* Why has 'culture' become central to political debates?
* How might we rethink questions of citizenship in an information age?
* What is cosmopolitanism and will it become the key ideal of the future?

This readable and accessible guide links questions of identity, individualization, multiculturalism, and mediation to a polics of culture'. The book draws from debates in political theory, cultural studies and sociology, and focuses on issues such as:
* The reshaping of citizenship by globalisation
* New social movements
* The decline of the nation-state
* The impact of popular culture.

The book argues that questions of cosmopolitanism are increasingly likely to emerge within these contexts. Whether we are discussing the destruction of the environment, issues of cultural policy, the city, or consumer culture, these questions can all be linked to cosmopolitan dimensions. Issues of rights, obligations and cultural respect are now all central to the way in which we conceive our common world. This original book asks us to rethink the kinds of politics and personhood that are suitable for an information age.