Suchergebnisse

Global Flows, Local Appropriations; Facets of Secularisation and Re-Islamization Among Contemporary Cape Muslims is the first ethnographic study of muslims in Cape Town, South Africa at this level in 25 years. It explores processes of secularisation and re-islamization among Cape Muslims in the context of a post-apartheid South Africa in which liberal and secular values have attained considerable purchase in the new political and social elites. Fractured by status, ethnicity and religious orientation, Cape muslims have responded to these changes through an ambiguous accomodation with the new order. This study explores this development through chapters on conversions to Islam among black Africans in Cape Town, Cape women's experiences with polygyny, Cape muslims and HIV/AIDS, the status of Islam in a prison Cape Town in the post-apartheid era and on contestation over rituals among Cape muslims.

Challenging Boundaries: Global Flows, Territorial Identities edited by Michael J. Shapiro and Hayward R. Alker. Challenging Boundaries: Global Flows, Territorial Identities, a book edited by Michael J. Shapiro and Hayward R. Alker, is reviewed.

US involvement in Africa is growing following threats of terrorism and interruptions in oil production and because of desires by foreign corporations to expand their activities on the continent. The response of American policymakers has been to establish a stronger military presence that will engage in counterterrorism initiatives and police oil installations. The goals and extent of this buildup, and the ideology legitimating it, are new. They are departures from Cold War policies. Similarly, the response of American business leaders to weaknesses in the infrastructure and political order of African states leads them to establish their own forms of community development, known as strategic philanthropy, in order to protect and expand local markets. Despite these major developments, the media are not informing the public. This article examines the implications of these military and business initiatives for African nations and the reasons for lack of information about them.
Editor's Note: This article was delivered as the presidential address to the African Studies Association, New Orleans, 12 November 2004. It first appeared in the African Studies Review, Vol. 47, No. 5, April 2005:1–22, the principal scholarly journal of that Association. On the role of the US in Africa, also see Daniel Volman, 'US Military Involvement in Africa' and Michel Chossudovsky, 'New Undeclared Arms Race: America's Agenda for Global Military Domination' in ROAPE 103, March 2005.

The book presents a new theory of the relationship between language and culture in a transnational and global perspective. The view is that languages spread across cultures, and cultures spread across languages, or in other words, that linguistic and cultural practices flow through social networks in the world along partially different paths.

This fascinating collection analyzes the impact of Western consumer culture on local cultures and consumption in Southeast Europe and East Asia. Cultural, historical, economic and sociopolitical contexts are examined regarding buying behaviors, usage and customization practices and consumer activism, specifically in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania as cultures continue to evolve in the post-socialist era, and in China and Japan as a continuation of movements toward modernity and progress. Surprising and thought-provoking contrasts stand out as consumers balance the global with the local in terms of clothing, technology, luxury items, and food. All chapters feature a wealth of empirical and cross-cultural data, and the presentation is framed by Professor Mike Featherstone's theoretical essay on the origins of consumer culture and the consequences of two hundred years of increasing consumption for the human condition and the future of the planet. Included in the coverage: "You are a socialist child like me": Goods and Identity in Bulgaria Consumer Culture from Socialist Yugoslavia to Post-Socialist Serbia: Movements and Moments Preserves Exiting Socialism: Authenticity, Anti-Standardization, and Middle-Class Consumption in Post-Socialist Romania Modernization and the Department Store in Early 20th-Century Japan: Modern Girl and New Consumer Culture Lifestyles A Cultural Reading of Conspicuous Consumption in China Approaching Consumer Culture broadens the cultural anthropology literature and will be welcomed by Western and Eastern scholars and researchers alike. Its depth and accessibility make it useful to university courses in cultural anthropology, cultural studies, and sociology

