The Cultures of a Globalized World

Abstract

Contemporary world culture contributes significantly to the crisis of modernity. The global condition has engendered a variety of cultures, each adjusting to its particular condition. Instead of culture being an expression of values, perspectives, and practices within a territory, contemporary culture acts more like a free-floating signifier loosely connected to its material base. Each expression of culture develops according to its own internal logic: high culture vs. popular culture; culture of virtuality & virtual culture; and local, national, and globalized cultures. Each expression of culture is variedly connected to its material base or spatial configuration. Culture both includes and excludes, depending on notions of normativity and exemplarity. All cultures are autopoesic and complexly related to their specific ecologies.