This book explores the multiple effects of globalization on urban and rural communities, providing anthropological case studies from postsocialist Bulgaria. As globalization has been studied largely in urban contexts, the aim of this volume is to shift attention to the under-examined countryside and analyse how transnational links are transforming relations between cities, towns and villages. The volume also challenges undifferentiated notions of ‘the countryside’, calling for an awareness of rural economic and social disparities which are often only associated with urban environments. The work focuses on how the ‘urban’ and ‘rural’ have been reconfigured following the end of socialism and the advent of globalization, in socioeconomic, as well as political, ideological and cultural terms.

At first glance, the remote villages of the Kabre people of northern Togo appear to have all the trappings of a classic "out of the way" African culture—subsistence farming, straw-roofed houses, and rituals to the spirits and ancestors. Arguing that village life is in fact an effect of the modern and the global, Charles Piot suggests that Kabre culture is shaped as much by colonial and postcolonial history as by anything "indigenous" or local. Through analyses of everyday and ceremonial social practices, Piot illustrates the intertwining of modernity with tradition and of the local with the national and global. In a striking example of the appropriation of tradition by the state, Togo's Kabre president regularly flies to the region in his helicopter to witness male initiation ceremonies. Confounding both anthropological theorizations and the State Department's stereotyped images of African village life, Remotely Global aims to rethink Euroamerican theories that fail to come to terms with the fluidity of everyday relations in a society where persons and things are forever in motion.

A nation's heritage is one of the most potent forces for generating tourism: the Tower of London is the greatest 'visitor attraction' in Britain. But it is pushed into insignificance by comparison with the visitors travelling to Disneyland, Epcot and the other entertainment complexes in the USA; and it will be dwarfed by Euro-Disneyland east of Paris. So how should heritage attractions respond: should they find their own specific audiences and resources? This book, written by a leading hertage specialist, is essential reading for all those concerned both with heritage and leisure managment. International in scope, it examines successfgul examples of heritage management for tourism, and equally some failures. It aims to lay some useful ground rules which should underpin all heritage developments designed to attract tourism on a major scale.

This book brings together technical expertise, best practices, case studies and ground-level application of the ideas for empowering the rural population of the world to live economically prosperous, environmentally sustainable, and socially progressive lives, on par or comparable with the quality of life enjoyed by the global urban population. The idea of Smart Villages takes on greater urgency in light of the investments made in this millennium on “Smart Cities”, taking advantage of the technological advances, particularly in digital connectivity. These investments have and will continue to expand the urban-rural divide, unless similar investments are made in the villages as well. The book provides a much-needed guide for a holistic development of a Smart Village, by defining the need, developing the framework, and describing the delivery, complete with successful case studies. Contributors to the book, from Canada, USA, Africa and India bring years of academic, industry and governmental experience, including organization of several Smart Village conferences. The knowledge base in the book will be of great value to anyone interested in or active in rural planning, including governmental and non-governmental organizations, industrial solution providers, public healthcare professionals, public policy professionals and students, as well as rural communities around the world. Consolidates all the aspects of creating/developing a Smart Village; Delivers an effective tool-kit for practitioners in the area of Smart Villages; Provides a policy-based framework for the development of an ideal Smart Village; Illustrates, through case studies, the fulfillment of key requirements of a Smart Village; Brings together experts from around the world to share their vision of a Smart Village; Highlights the importance of balancing development with social/gender equity and cultural traditions.

In an urbanising world, the city is considered the ultimate model and the measure of all things. The attention of architects and planners has been almost entirely focused on the city for many years, while rural spaces are all too often associated with visions of economic decline, stagnation and resignation. However, rural spaces are transforming almost as radically as cities. Furthermore, rural spaces play a decisive role in the sustainable development of our living environment - inextricably interlinked with the city as a resource or reservoir. The formerly segregated countryside is now traversed by global and regional flows of people, goods, waste, energy, and information, linking it to urban systems and enabling them to function in the first place. Ruralism is dedicated to the significance of rural spaces as a starting point for transformation: what notions of rural life currently exist? What is the connection between urban and rural concepts? Can these connections provide new impulses for shaping (urban) space? International experts illuminate rural spaces from an architectural, cultural, gender-oriented, ecological, and political perspective and ask how a (new) vision of the rural can be formulated. SELLING POINT: * Examination of the place that rural locations hold within the context of urban development, and how they themselves are transforming 150 colour images

There are few dates in history that stand out so clearly as a turning point for mankind as September 11, 2001. The terrorist attacks produced an earthshaking impact on world affairs which resulted in a radical disruption of international order. Although deeply significant, September 11 nevertheless represented only one chapter in the story of the great conflict of our time: the confrontation between the global village and the small village, between the forces of uniformity and of diversity, between the homogenizing trends that seek to subdue everything that lies in their path and the currents of thought that value local identities, particularities and traditions. In The Age of Villages, Venezuelan scholar and diplomat Alfredo Toro-Hardy sets out to explore the era of globalization, in which we all—for better or for worse—live in. He provides ample evidence of the transfer of national sovereignty upwards to regional or supra-national bodies; of the growth of giant companies whose operations straddle the globe and whose senior management are citizens of the world; of the migrations from state to state and continent to continent that are leading to the globalization of the labor market for skilled workers such as software engineers and the clamor for greater freedom of movement for the less skilled. However, Toro-Hardy recognizes the different reactions to globalization in different parts of the world. He draws our attention to the appeal of right-wing politicians in Europe; to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism; and to the psychological needs of so many for a local identity. Toro-Hardy provides a entirely original, timely, and necessary understanding of the forces that are shaping our world. He offers a global, regional, national, and sub-national analysis of the nature of the great confrontation that grips the world today and its alarming ramifications.