A collection of essays that demonstrate fruitful applications and recent further developments in globalization theory with reference to and in honour of the work of Roland Robertson, especially the concept of glocalization.

In the immense literature on globalization, the work of Roland Robertson stands out. In particular, his insistence that globalization manifests itself primarily as glocalization, the simultaneity of the global and the local, of homogenization and heterogenization continues to influence how a wide variety of observers understand the process, including those who contest it. In honour of Robertson’s lifetime contributions, this volume brings together a set of essays that demonstrate the cogency of his approach, point out directions in which it can be further developed, and illustrate the insight it can provide in topics as varied as religion, football, wine, morality, and UFOs. Contributors include: Peter Beyer, John Boli, Didem Buhari Gulmez, Rebecca Catto, Richard Giulianotti, Ulf Hannerz, David Inglis, Paul James, Habibul Haque Khondker, Anne Sophie Krossa, Frank Lechner, Kristian Naglo, John H. Simpson, Manfred B. Steger, and George M. Thomas.

This book seeks to provide a critical introduction to the under-theorized concept of Glocalization. While the term has been slowly diffused into social-scientific vocabulary, to date, there is no book in circulation that specifically discusses this concept. Historically theorists have intertwined the concepts of the ‘global’ and the ‘glocal’ or have subsumed the ‘glocal’ under other concepts – such as cosmopolitanization. Moreover, theorists have failed to give ‘local’ due attention in their theorizing. The book argues that the terms ‘global’, the ‘local’ and the ‘glocal’ are in need of unambiguous and theoretically and methodologically sound definitions. This is a prerequisite for their effective operationalization and application into social research. Glocalization is structured in two parts: Part I introduces the term, seeking to provide a history and critical assessment of theorists' past use of glocalization and offering an alternative perspective and a clear, effective and applicable definition of the term, explaining the limitations of the term globalization and the value of defining glocalization. Part II then moves on to illustrate how the concept of glocalization can be used to broaden our understanding and analysis of a wide range of issues in world politics including the 21st century culture of consumption, transnationalism & cosmopolitanism, nationalism, and religious traditions. Utilizing a wide range of historical, ethnographic and real-life examples from various domains this work will be essential reading for students and scholars of Globalization and will be of great interest to those in the field of Global, Transnational and Cosmopolitan Studies.

Global Modernities is a sustained commentary on the international character of the most microcosmic practices. It demonstrates how the global increasingly informs the regional, so deconstructing ideas like the `nation state′ and `national sovereignty′. The spatialization of social theory, hybridization and bio-politics are among the critical issues discussed.

In this volume, Paolo Sigismondi explores the dynamics of global media and entertainment, specifically analyzing the implications of the global rise of non-scripted entertainment (as reality TV programs) and the impact and consequences of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) revolution on the content, delivery platforms, and overall business models of the media and entertainment landscape. This work aims at bridging the gap between media theories and industry practices in a rapidly evolving global mediascape, building on scholarship in the field and enriched by case studies and insights from business practice. This work demonstrates that the paradigms of the landscape are shifting, introducing the digital “glocalization” of entertainment, through which successful media crossing national and cultural borders incorporate both global and local features. Key questions raised include: Is the ICT revolution an example of disruptive technology for the global media and entertainment industry? Is the existing status quo challenged, and in, particular Hollywood’s global leadership? What are the global entities emerging as Hollywood’s main competitors in this technologically evolving landscape? Sigismondi argues that as new players are entering the field, new threats to Hollywood’s dominance are emerging. The global leaders in non-scripted entertainment, for example, are European-based global entities operating outside the Hollywood system. Meanwhile, the ICT revolution is modifying the contours and boundaries of the global mediascape. Sigismondi’s approach provides unique insight into how the forces of technology and globalization are transforming television, cinema, and online entertainment.

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.

This companion features original essays on the complexity of globalization and its diverse and sometimes conflicting effects. Written by top scholars in the field, it offers a nuanced and detailed examination of globalization that includes both positive and critical evaluations. Introduces the major players, theories, and methodologies Explores the major areas of impact, including the environment, cities, outsourcing, consumerism, global media, politics, religion, and public health Addresses the foremost concerns of global inequality, corruption, international terrorism, war, and the future of globalization Wide-ranging and comprehensive, an excellent text for undergraduate and graduate students in a range of disciplines