Intro -- Preface -- Contents -- About the Authors -- Consumer Culture and Its Futures: Dreams and Consequences -- Introduction -- Dreams of Consumption -- Cockaigne and Peasant Dreams of Abundance -- Court Society Dreams of Splendour and Luxury -- The Birth of a Consumer Culture -- The American Dream -- Consumer Rhythms and the Timing of Consumption -- Consume Productively 24/7 -- Profiling, Tracking, and Data Harvesting -- Immaterial and Informational Lifestyle Construction -- Consumption Experiences, Prosumption, and Curating Lifestyles -- The Consequences of Consumption -- Consumer Culture Futures -- References -- "You Are a Socialist Child Like Me": Goods and Identity in Bulgaria -- Introduction -- Socialist Consumption: Coping with Shortages -- Overvaluation of Goods in Socialism: "Be Mine Forever" -- Postsocialism: The Unusual Consumers -- Conclusion -- References -- Consumer Culture from Socialist Yugoslavia to Post-socialist Serbia: Movements and Moments -- From Scratch: Affirming Consumption in Socialist Yugoslavia -- "One Step Forward, Two Steps Backwards": Continuities and Discontinuities -- Changing Society -- Changing Attitudes Toward Materiality, Materialism, and Money -- Changes in the Imaginary Community of Consumers -- Conclusion -- References -- Overview of Consumer Culture in Bulgaria: From Perestroika to Facebook -- Before 1989 -- Bulgaria's Transition to Consumer Society -- The V-Like Structure of the Consumer Revolution from 1989 to 2008 -- The Bulgarian New Deal (1999-2008) -- New Forms of Consumption After the Rise of Social Media -- The Rise of Brands -- Practices and Rituals -- E-Consumption on Facebook -- Names -- Profile Pictures -- Family and Relationships -- Cover Photo -- Timeline/Status -- Likes -- Albums -- Conclusions -- References.

This is a theoretical exploration of an approach to cultural aspects of external dimensions of self-determination movements (SDMs) and their relationship to economic aspects. An underlying theme is the possible relationships between "identity" and global flows of objects, information and images. This general theme connects exiles and diasporas, new global media, material culture and the politics of identity. In the context of global cultural influences on SDMs, the authors draw attention to the significance of the relationships between people and objects, images and ideas, in the sense of the pathways via which these are spread and exchanged, and in the sense of the symbolic values and meanings attributed to them. (DSE/DÜI)

1) Editorial - Gilles Guiheux, S. 3, Abstract: China has a long history as a textile producer. In the late eighteenth century, in many areas of textile weaving and dyeing, Western Europeans were still working on imitating Chinese processes, and textile production was important in many urban and rural areas, especially in the Yangzi Delta, where it was strongly encouraged by the Qing dynasty. During the nineteenth century, the disintegration of the imperial regime prevented the development of an indigenous industrial revolution and spurred the ambitions of the industrialised countries to penetrate the Chinese market with cheap textile goods. It is only after the reform policies launched in 1978 that China was able to industrialise and regain a major role in the global textile industry… (China Perspect/GIGA). - 2) The weft of Shanghai Fashion: economic networks in Shanghai's modern fashion industry - Carles Brasó-Broggi, S. 5, Abstract: Shanghai's modern fashion industry developed between the last decades of the nineteenth century and the 1930s and was an important step in China's industrialisation. The present article aims to define the relationship between production and consumption in Shanghai's modern fashion industry. One of the main characteristics of modern fashion is its ability to innovate by creating new and distinct trends while absorbing different influences. Shanghai modern fashion was an original mix of Chinese and foreign styles. The second determinant of this phenomenon is its capacity to be distinctive and reproducible at the same time. Shanghai's modern fashion therefore only emerged when the city was able to innovate and produce goods on a massive scale that were adapted to consumer tastes. To prove this relationship, the present article establishes concrete links between traders, industrialists, and retailers. The textile industry benefited from the outcome of a complex network that linked foreign trade, cotton mills, retail shops, and mass publicity. This paper analyses how this economic network was developed. (China Perspect/GIGA). - 3) Domestic and international challenges for the textile industry in Shaoxing (Zhejiang) - Shi Lu, S. 13, Abstract: This article recounts the transformations that have taken place in the textile industry in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, over the course of the past 30 years. It reveals the importance of the local setup and the links that have built up between companies, markets, and the state and its departments. It also exposes the difficulties experienced by companies as they try to adapt to their changing environment, whether in terms of opportunities offered by the domestic or international markets, or new regulations. (China Perspect/GIGA)