Global Encounters: Media and Cultural Transformation

Takes as its point of departure the two different images of globalisation identified by Featherstone in 1995. These are, on the one hand the image of the extension outwards of a particular culture to its limits - the globe; and on the other hand the compression of cultures, where things formerly held apart are now brought into contact and juxtaposition. In the first analysis the drive would seem to be towards cultural integration, homogenisation and unification but this is contested by the second movement where improved means of communication allow different cultures to meet and clash thereby increasing the contact and juxtaposition between cultures.

Divided into two halves: the first contains predominantly theoretical chapters reflecting upon the relation between globalisation, culture and the transformative role of the media; the second provides case studies, assessing questions of media use, cultural boundaries and identities emanating from these theoretical reflections. Two chapters examine youth cultures in Denmark and South Africa, two analyse different aspects of Asian cultures in India and London, and two look at the Iranian diaspora in London and the the Gauchos in Southern Brazil. Includes contributions from scholars in South Africa (Larry Strelitz), UK (Roger Silverstone, Marie Gillespie, Annabelle Sreberny), US/Sweden (Jonathan Friedman), and Brazil (Renato Ortiz).