Change is the most significant factor of contemporary society and humanity s past. This book represents the first substantial attempt since the 1970s to synthesize and critique sociocultural change theories in anthropology and relate them to trends in the social and physical sciences. It emphasizes the most recent contributions especially complexity and emergence theory, social movements, network analysis, and globalization. Ervin presents a rich legacy of theories and case studies accessible to both the established scholar and the beginning student. He considers how theories and insights can inform policy as humanity faces crises of globalization.Key Features of the Text Designed for scholars and students seeking a comprehensive analysis of the relation between anthropological theory and practice. Assesses big questions facing the social sciences: Do cultures and societies change or is it really individuals, families, and social networks? Are there prime movers of change environment, technology, economics, ideas, powerful leaders, or cultural contacts? Are there structures embedded within changes and changes built into structures? Original contribution of the book is the integration of sociological and anthropological theories, including networks, social movements, complexity, world systems, etc. Online appendices include resources for students on applied and practice anthropology."

The relation between globalization, culture, and the transformative role of the media is examined in this book. Case studies assess questions of media use, cultural boundaries, and identities emanating from these theoretical reflections. The international scope of this book includes examinations of youth cultures in Denmark and South Africa, Asian cultures in India and London, the Iranian migration to London, and the Gauchos in Southern Brazil.

The essays in this collection work toward a larger goal of separating 'globalization' from strictly economic considerations. The authors instead look at globalization as a force that produces profound social and cultural consequences, including migration, struggles for social change, and the transformations of aesthetic practices.

Society today faces multi-dimensional challenges that are hard to define and even harder to deal with. Social and economic systems throughout the world are becoming more complex and interdependent, and globalization is moving beyond the sphere of economics to engulf other aspects of life, particularly culture and security. Our current theories, strategies, and road maps are fast becoming out-dated and no new ones have emerged to take their place. Mohamed Rabie re-examines the relevance of major ideas and systems of the recent past, including ideology and its relation to society in Global Economic and Cultural Transformation. This book is an attempt defines and explains this transitional period and provides a new conception of economic and societal world history, which us understand how we got here and where we are going.

"This book aims to engage the complex relationship between technology, culture, and socio-economic elements by exploring it in a transnational, yet contextually grounded, framework, exploring diverse perspectives and approaches, from political economy to cultural studies, and from policy studies to ethnography"--Provided by publisher.

In a context where cultural transformations have become a basic feature of modern life as people and nations are brought closer together, this book tackles transformations occurring within and across cultures of the English-speaking world in the fields of literature, painting, architecture, photography and film. It helps readers decipher these dynamic phenomena and situate them in a historical perspective. The articles move within and across cultures and mirror the broad range of approaches to cultural practices that have appeared in the past few decades. They provide readers with tools to work out the transformations these practices undergo and the new life and meaning this process infuses into cultures of the English-speaking world. This book will be useful to graduate and doctoral students as well as post-doctoral researchers working in film studies, cultural studies, art history, literature and creative writing. Its clear language and pedagogical approaches will also make it accessible to the general public.

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject Politics - Topic: Globalization, Political Economics, grade: A, Webster University, language: English, abstract: In recent decades, many regions of the world have seen a marked increase in economic development due to the process of globalization as states have opened their borders to international markets, allowing for multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations, and foreign state actors to have an increasingly powerful influence over traditionally domestic matters. With this development and the advance of technology, media and communication have had the ability to reach regions of the world, which may have never been exposed to other cultures in the past. Undoubtedly, this has had an impact on the culture and societal norms of countless cultures as dominant world cultures expand their realm of influence through such media as TV programs and the internet. This report will examine to what extent dominant world cultures’ impacts are on what will be termed ‘traditional cultures’ – a unique culture, which up until recently has been relatively unaware of and influenced by other outside cultures. Furthermore, it will examine whether this trend of globalization will advance the creation of a singular global culture. The debate of whether the erosion between traditional culture and the strengthening of a global culture is of particular concern as within recent history many groups, who are often termed minorities to the more dominant cultures, are concerned with the loss of their individuality, way of life, and even their national sovereignty. To pro or hyper-globalists, this loss of sovereignty is viewed as progress as the process of cultural homogenization will inevitably be responsible for the decay of conflict among differing cultural groups. However, to the ‘minorities’ or traditional cultures opposed to this form of cultural transformation, this theory poses a threat to their unique values and it is not likely that traditional cultures will likely submit to the notion that a growing global culture is an unavoidable fact.

"This book aims to engage the complex relationship between technology, culture, and socio-economic elements by exploring it in a transnational, yet contextually grounded, framework, exploring diverse perspectives and approaches, from political economy to cultural studies, and from policy studies to ethnography"--Provided by publisher.

Changes in cultural styles through exposure to global cultural patterns.