Global economic and social forces

are affecting everyone, everywhere. However, their influence is shaped by local communities'' interpretation of these forces and responses to them. Social identities provide a guide; they are the product of history, culture, economy, patterns of governance and degree of community cohesion.

The connection between the global and the local

is explained in this forward-looking volume. The book''s thesis, namely that localism is the crucial complement to globalism, is supported by a range of European case studies.

Local responses and governance

depend on the nature of the interlinkages in governance from international structures, through multilateral organizations to nation states, regions and localities, as these are mediated through social-local identity.

The themes examined

The contributors draw on numerous themes in examining the interaction between the global and the local, such as decay and revitalization, local identity and empowerment, opportunism through sustainability and governance for the transition.

About the publication

This is a pioneering publication utilizing an innovative person-centred methodology. It makes an original and important contribution to the study of contemporary societies and is aimed at anyone interested in the social, economic, political, cultural and environmental implications of any move towards sustainability.