Anna Tsing: Local and Global Flashcards
Shifting notions of globalisation
Tsing
Shifting Notions of Globalization: Tsing explores the evolving understanding of globalization, especially in the 1990s and 2000s. This period saw debates on globalization’s effects, including discussions on increased inequality and the reconfiguration of global hierarchies.
Peripheries and Cores: Traditional notions of peripheries and cores in global systems were being challenged or reinforced, often with postcolonial dynamics intensifying these patterns.
Impact on Local Cultures: There was concern that globalization might homogenize local cultures, leading to a flattened cultural landscape. However, studies revealed the resilience of local cultural formations amidst global forces.
Reshaping of Localities: Globalization wasn’t a monolithic force but manifested through various neoliberal trends and other processes. The engagement of locally positioned actors was crucial in understanding globalization’s effects.
Challenging Universals: Tsing examines how universal dreams associated with capitalism drive desires for certain lifestyles, but she also highlights the adaptability and dynamism of culture.
Friction as a Concept: Tsing introduces the concept of “friction,” which represents the awkward, unequal, and creative aspects of global interconnections. Friction occurs when local groups resist or challenge global processes, leading to complex interactions and negotiations.
Local/Global Interactions: Culture is continually co-produced through interactions at regional and global levels. Global forces are not only shaping localities but are also influenced by local dynamics.
Entwined Relationship: Rather than viewing local and global as separate spheres, Tsing emphasizes their entwined relationship. Anthropologists study points of friction to understand how global flows and frictions intersect with local practices and resistances.
Global Flows and Frictions: Tsing examines how people, practices, goods, and ideas circulate globally, often driven by developmentalist discourses. These flows are entangled with science, politics, and local responses, leading to knots of friction and complexity.
In essence, Tsing’s work underscores the intricate and multifaceted nature of globalization, emphasizing the importance of understanding how global processes intersect with and shape local realities, as well as how local resistances and adaptations influence global dynamics.
Tsing challenges the simplistic notion of globalization as a uniform, all-encompassing force. Instead, she argues that it takes shape through various manifestations such as neoliberal trends, rather than being a singular entity.
Resilience of Local Cultures:
Despite concerns about cultural homogenization, Tsing’s research highlights the resilience of local cultures. This resilience suggests that local communities are able to maintain and adapt their cultural formations despite the influence of globalization.
Reciprocal Relationship:
Tsing emphasizes the reciprocal relationship between local and global forces. She suggests that cultures are not just influenced by globalization but actively co-produced through interactions across different cultural contexts.
Friction as a Concept:
Friction refers to the awkward, unequal, unstable, and creative qualities of interconnection across cultural differences. Tsing uses this concept to understand how local groups resist or challenge global processes, leading to the emergence of new cultural formations.
Cultural Change:
Cultural change occurs as a result of interactions between local and global networks of power, trade, and meaning. This process is dynamic and ongoing, shaping both local and global identities.
Anthropological Study:
Anthropologists study points of friction, such as global flows and knots, where global processes intersect with local practices. These points of intersection provide insights into how globalization affects different cultural contexts.
Friction
Friction refers to the awkward, unequal, unstable, and creative qualities of interconnection across cultural differences. Tsing uses this concept to understand how local groups resist or challenge global processes, leading to the emergence of new cultural formations.
Cultural Change:
