A Glocal Town

Beginning with a study of a suburb of Athens, this book charts the occurrence of a range of radical social changes as the locality adapts itself to processes of globalization, broadening its analysis to as to offer a theoretical account of the dynamic interaction of the local with the global wherever it occurs in (sub)urban space.

This book presents a novel theoretical and methodological approach to understanding the emerging "glocal" realities of (sub)urban space. Beginning with a study of a suburb of Athens, it illustrates the dynamic interaction between the local and the global, charting a range of radical social changes as this locality adapts itself to processes of globalization. Moving beyond the Athenian context, it shows how the various traditions of suburban enclaves interact with and confront the impact of external yet pervasive elements of the global(ized) world - for instance, through the adoption of events and practices observed in societies across the globe, such as Earth Day or International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or the use of the global calendar - as the polis transforms into a cosmopolis. With explorations of this kind, A Glocal Town advances a three- stage interpretative scheme that enables us to frame "glocality" more broadly, and better understand the global- local interaction wherever it occurs. As such, it will appeal to scholars of sociology, geography, and urban studies interested in globalization and its interaction with the local in (sub) urban locales.

Autorentext

Nicholas Tatsis is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He holds a BA in political science and a law degree from Greek universities and has earned an MA and a PhD in sociology from Syracuse University in New York. He has served as a Professor of Sociology, first at the State University of New York, and later for over 25 years at the University of Athens. Specializing in social theory, he published twelve books and numerous articles, and was one of the founders and the first president of the Hellenic Sociological Society.

Inhalt

Preface

1. Introduction

2. Social Change

3. The Local and the Global

4. The Glocal

5. Culture

6. Economy

7. Communication

8. Social Issues

9. Pop Life

10. Epilogue

Bibliography