By producing cultural objects that predominantly express “traditional” culture and identities on the level of content, while expressing “modern” culture and identities on the level of form, cultural elites are able to project an image of their culture that is both uniquely national and generically universal. This argument addresses issues of cultural imperialism by exploring the process of cultural modernization that links the spread of Western cultural forms such as ballet, theatre, and symphony music to a hegemonic discourse about civilization and progress. I am also speaking to the literature in institutional sociology and international relations that stresses the importance of global norms at the level of the nation-state.
Download the pdf at the top of this page for the full brief.
Laura L. Adams, of Babson College, was a 2002-03 Short-Term Travel Grants [8] fellow.
