Customer Reviews

Cultural Imperialism: A Critical Introduction (Parallax: Re-visions of Culture and Society)

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I read this book as part of an undergraduate course in 'Cultural Geography'. Considering the subject matter, the book is rare in its accessible style, and the arguments are relatively easy to follow. Tomlinson adeptly manages to draw on complex theories without complicating his argument. Effectively, this book seeks to 'problematise' the idea of 'cultural imperialism'. The author systematically articulates his criticism of this idea, the idea that certain cultures (e.g. 'American' culture) dominate others, drawing on many useful examples. This book is critical of many of the preconceptions that liberal, left-wing Westerners hold abuot how globalisation - in the cultural realm - is affecting our world. For Tomlinson, cultures are always changing, and identities exist at many scales and in many forms. In his conclusion, he argues that a better model of understanding cultures would be that all cultures are evolving over time, with reciprocal influence from other cultures, rather than one 'nation' or 'people' changing another one. He warns against assuming that changes are unwelcome.

The book will interest anyone curious about cultural change in the contemporary, global era. Indeed, the book inspires the reader to challenge any 'grand' theories of how the world works, whether liberal or conservative.