The Publishing Industry & Globalisation

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2010:

This subject addresses a range of political, social and cultural issues associated with the globalisation of publishing. Students will review various interpretations of the emergence of global publishing conglomerates and the integration of print publishing with other media forms. They will also examine the rhetoric surrounding the book as an emblem of national culture, and the emerging resistance to English as a global lingua franca. The subject will pay particular attention to discourses of national identity and cultural integrity as they have influenced the development of publishing in a postcolonial and post-Cold War environment. Students completing this subject will be familiar with contemporary debates about cultural globalisation, hybridity and the place of publishing in the ‘knowledge economy’.

• have gained an understanding of the ways in which the development of publishing is bound up with issues of national culture;
• be able to critically analyse the role publishing has played in North-South cultural and economic inequalities and the commodification of cultures; and
• have developed an awareness of emerging patterns of publishing activity and their implications for global cultural exchange.

A subject reader will be available.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• develop skills in high-level written and oral communication skills through contribution to class discussions and the completion of assignments;
• demonstrate a capacity for effective teamwork through group discussions and peer review;
• acquire cultural and ethical understanding through reading and critical reflection on the role of the publishing industry in perpetuating Eurocentric constructions of culture and received knowledge;
• acquire skills in research through the preparation of class papers and assignments, including the use of online as well as print-based materials;
• acquire skills in time management and planning through managing workloads for recommended reading, tutorial presentations and assessment requirements; and
• develop a capacity for critical thinking through the use of readings and discussion to develop a critique of received wisdom about the cultural, social and political significance of the publishing industry in its international context.