring these concepts to life in a thoroughly interesting and engaging way.

[Carmen Esselink · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really opens up your eyes to how cultural identity is created and (can be) maintained through popular culture. Includes a very interesting portrayal of history of political geography and theories that can be used for its study, by using recognizable casestudies

[Heulwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this introduction to popular geopolitics. It strikes just the right note for someone interested in the subject but without a lot of background study - it's clear, readable without being over-simplified, features illustrative and intriguing case studies, and even has a sort of 'where to go next' addition to the summary which is very helpful.
I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested in venturing into this facet of geopolitics!


PS
If it helps potential readers of various evaluate whether the book is appropriate for them: My only exposure to popular geopolitics (PG) was as one of many topics covered in a graduate seminar on critical geopolitics, so I was somewhat familiar with the general ideas behind PG as a subject area but in a rather cursory manner. This book refreshed my mind about the foundations of PG and then built on those - so it was an ideal stepping stone from 'heard of it' to 'want to study more of it'!