Globalisation and Culture
Summary
Globalisation and culture intersect in a dynamic system of transnational flows of people, ideas, goods and digital media, in which local contexts continually reshape and are reshaped by global pressures. Far from a unidirectional imposition of a single “world culture,” this process gives rise to complex patterns of cultural hybridity, in which communities selectively adopt, adapt and rework external influences to produce novel expressions in language, art, governance, commerce and everyday practice. Theoretical perspectives draw on world-systems analysis, scalar approaches and cosmopolitan thought to explain how agents at global, national and municipal levels negotiate identity, agency and values. Recent developments—from the rapid spread of digital platforms to the disruptions of a global pandemic—have accelerated both convergence in shared cultural commodities and a renewed emphasis on local distinctiveness. As a field of study, globalisation and culture offers practical insights for policymakers seeking to foster pluralism, for businesses aiming to engage diverse markets and for civil society actors striving to balance universal norms with regional traditions.
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Globalisation and Culture publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in globalisation and culture across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Glocalisation: The adaptive process by which global and local cultural elements interact to produce context-sensitive hybrid forms.
Cultural hybridity: The merging of diverse cultural traditions, symbols and practices into new, syncretic expressions.
Soft power: The capacity to shape preferences and influence behaviour through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion.
Pendulum theory: A corporate glocalisation strategy alternating between local adaptation and global standardisation in successive phases.
References
- The role of the Italic community as a new agent of glocal development in the post-pandemic era. AIMS Geosciences (2023).
- Corporate Glocalization Strategy of Nongshim in America: The “Pendulum Theory” of Globalized Localization. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity (2021).
- In the wake of COVID-19, is glocalization our sustainability future?. Sustainability Science Practice and Policy (2020).
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