Most people still think of themselves as belonging to a particular culture. Yet today many of us who live in affluent societies choose aspects of our lives from a global cultural supermarket whether in terms of food the arts or spiritual beliefs. So if roots are becoming simply one more consumer choice can we still claim to possess a fundamental cultural identity? Global Culture/Individual Identity focuses on three groups for whom the tension between a particular national culture and the global cultural supermarket is especially acute: Japanese artists American religious seekers and Hong Kong intellectuals after the handover to China. These ethnographic case studies form the basis for a theory of culture which we can all see reflected in our own lives. Gordon Mathews opens up the complex and debated topics of globalization culture and identity in a clear and lively style. . Language: English