Globalization and Media : Global Village of Babel

This lively and accessible book argues for the central role of media in understanding globalization. Indeed, Jack Lule convincingly shows that globalization could not have occurred without media. From earliest times, humans have used media to explore, settle, and globalize their world. In our day, media has made the world progressively "smaller" as nations and cultures come into increasing contact. Yet despite optimistic predictions, the world has not become flat, with playing fields leveled and opportunities for all. Instead, the author argues, globalization and media are combining to create a divided world of gated communities and ghettos, borders and boundaries, suffering and surfeit, beauty and decay. By breaking down the economic, cultural, and political impact of media, and through a rich set of case studies from around the globe, Lule describes a global village of Babel-invoking the biblical town punished for its vanity by seeing its citizens scattered, its language confounded, and its destiny shaped by strife.