Cultural Identity in Transition analyses the challenges that globalisation and modernisation have brought to cultural identity in recent years. This collection of articles highlights some of the central theoretical ideas and models currently used in the analysis of cultural identity in the social and cultural sciences. While the book’s main regional focus is on Northern Europe, this is complemented by several case studies addressing issues of cultural identity in indigenous and ethnic communities, in literary and artistic expression, and in terms of national politics around the world. The book discusses in detail the questions like : What is at stake in the global culture industry in terms of cultural identity? How do the internet and information technology in general empower local communities? What kinds of political struggles and conflicts can be associated with the processes of cultural identity? Cultural identities are in transition, but in what direction are they moving? Cultural Identity in Transition will be essential reading for university students and researchers in sociology, anthropology, and cultural and literary studies.

Table of Contents:
PART ONE–THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES—1. The Study of Cultural Identity: Development and Background of a Multi-Disciplinary Field of Research–Erkki Sevänen; 2. The Underestimated Strength of Cultural Identity between Localising and Globalising Tendencies in the European Union–Rien T. Segers—PART TWO–EUROPEANISATION AND GLOBALISATION IN NORTHERN EUROPE—3. Changing Images of Europe and the Preconditions for Cross-Border Cooperation on the External Borders of the European Union–Ilkka Liikanen; 4. Marginality and the Renewal of Independence in Estonia–Rein Veidemann; 5. Nation, Glocality, and the Estonian (Baltic) Literary Discourse at the Turn of the Millennium–Juri Talvet—PART THREE–IDENTITY PROCESSES AMONG EUROPEAN NATIONAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES—6. Ethnic Identities in Global and Local Discourses: Contested Narratives of Sámi Ethnic Heritage–Stein Roar Mathisen; 7. Performing Ethnicity Among the Nenets and the Veps Peoples in Russia–Kaija Heikkinen; 8. From Local to National and Back: Finnish Music and the Construction of Minority Identity in Sweden–Pekka Suutari; 9. German Home and Hybridity: Reclaiming New Cultural Identities in Selected German Migrant Narratives from the 1990s–Marja-Leena Hakkarainen—PART FOUR–REPOSITIONING LOCALITY—10. Local Identity and Historical Memory of Community: The Case of “Communal Apartments” in St. Petersburg–Ilya Utekhin; 11. The Erosion of the Local Identity of Cities in Postmodernity: A Study of Two Novels–Mikko Laaksonen; 12. The Glocal New Age–Tuomas Martikainen; 13. Flying in the Liminality between Alienation and Identification: Interpreting the Border-crossing of Migrants–Pirkkoliisa Ahponen—PART FIVE–NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURAL IDENTITY—14. Globalisation: A New Name for Imperialism in the Name of Modernisation and Telecommuni-cations, and its Ramifications for those Involved in Literary Studies–Matti Savolainen; 15. Digiwars: Notes on the Mental and Moral Dimensions of the Digital Revolution–Pasi Falk; 16. Internet, Translocalisation and Cultural Brokerage in the Pacific–Jari Kupiainen—PART SIX–DEFINING CULTURAL IDENTITY THROUGH LITERATURE—17. Using and Refusing America: “America” as a Way of Creating Modernity and National Identity: A Case Study of a Finnish-Swedish Detective Novel from 1916 –Kristina Malmio; 18. “What Do You Think of Indian Feminism?”: The Problematics of Indian Feminisms–Joel Kuortti; 19. Imagining Transnationa¬lism in Bharati Mukherjee’s Leave It to Me –Jopi Nyman; 20. Reiterating a Massacre: Sharpeville and After–John A. Stotesbury; 21. Afterthoughts: Notes on the Politics of Cultural Identity–Jari Kupiainen; Contributors