Berghahn Books United in Discontent: Local Responses to Cosmopolitanism and Globalization

Cosmopolitanism is often discussed in a critical and disapproving manner: as a concept complicit with the interests of the powerful, or as a notion related to Western political supremacy, the ills of globalization, inequality, and capitalist economic penetration. Seen as the moral justification for embracing or tolerating cultural difference, ethnically and socially diverse communities unenthusiastic with change, develop an acknowledgement of their common position vis-à-vis a western, "universal" political point of view. By means of exploring the idiosyncratic form of political intimacy generated by anti-cosmopolitanism, and assuming an analytical and critical stance towards the concepts of parochialism and localism, this volume examines the political consciousness of such negatively predisposed actors, and it attempts to explain their reservation towards the sincerity of international politics, their reliance on conspiracy theories or nationalist narratives, their introversion. Review "This is an important volume, and the contributors' command of their material and commitment to their areas of research are very clear." - JRAI "Few books have challenged a number of intertwined, crucial issues of the present-day debate on globalization like [this volume] does. Moreover, it does so thoughtfully and courageously, combining an in-depth presentation of the theoretical background with sound ethnographic work that covers quite many different areas of the world...All researchers interested in multi-facetted and multi-disciplinary readings of cosmopolitanism and globlisation will find this book rich with stimulating questions and fascinating research perspectives." - Anthroplogical Notebooks "This is one of the best collections on the theme of globalisation I have come across in a very long time. It does an excellent job of drawing out a number of important theoretical issues through a wide ranging examination of particular ethnographic cases." - Stephen Lyon, Durham University From the Back Cover Cosmopolitanism is often discussed in a critical and disapproving manner: as a concept complicit with the interests of the powerful, or as a notion related to Western political supremacy, the ills of globalization, inequality, and capitalist economic penetration. Seen as the moral justification for embracing or tolerating cultural difference, ethnically and socially diverse communities unenthusiastic with change, develop an acknowledgement of their common position vis-à-vis a western, "universal" political point of view. By means of exploring the idiosyncratic form of political intimacy generated by anti-cosmopolitanism, and assuming an analytical and critical stance towards the concepts of parochialism and localism, this volume examines the political consciousness of such negatively predisposed actors, and it attempts to explain their reservation towards the sincerity of international politics, their reliance on conspiracy theories or nationalist narratives, their introversion. About the Author Dimitrios Theodossopoulos is a Reader at the University of Kent. His earlier work examined people-wildlife conflicts and indigenous perceptions of the environment. He is currently concerned with nationalism, ethnic stereotypes, and the politics of culture commodification in Central America and Southeast Europe. He is author of (Berghahn, 2003), and When Greeks Think about Turks: The View from Anthropology (Routledge, 2006). Elisabeth Kirtsoglou is Lecturer in anthropology at the University of Durham and author of For the love of women: gender, identity, and same-sex relationships in a Greek provincial town (Routledge, 2004). She has published on identity, gender, and politics.