World Culture: Origins and Consequences

Front Cover
John Wiley & Sons, Apr 15, 2008 - Political Science - 280 pages
This book explores the development, content, and impact of world culture. Combining several of the most fruitful theoretical perspectives on world culture, including the world polity approach and globalization theory, the book gives a historical treatment of the development of world culture and assesses the complex impact of world culture on people, organizations, and societies. This is a provocative, synthetic, and grounded interpretation of world culture that is essential for any student or scholar of globalization and world affairs.

  • Traces world culture back from the mid-19th century to the present day
  • Includes numerous illustrations of key issues and empirical research
  • Written in lively, accessible language for the student and general scholar
 

Contents

Origins and Consequences 1 Introduction The Olympic Games and the Meaning of World Culture
1
Origins and Consequences 2 Analyzing World Culture Alternative Theories
30
Origins and Consequences 3 Tracing World Culture A Brief History
60
Origins and Consequences 4 Constructing World Culture UN Meetings as Global Ritual
81
Origins and Consequences 5 Sustaining World Culture The Infrastructure of Technology and Organizations
109
Origins and Consequences 6 Differentiating World Culture National Identity and the Pursuit of Diversity
135
Origins and Consequences 7 Transforming World Culture The Antiglobalization Movement as Cultural Critique
153
Origins and Consequences 8 Expanding World Culture Pentecostalism as a Global Movement
173
Origins and Consequences 9 Opposing World Culture Islamism and the Clash of Civilizations
191
Origins and Consequences 10 Instituting World Culture The International Criminal Court and Global Governance
215
Origins and Consequences 11 Epilogue Reflections on World Culture
234
Origins and Consequences References
241
Origins and Consequences Index
261
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2008)

Frank J. Lechner is Associate Professor of Sociology at Emory University. He has published numerous papers on global change, fundamentalism, secularization, and sociological theory. He is co-editor, with L. van Vucht-Tijssen and J. Berting, of The Search for Fundamentals (1995).

John Boli is Professor of Sociology at Emory University. He has published extensively on global culture and organizations, education, citizenship, and state power and authority. His books include New Citizens for a New Society (1989) and Constructing World Culture (with George M. Thomas, 1999).

They are the co-editors of The Globalization Reader (2nd edition, Blackwell, 2003).

Bibliographic information