Globalization and Belonging: The Politics of Identity in a Changing World(111 New Millennium Books in International Studies)

In a world of instant communications, permeable borders, immigration quotas, and terrorist bombings, we might well stop and ask, 'Who are we?' How do we identify ourselves and claim identity in a competing tug-and-pull of global homogenization and fragmentation? Are we Italians or European Unionists? Are we Muslims or ethnic Arabs? Are we residents of one state, citizens of another? Are we women no matter where we go? This book explores how various forms of sociocultural and political identification and attachment are being affected by the increasing interconnectedness of the globe. It looks at the forces of globalization-economic, technological, political, and cultural-and relates them to forces of identification including citizenship, nationhood, ethnicity, and gender. Through it all, author Sheila L. Croucher emphasizes the sense of belonging and its importance to us as individuals and as citizens of the world.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 I Globalization, Belonging, and the State Chapter 2 II Reconfiguring Citizenship Chapter 3 III Nation-Shaping in a Postmodern World Chapter 4 IV Constructed Ethnicities, Global Contingencies Chapter 5 V Gendering Globalization/ Globalizing Gender Chapter 6 VI Belonging to the World

About the Author :
Sheila L. Croucher is associate professor of political science at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Review :
Sheila Croucher has written an exceptionally smart and engaging book. It challenges the conventional wisdom on a range of issues; it proposes sensible conceptual and theoretical alternatives; and it proves that good writing and political science are not mutually exclusive. -- Alexander J. Motyl, Rutgers University Appropriate for both undergraduate and graduate classes considering globalization from a variety of social science perspectives-political, sociological, and international, Globalization and Belonging defines the dynamics of ethnicity and identity formation in such persuasive terms that it will become a standard read in the field. -- John F. Stack, Jr., Florida International University In this timely and engaging book, Sheila Croucher provides a compelling account of the ways in which contemporary identities are being reshaped by the process of globalization. Globalization and Belonging pulls the reader into the twenty-first century world of consolidating and fragmenting polities, economies, and identities. In amply illustrated chapters linking globalization to citizenship, nations, ethnicity, and gender, Croucher reveals globalization's power to create new identities that both span national borders and fracture national unity. -- Joane Nagel, author of Race, Ethnicity, and Sexuality: Intimate Intersections, Forbidden Frontiers The book is ideal for late high school and college students, but Croucher's writing makes it accessible for everyone. Altar Magazine The volume is a valuable contribution to the literature on globalization. Recommended. CHOICE In Globalization and Belonging, Croucher provides a well-balanced and well-written synthesis of the debate regarding identity formation and belonging in the context of globalization. Croucher has produced an intelligent text that can be a useful tool in fomenting challenging debate in undergraduate and graduate classrooms and staffrooms. Journal Of International Migration and Integration This is a book that will get us all-teachers and students-thinking about the implications of identities in rapidly evolving international and country-by-country politics. Globalization and Belonging is packed with gritty (often surprising) details that speak to broad political concepts in a way that allows everyone to join in the process of unraveling contemporary political puzzles. -- Cynthia Enloe, author of Bananas, Beaches, and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics [This book] is engaging and sometimes provocative ... it is eminently suitable for courses on identity and globalization. Ethical and Racial Studies