Place, Culture, Power; New Identities in Globalizing Cities

Today, major metropolises form the main link in power relations reshaped on a global/local axis. The intricate and multifaceted network of power relations called globalization is knotted in major metropolises, reproducing, deepening, and spreading itself. The studies in this book convey the other side of globalization, what is seen from below, through the lens of the local. In their articles, authors from various countries examine vastly different metropolises such as cities in the Netherlands and former East Germany, as well as Beirut, Cairo, Manila, Singapore, and Istanbul, proceeding from the understanding that the local does not mean insignificant and unworthy of research. Thus, Space, Culture, Power reveals the contradictions and pains of globalization through in-depth theoretical and empirical analyses, providing a rich comparative ground. "In addition to offering much-needed rich empirical material, this book also makes an important analytical contribution; it demonstrates that "localization" processes are not static, passive, and reactive, but rather play an active role in shaping the outcomes of globalization. This work gives new meaning and content to the interactions between the global and the local, giving flesh and blood to abstract categories such as "global culture."