Globalization and Community; Canadian Perspectives

Is globalization a myth or a new reality? Is it an overwhelming and ineluctable process, or can human communities control trajectories of change? Is globalization fair and advantageous, and if so, for whom? Whatever the answer to these questions, globalization forces are upon us. Some of the implications are examined in this collection. The aim of the contributors is to discuss ways to use the new economic, social, and cultural forces of globalization to help renew the vitality of struggling or fledgling communities. Over the last decade, a new global economy has rapidly changed how we work, do business, communicate, and even think. Twenty scholars from different backgrounds look at the process and impact of globalization from a Canadian perspective, discussing issues such as indigenous peoples, land use, and the effect of television on remote communities.

Jean-Luc Chodkiewicz currently teaches in the anthropology department of the University of Manitoba, and is president of the Society for Applied Anthropology in Manitoba. He is co-editor of First Nations and Hydroelectric Development in Manitoba.

Raymond Wiest also teaches in the anthropology department of the University of Manitoba, where he was recently department head. He is currently examining selected impacts in Mexico of transnational labour migration.