Chinese Journal of Sociology ›› 2010, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (4): 52-72.

• Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Globalization and the New Cultural Specialists: Cultural and Economic Connections

*Author 1: David Ashley, University of Wyoming, Email: ashleywy@vwyo.edu;  Author 2: Yarong Jiang,University of Wyoming.   

  1. *Author 1: David Ashley, University of Wyoming, Email: ashleywy@vwyo.edu;  Author 2: Yarong Jiang,University of Wyoming.
  • Online:2010-07-20 Published:2010-07-20
  • Contact: *Author 1: David Ashley, University of Wyoming, E-mail: ashleywy@vwyo.edu; E-mail: ashleywy@vwyo.edu;
  • About author:*Author 1: David Ashley, University of Wyoming, Email: ashleywy@vwyo.edu; Author 2: Yarong Jiang,University of Wyoming.

Abstract:

The purpose of this article is to distinguish between "old" (i.e., modern) academic

professionals and contemporary (postmodern) academic practitioners— "the new cultural specialists,"

as we shall call them.  In this essay, we use the sociology of Max Weber and T. Parsons to account

for the activities of the relatively autonomous "old professionals" and to contrast their conduct

and social location with the newer specialists.  We then turn to Friedrich Nietzsche and Michel

Foucault to help explain the dynamics of the new professionals.  Finally, we trace connections

between these new specialists, globalization and neoMarxist analysis of the "spectacular"

commodity consumption of signs and leisure (G. Debord).  This paper is to connect "cultural

theory" with historical materialism.

Key words: globalization, knowledge production, new cultural specialists