Worlds Apart: Modernity Through the Prism of the Local (Asa Decennial Conference Series : the Uses of Knowledge : Global and Local Relations)

Worlds Apart explores the notions of the 'local' and the 'global', topics which are currently generating a great deal of discussion in many different disciplines. Anthropology has traditionally been concerned with regional traditions, which today appear threatened by the spread of transnational institutions. In this volume, the contributors examine global institutions, ranging from bureaucracy to business and from soap opera to beauty contests, in their specific localised forms. Through detailed ethnographic examples, in regions such as West Africa, Hawaii, Australia, Belize and Egypt, they show precisely how global institutions, including capitalism and mass consumption, are manifested in local contexts. Their work exemplifies the role of anthropologists in this area and provides a model for future anthropological research. It also shows that an ethnographic approach will be invaluable to emerging discipline, such as cultural studies and media studies. . Worlds Apart gives a firm foundation for future debates about local global relations, and sets a new agenda, demonstrating the continued relevance of anthropology in the contemporary world. It will be stimulating reading for all students of anthropology cultural studies, media studies, human geography and sociology.