Life in the 21th century has already been marked by a changing world in many aspects. The Internet has reached virtually the whole world, neoliberal marketing policies have become more aggressive than ever and alternative economies such as cryptocurrencies have emerged within the first quarter of this century. Adding to the equation the ever-increasing population of the world and the much increased connectedness of its residents, novel definitions of what have already been known have emerged, reflecting the changing life in our time. The changes to life as observed in our century has also made it explicit that the concepts we tend to define continually are far from being stable and static. Instead, the current status of the world we live in prove time and again that those changes are instable, dynamic, non-linear and coadaptive, signifying the difficulty of achieving predictability. In a world that is best defined as dynamic and unpredictable, management becomes a key term for the harmony in life that every person tends to strive for. Efficiency in managing harmony among people, cities, industries, politics, education, arts, organizations or countries stands out as the utmost necessity regardless of the context one might be in. Without the endeavor to manage efficiently, the harmony that we all look for would become even more difficult to achieve. Such a harmony through efficient management, perhaps naturally, necessitates the coadaptation of academic disciplines just as it does the same in other fields in life. For this reason, multidisciplinary academic studies are now more important than ever because the instable, non-linear and dynamic nature of life and its changes are highly unlikely to be explained by a single discipline in isolation. The efficient management of the planet earth undoubtedly requires the efficient coexistence of societies, industries, education, politics and countries. All those structures forming human life in the world should coexist and academic studies are no exception to ensure a proper, scientific understanding of the worldly phenomena. In that respect, this book aims to present multidisciplinary perspectives in respect of the management of the societies, politics, arts, industries, international relations and education. We hope that the chapters within, distinguished works of the mentioned disciplines, will inform the readers regarding the interplay among various branches of science and contribute to the knowledge base of the world regarding language, culture, arts and politics in an ever-changing world.

In the Fourth Edition of Cultures and Societies in a Changing World, author Wendy Griswold illuminates how culture shapes our social world and how society shapes culture. She helps students gain an understanding of the sociology of culture and explore stories, beliefs, media, ideas, art, religious practices, fashions, and rituals from a sociological perspective. Cultural examples from multiple countries and time periods will broaden students′ global understanding. They will develop a deeper appreciation of culture and society, gleaning insights that will help them overcome cultural misunderstandings, conflicts, and ignorance; equip them to be more effective in their professional and personal lives, and become wise citizens of the world.

At the interface between culture and tourism lies a series of deep and challenging issues relating to how we deal with issues of political engagement, social justice, economic change, belonging, identity and meaning. This book introduces researchers, students and practitioners to a range of interesting and complex debates regarding the political and social implications of cultural tourism in a changing world. Concise and thematic theoretical sections provide the framework for a range of case studies, which contextualise and exemplify the issues raised. The book focuses on both traditional and popular culture, and explores some of the tensions between cultural preservation and social transformation. The book is divided into thematic sections - Politics and Policy; Community Participation and Empowerment; Authenticity and Commodification; and Interpretation and Representation - and will be of interest to all who wish to understand how cultural tourism continues to evolve as a focal point for understanding a changing world.

An innovative text which adopts the tools of cultural studies to provide a fresh approach to the study of Chinese language, culture and society. The book tackles areas such as grammar, language, gender, popular culture, film and the Chinese diaspora and employs the concepts of social semiotics to extend the ideas of language and reading. Covering a range of cultural texts, it will help to break down the boundaries around the ideas and identities of East and West and provide a more relevant analysis of the Chinese and China.

A clarion call to action, incorporating powerful stories of failure and success, that points the way for all who seek to preserve indigenous languages.

This book addresses the changing contemporary language worlds in three major contexts. It first discusses how the language landscape maps of cities are changing as a result of increased migration, globalization and global media. These features are evident in place names and place name changes as well as the densities and frequencies of language spoken and used in texts. The second section discusses how the state itself is responding to both indigenous and heritage groups desiring to be included and represented in the state’s political landscapes and also expressions of art and culture. In the third section, the authors address a number of cutting-edge theses that are emerging in the linguistic geography and political words. These include the importance of gender, anthropogenetic discourse, the preservation of endangered languages and challenges to a state’s official language policy. Through including authors from nine different countries, who are writing about issues in twelve countries and their overlapping interests in language mapping, language usage and policy and visual representations, this book provides inspiring research into future topics at local, national, regional and international scales.

Leading social critic Carol Becker offers a timely analysis of the nature of art and its role in politics and society. Completed just before the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center catastrophe, this book is remarkably prescient of the new concerns that have now become foremost in our thoughts since the attack. Becker raises the question of the place of art and the function of public intellectuals in a society desperately in need of creativity and leadership. Visit our website for sample chapters!