The material presented in Culture and Economic Development critically reflects on the impact of globalization. The geographical focus is on Europe, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and the People's Republic of China. The academic one is on cultural studies, sociology as well as on economics and trade.

The articles concentrate on aspects of identity building, migration, digital divide of knowledge, economic development, and political frameworks. The book is meant to serve as a reader for lecturers and students alike. It is completed by a CD-ROM, offering further reference material, classroom questions, and a structured frame for multi-media based class pages.

Birgit Hse is Director of the Centre for East Asian Studies at Technische Universitt Dresden (Germany).