Globalization and diversity: Contributions from intercultural research

This special issue features six articles that address some of the perils and opportunities rendered by globalization. A description of the theme, globalization and diversity, is offered, followed by a brief overview of the six differing perspectives on the theme represented in this issue. The focal issues examined in the featured articles range from the macro-level issues of global acculturative pressure on traditional cultures and their identities and meso-level responses of organizations and local communities to such pressure, to micro-level issues of psychological dislocation and intercultural conflict intensified by increasing ethnic diversity in global urban centers, international exchange programs designed to help facilitate intercultural engagement and global aptitude among college students, and the emerging phenomenon of individual identity transformation beyond the perimeters of a single Culture. Together, the six articles are offered as a cross-disciplinary effort in search of a broader understanding of the complex and all-encompassing process of globalization and varied human responses to it. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.