Global Structures, Local Cultures examines the process of globalisation and its impact on modern society. It is clearly written and logically structured with case studies from around the world that engage and encourage students to think about the historical and contemporary connections between societies and cultures. The major sociological concepts and theoretical frameworks are outlined clearly and positioned contextually alongside fields such as gender, ethnicity, religion, migration, indigenous peoples, tourism, and social movements.

New to this edition

• New chapter 10. New Media in a Global World
• All material updated with new focus on global governance post the global financial crisis

1. Key Concepts in the Social Sciences
Society
Structure
Culture
Nation and state
Globalisation

2. Theoretical Approaches to the Study of Societies and Cultures
The nineteenth century
The twentieth century

3. Making the World One: Imperialism, Colonialism and the Emergence of Capitalism
A brief history of imperialism
Imperialism and modes of production
From trade to the emergence of capitalism
The justification for colonisation: Moral superiority and progress
Colonial lives

4. One World Structure: The Globalisation of Capitalism
Internationalism and the European colonies
The establishment of global governance and global financial institutions
Theoretical responses to global institutions and global poverty

5. One World Culture? Nation-states, Imagined Communities and the Question of Culture
Nations and states
The question of global culture

6. Global Ethnicities, Local Racisms
The meaning of colour
Ways of thinking about race
Ways of thinking about ethnicity
Becoming Banjar: The formation of ethnic identity in South Kalimantan
Ethnicity and the nation state

7. Gender and Sexuality, Global and Local
The acquisition of gender and sex roles
Situating gender globally: Debates from the West
Nature, culture, and women’s subordination
Gender on the large scale
Case study: Masculinities in Australia

8. Religion, Secularisation, and Fundamentalisms
Religion, magic, and sorcery: Functionalist approaches
Religion and rationality: The disenchanting world
Secularisation and anti-secularisation theories
Religion beyond the West: Bringing globalisation into the picture
Conceptualising religion and globalisation

9. Global Migration, National Resettlement and Indigenous Peoples
Historical population movements
Theorising migration
National resettlement programs
Indigenous peoples

10. New Media in a Global World
Mobile phones and socioeconomic mobility
The internet: Freedom and liberation?
The Iranian presidential election of 12 June 2009
The ‘Arab Spring’: Facebook and Twitter in the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions

11. Globalisation, and Resistance, and Social Movements 
What are social movements?
The occupy movement
Globalisation: The cancer stage of capitalism?
Why are global institutions like the World Bank and IMF targets of social protest?
Global social movements: The environment