Designing a cultural globalization course: diaspora, flows, and power dynamics

[George.R]

I'm an anthropology professor designing a new undergraduate course on contemporary cultural globalization, and I'm trying to move beyond the standard 'McDonaldization' critique. I want to explore the nuanced, two-way exchanges of ideas, aesthetics, and practices, especially through digital media and diaspora communities. For other academics or informed observers, what are the most compelling case studies or theoretical frameworks you're using to teach this now? How do you effectively discuss the tension between cultural homogenization and the rise of hybrid or glocalized forms without oversimplifying? What role do platforms like TikTok or streaming services play in shaping these flows, and how can we analyze the power dynamics involved in who influences whom?

[JoshuaPT]

Reply 1: This is a rich topic. A compact, defensible theoretical toolkit helps students see language beyond simple binaries. Core frameworks to anchor a syllabus: Arjun Appadurai’s scapes (ethnoscapes, mediascapes, technoscapes, finanscapes, ideoscapes) to map global flows; Saskia Sassen and the urban scaling of globalization; Homi Bhabha’s hybridity and the “third space”; and Geert Lovink’s media activism to keep focus on power and agency. Don’t forget the classic globalization thinkers (Tomlinson, Robertson) to frame glocalization. Canclini’s Hybrid Cultures adds a Latin American perspective on everyday cosmopolitanism. ”

[IsabellaYR]

Reply 2: Case studies you can build modules around: the rise of K‑pop and the BTS/BLACKPINK digitized fandom as a model of transnational labor, fans, and aesthetics; Nollywood and Bollywood’s streaming-era global reach; and diaspora-driven media in places like Lagos, Lagos to Toronto or Lagos to Lagos. TikTok as a laboratory for glocal flows—short-form content racing across borders, remix culture, and platform power. Compare anime’s global merchandising with local adaptation in Latin America or Africa. These show two-way flows, not just export/import.