Description
Book SynopsisIn this book Ari Ofengenden examines the ways that Israel's integration into global economy has affected its main stream culture. Ofengenden uses works of Israeli film, literature, and television, from the past 30 years to conceptualize the changes in Israel's culture. He analyzes the central phenomena associated with Israel's integration into the global economy including: the demise of realism and the rise of commercial culture, the production of film, television, and novels for western audiences, and the critiques of capitalism in media. Ofengenden also explores the refiguring national identity through critique of masculinity. The book also discusses the affect globalization and marketization has had on modern narratives of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Trade ReviewThis is a timely study that offers a unique, if not outright, ignored perspective on modern Hebrew culture. While most studies on modern Hebrew culture tend to focus on the construction of national and ethnic identities, this study underscores the crucial role of economic and social processes in shaping the Israeli cultural landscape. -- Eran Kaplan, San Francisco State University
Ari Ofengenden offers a most persuasive thesis on the ‘cultural earthquake’ that Israel is experiencing alongside its integration into the global information economy. His book shows how mainstream Israeli films and novels embody liberal ideology, while domestic culture leans toward a commodified neo-tribalism. Both trends over-shadow progressive culture, embodied in realism and modernism, that was typical to Israel in the past. This book is a tour de force of powerful interpretations of key Israeli films, novels, and television series. It explores the entanglement of the seemingly diverse cultural trends of universal liberalism and particular ethno-nationalism. A must-read for anybody seeking an updated understanding of contemporary Israeli culture.
-- Uri Ram, professor, Ben Gurion University of the Negev; President of Israeli Sociological Association
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter One: Economics and Cultural Globalization in Israel: A Historical Introduction
Chapter Two: Marketization in Israeli Television, Film and Literature
Chapter Three: It Ain’t Europe Here
Chapter Four: Refiguring National Identity under Globalization
Chapter Five: The New Discourses or the Culture of the Left
Chapter Six: New Dystopias in Israeli Fiction
Chapter Seven: The Conflict Beyond Nationalism: The Second Intifada in Film and Narrative
Conclusion: Contextualizing Israel in a Global Knowledge-Society
Bibliography
About the Author
