Thinking Globally, Composing Locally.
An Interview with Kirk St. Amant & Rich Rice, by Gustav Verhulsdonck

Appadurai, Arjun. (1996). Modernity at large: Cultural dimensions of globalization. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

This groundbreaking text examines how shifts in modern, global systems—particularly those connected to factors of migration and digital communication technologies—have enhanced connectivity in the modern global economy. In so doing, such forces have changed how individuals around the world view the concept of identity and of the self. Appadurai also examines how such factors create new challenges for conventional notions of nation states in an interconnected global economy where individuals are now freer than ever before to engage beyond national boundaries. The ideas covered in the text can help individuals in writing studies better understand various factors and forces affecting ideas of technology, community, and identity in today's interconnected world.

Castells, Manuel. (2004). The network society: A cross-cultural perspective. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.

Today, the various natures and cultures of the world exist within a web of interconnected networks comprised of various interlinking social structures, technological systems, and infrastructures. The entries in this collection examine different aspects of this new age of interconnectivity by exploring various facets of the modern, global, networked society. As such, these entries provide important insights on the factors scholars and educators in writing studies must consider when investigating and seeking to work within the various contexts of modern, global society.

Hofstede, Geert, Hofstede, Geert Jan, & Minkov, Michael. (2010). Culture and organizations: Software of the mind, intercultural cooperation and its importance for survival. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

This update of Geert Hofstede's foundational work on culture reviews how certain factors—including power, time, and relations to greater society—are central to cultures everywhere. By presenting a framework for assessing how cultures compare in terms of such underlying commonalities, Hofstede and co-authors provide a mechanism by which individuals can study (and—to some extent—anticipate) how cultures communicate in relation to each other. This text, in turn, provides writing studies scholars and educators with insights on how cultures can differ in how they view, respond to, and communicate in relation to common concepts. (It should, however, be noted that the ideas put forth on culture and communication in this text focus on broad generalities applied to overall cultures as a whole vs. more nuanced examinations of different groups—or individual persons—within a given culture.)

Lanham, Richard. (2005). The economics of attention: Style and substance in the age of information. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Lanham's text examines how the shift from printed to electronic texts affects how we interact with them and through them. In so doing, he examines how such shifts affect economic practices and perspectives in the new millennium. As Lanham noted, by leveling geography and opening up access on a global scale, modern communication technologies expand the modern marketplace to a global scale where seemingly anyone can compete in attracting, and holding human attention, which becomes the key to success in this new context. Such ideas can provide writing studies scholars and educators a lens for viewing how individuals create and engage with texts in the modern global context. The topics Lanham examined can also provide important insights for re-thinking online education and web-based pedagogy in an age of the global attention economy.

Landow, George. (2007). Hypertext 3.0: Critical theory and new media in an era of globalization. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

What exactly is hypertext and how does it affect the ways in which we perceive and interact with others in the world around us? The exploration of such factors is the central focus of Landow's classic text on online communication in the age of globalization. By examining how hypertext changes composing and reading practices, Landow provides insights into how writers conceive of factors of audience and context in the new, online, global age. By reflecting upon what such factors mean for education and political practies in the 21st century, he offers ideas the members of society can consider as they move out into and explore such online spaces. These factors make the text a resource writing studies scholars can use to investigate composition practices in the age of the global web. The text also provides teachers in writing studies with important insights that can help them use online media in a range of educational contexts and to address different pedagogical objectives.

Manovich, Lev. (2001). The language of new media. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

While almost two decades old, Manovich's text still provides important perspectives on what new media are and the power they have to shape society on local, regional, and global levels. By examining the dynamics of various factors affecting online communication, he offers perspectives on how digital communication technologies shift the ways in which we think about and engage in various communication practices. He also presents interesting insights on the power new media can have on shaping how humans think about the notion of "reality" and how such factors affect the ways in which persons view and interact with the world around them. Through examining such topics, Manovich provides individuals in the field of writing studies with a framework for considering and reflecting upon the power of new media—or media that is "new" within the context of current society—to think critically and carefully about it. Manovich also provides implications it could have for writing and reading practices, engagement with others via text, and the nature of education—be it in online or offline settings.

Rice, Rich, & St. Amant, Kirk (Eds.). (In Press). Thinking globally, composing locally: Rethinking online writing in the age of the global Internet. Boulder, CO: University Press of Colorado/Utah State University Press.

The entries in this edited volume examine how various aspects of culture and technology can (and often do) affect composing practices in international cyberspace. By reviewing how this relatively new context of composition affects things such as how we contact individuals online, how we use online media to convey ideas to readers from other cultures, and how we connect via online writing with greater global communities, the chapters in this edited book collectively provide a framework for understanding the dynamics of composing in the age of the global web. As such, the individual entries offer writing studies scholars and teachers different perspectives on how to approach composing online for global audiences. On the whole, the overall collection can serve as a resource for individuals in writing studies who can use the book as a foundation for exploring how factors of culture and computing can affect web–based composition and teaching of writing online.

St. Amant, Kirk, & Rice, Rich. (Eds.). (2015). Online writing in global contexts: Rethinking the nature of connections and communication in the age of international online media. Computers and Composition, 38(Part B). Retrieved October 23, 2017, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/87554615/38/supp/PB. doi:10.1016/S8755-4615(15)00104-8

The global scope and reach of electronic media today means that when we write online, we are creating a text that can be read by a broad, global audience. But what do these factors of context and audience mean for how we should approach the writing process and the teaching of writing in today's context of the global web? St. Amant and Rice seek to explore such ideas through a Computers and Composition special issue focusing on this topic. In the introduction to that special issue, the two present ideas and models for how writing studies scholars and teachers might approach the global online environment with an eye toward what constitutes "audience" in this context. In so doing, they highlight key areas scholars might review to better investigate such contexts and that educators might use to best work with students in such environments.

Stewart, Edward C., & Bennett, Milton J. (1991). American cultural patterns: A cross-cultural perspective. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.

Interacting effectively with individuals from other cultures often requires individuals to be aware of how their native culture affects the ways in which they perceive and interact with the world around them. It also involves an understanding of foundational ideas and aspects that affect expectations and behaviors in other cultures. While somewhat dated, Stewart and Bennett's work still provides readers with important insights on the various values and beliefs underlying Anglo-American culture. In so doing, the text also provides interesting perspectives on how such cultural factors often influence behavior and communication patterns within larger Anglo-American culture. The discussion of such factors provides Anglo–Americans in writing studies with insights on how various aspects of their native culture can affect communication and composing practices. And for scholars from other cultural backgrounds, the book offers insights into communication behaviors—factors that could affect how individuals from other cultures interact with Anglo–Americans via different texts.

Sun, Huatong. (2012). Cross-cultural technology design: Creating culture-sensitive technology for local users. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.  

Effective cross-cultural communication involves more than just translating ideas from one language to another. Rather, it involves understanding how different kind of materials—including texts—fit into the patterns other cultures have for when, where, and how to use different items. As such, effective international communication is as much a factor of usability (i.e., designing materials so a given audience can use them effectively) as it is understanding the dynamics of a particular culture (i.e., considering how designs are perceived, received, and used within a particular cultural framework). Sun's book examines such dynamics of culture and usability. In so doing, she advocated an approach in which the needs and expectations of cultures are considered and addressed when original items are created vs. revising existing materials developed for one culture to try to address the communication needs of another. These ideas offer writing studies scholars and educators important perspectives on and approaches to how they might address composing in global contexts.

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—webtext & interview by Gustav Verhulsdonck 2017