A stimulating appraisal of a crucial contemporary theme, this comprehensive analysis of globalizaton offers a distinctively cultural perspective on the social theory of the contemporary world.

This perspective considers the world as a whole, going beyond conventional distinctions between the global and the local and between the universal and the particular. Its cultural approach emphasizes the political and economic significance of shifting conceptions of, and forms of participation in, an increasingly compressed world. At the same time the book shows why culture has become a globally contested issue - why, for example, competing conceptions of world order' have political and economic consequences.

How do global processes affect personal and social consciousness? What interplay exists between local and global forces? In Global Modernities, a stellar cast of contributors--including Zygmunt Bauman, Jonathan Friedman, Ann Game, and Göran Therborn--offer superb commentary and analysis on the interplay between the local and the global across a broad range of areas. Focusing on two major themes--social theory and social change--contributors provide powerful critiques of previous positions on the study of modernity that have tended to prioritize history. They argue for a self-reflexive approach to modernity, stressing the fluid character of interdependence and movement. Identity, memory, association, and practice are viewed as nonreducible to the nation-state. Similarly, the western path of social development is subjected to principled criticism.

The current discourse of globalization is overwhelmingly centred upon the interconnectedness, or connectivity, of the contemporary world; to the great neglect of the issues of global culture and global consciousness. With contemporary worldwide culture increasingly characterized by such themes as astronomy, cosmology, space travel and exploration, there is an increasing disjuncture between academic concern with connectivity, on the one hand, and culture and consciousness of the place of planet earth in the cosmos as a whole, on the other. This book addresses this deficiency from a variety of closely related perspectives, presenting studies of religion, science, sport, international organizations, global resistance movements and migrations and developments in East Asia. It brings together the latest theoretical empirical work from scholars in the US, UK, Australia, Japan, China and Israel on the significance of culture and global consciousness. As such, Global Culture: Consciousness and Connectivity will be of great interest to scholars across and beyond the social sciences working in the areas of global studies, cultural studies, social theory, the sociology of religion and related issues.

The Encyclopedia of Globalization provides a thorough understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of globalization as well as the various historical and analytical interpretations. Consisting of over 400 entries, coverage includes key cultural, ecological, economic, geographical, historical, political, psychological and social aspects of globalization. Entries in the Encyclopedia vary in length from 500 to 3500 words, depending on the scope of the topic and its relative prominence in studies and politics of globalization. All entries provide bibliographical references for further reading and research. From the advances in nanotechnology to the controversies surrounding humanitarian intervention, the Encyclopedia of Globalization is a key inter-disciplinary resource to all aspects of globalization. Compiled by a cross-disciplinary editorial team of leading academics on the subject this essential reference work will appeal to students, scholars, researchers, and the general reader interested in the many facets of globalization.

The current discourse of globalization is overwhelmingly centred upon the interconnectedness, or connectivity, of the contemporary world; to the great neglect of the issues of global culture and global consciousness. With contemporary worldwide culture increasingly characterized by such themes as astronomy, cosmology, space travel and exploration, there is an increasing disjuncture between academic concern with connectivity, on the one hand, and culture and consciousness of the place of planet earth in the cosmos as a whole, on the other. This book addresses this deficiency from a variety of closely related perspectives, presenting studies of religion, science, sport, international organizations, global resistance movements and migrations and developments in East Asia. It brings together the latest theoretical empirical work from scholars in the US, UK, Australia, Japan, China and Israel on the significance of culture and global consciousness. As such, Global Culture: Consciousness and Connectivity will be of great interest to scholars across and beyond the social sciences working in the areas of global studies, cultural studies, social theory, the sociology of religion and related issues.

