What is actually meant by cultural dynamics? How can one study cultural processes of globalization? This volume provides contributions discussing both theoretical aspects and current empirical research from a socio-cultural perspective. This publication presents intermediate data of research work carried out by the Wittgenstein 2000 team within the research programme "Local identities and wider influences," a five year-research programme, established and directed by Andre Gingrich, the winner of the Wittgenstein Award 2000 and the chairman of the Commission for Social Anthropology at the Austrian Academy of Sciences.