Imagining The Global: Transnational Media And Popular Culture Beyond East And West Transnational Media And Popular Culture Beyond East And West

A focused multisited cultural analysis that reflects on the symbiotic relationship between the local, the national, and the global|Based on a series of case studies of globally distributed media and their reception in different parts of the world, Imagining the Global reflects on what contemporary global culture can teach us about transnational cultural dynamics in the 21st century. A focused multisited cultural analysis that reflects on the symbiotic relationship between the local, the national, and the global, it also explores how individuals' consumption of global media shapes their imagination of both faraway places and their own local lives. Chosen for their continuing influence, historical relationships, and different geopolitical positions, the case sites of France, Japan, and the United States provide opportunities to move beyond common dichotomies between East and West, or United States and "the rest." From a theoretical point of view, Imagining the Global endeavors to answer the question of how one locale can help us understand another locale. Drawing from a wealth of primary sources—several years of fieldwork; extensive participant observation; more than 80 formal interviews with some 160 media consumers (and occasionally producers) in France, Japan, and the United States; and analyses of media in different languages—author Fabienne Darling-Wolf considers how global culture intersects with other significant identity factors, including gender, race, class, and geography. Imagining the Global investigates who gets to participate in and who gets excluded from global media representation, as well as how and why the distinction matters. Based On A Series Of Case Studies Of Globally Distributed Media And Their Reception In Different Parts Of The World, Imagining The Global Reflects On What Contemporary Global Culture Can Teach Us About Transnational Cultural Dynamics In The 21st Century. A Focused Multisited Cultural Analysis That Reflects On The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Local, The National, And The Global, It Also Explores How Individuals' Consumption Of Global Media Shapes Their Imagination Of Both Faraway Places And Their Own Local Lives. Chosen For Their Continuing Influence, Historical Relationships, And Different Geopolitical Positions, The Case Sites Of France, Japan, And The United States Provide Opportunites To Move Beyond The Common Dichotomies Between East And West, Or United States And 'the Rest'. From A Theoretical Point Of View, Imagining The Global Endeavors To Answer The Question Of How One Locale Can Help Us Understand Another Locale--back Cover. Introduction: A Translocal Approach To Imagining The Global -- Un-american Idols: How The Global/national/local Intersect -- Holier-than-thou: Representing The Other And Vindicating Ourselves In International News -- Talking About Non-no: (re)fashioning Race And Gender In Global Magazines -- Disjuncture And Difference From The Banlieue To The Ganba: Embracing Hip-hop As A Global Genre -- What West Is It? Anime And Manga According To Candy And Goldorak -- Imagining The Global: Transnational Media And Global Audiences -- Lessons From A Translocal Approach? Or, Reflections On Contemporary Glocamalgamation -- Conclusion: Getting Over Our Illusion D'optique. Fabienne Darling-wolf. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 165-183) And Index. Based on a series of case studies of globally distributed media and their reception in different parts of the world, Imagining the Global reflects on what contemporary global culture can teach us about transnational cultural dynamics in the 21st century. It also explores how individuals' consumption of global media shapes their imagination of both faraway places and of their own local lives. Chosen for their continuing influence, historical relationships, and different geopolitical positions, the case sites of France, Japan and the United States provide opportunities to move beyond common dichotomies between East and West, or U.S. and "the rest." The book's translocal multisited approach helps deconstruct the role of the U.S. as the most significant global producer and representative of "the West" while keeping a critical eye on its continuing power to shape individuals' cultural experiences. From a theoretical point of view, Imagining the Global endeavors to answer the question of "how one local can help us understand another local." It demonstrates how a focused multisited analysis can help us better conceptualize the workings of globalized cultural dynamics and reflects on the symbiotic relationship between the local, the national, and the global under conditions of globalization