The global society. Today everyone from scholars to politicians is debating the nature and makeup of a global society. But what is actually meant by a global society? Does such a global society actually exist? In Globalization, Roland Robertson argues that the real nature of globalization is obscured while peripheral concerns, such as minute economic analyses, are overstated. Robertson presents an alternative view that incorporates the economic and cultural aspects of the global scene, and in the process connects general social structures to historical developments in the modern world. Offering a distinctively cultural focus on the social theory of the contemporary world, Globalization makes a major contribution to the current debate for graduate students and professors of sociology, social theory, and cultural studies. "A professor of sociology at the University of Pittsburgh, Roland Robertson is, as this book proves, the foremost sociologist engaged in the study of globalization. . . . Although empirical data crop up only occasionally, this book offers a sweeping yet detailed survey of the ways in which sociologists have dealt with the subject. Indeed, Robertson shows in a brief history of his discipline, sociology has been a key element in the effort to come to grips with what he calls "globality"; sociologists have crucially helped to shape global awareness. . . . All told, this is a difficult book, but one worthy of careful reading as a stimulant for raising global awareness" --Journal of World History "Globalization deals with an important subject. Its inherent comprehensive approach would be of interest not only to macrosociologists but also to those studying postmodernity, gender, ethnicity, and identity." --Contemporary Sociology "Roland Robertson has been writing about these topics for some years and has a grasp of the huge and multifaceted literature that is as sure as it is impressive. . . . this volume manages to work very well as a whole and provides a good introduction to many of the questions that underlie the phenomenon of globalization while standing as a sustained and stimulating interpretive essay in its own right. . . . the book is an impressive and highly readable essay and deserves to be widely read." --International Affairs "Robertson's approach to globalizatin is multidimensional, complex, well-grounded in sociological theory, and centered on culture--so often the stepchild in other approaches. . . . Robertson fruitfully contrasts his approach to that of Wallerstein, Elias, and Giddens. . . . His contribution is in several respects original, probes deeply, and is highly stimulating." --Political Studies Association

This timely book provides an engaging, clear view of the interrelationships within key globalization processes and the international sport of football. Intelligently combining the conceptual and methodological aspects of global studies with the specific cultural conditions of the 'beautiful game' Giulianotti and Robertson illuminate its social history and diffusion, as well as wider cultural, economic, political and social dimensions. Using football to chart an increasing global connectivity, or globality, the authors explore how the game may be understood as a metric, mirror, motor and metaphor of globalization Issues discussed include: - Transnational Identities and the Global Civil Society, - Cosmopolitanism & Americanization, - Neo-Liberalism, Inequalities and Transnational Clubs, - Politics, Nations, and International Governance, Ideal for students and lecturers concerned with the sociology of sport, globalization and international cultural studies - the book will be of interest to anyone keen to map the intricate ways in which transnational processes may impact upon particular domains of social life.

Talcott Parsons was not only the most influential American sociologist of his time, but also one of the key social scientists of the twentieth century. Interestingly, he was also one of the most criticized and rejected figures in the social sciences. It was not until his death in 1979 that a worldwide renaissance of interest in Parsonian sociology emerged. In Talcott Parsons, renowned social theorists offer a complete reappraisal of his writing. Parsons' own work is represented by a previously neglected essay on American values that is central to understanding his analysis of modernization. The contributors place Parsonian theories in the central realm of current debates over modernity, postmodernity, and globalization. They evaluate Parsons' value commitments and his position in American social theory, the problems of interpreting his work today, his conception of world history, and the contemporary neofunctionalist movement. Talcott Parsons is essential reading for all teachers and students of sociology and social theory, and for anyone else interested in cultural theory and modernity.

How do global processes affect personal and social consciousness? What interplay exists between local and global forces? In Global Modernities, a stellar cast of contributors--including Zygmunt Bauman, Jonathan Friedman, Ann Game, and Göran Therborn--offer superb commentary and analysis on the interplay between the local and the global across a broad range of areas. Focusing on two major themes--social theory and social change--contributors provide powerful critiques of previous positions on the study of modernity that have tended to prioritize history. They argue for a self-reflexive approach to modernity, stressing the fluid character of interdependence and movement. Identity, memory, association, and practice are viewed as nonreducible to the nation-state. Similarly, the western path of social development is subjected to principled criticism.